Category: AWC alumni

Tamsin Janu shortlisted for the 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards

We are thrilled to see AWC alumnus and award-winning author Tamsin Janu shortlisted in 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards Children’s fiction category for her book Figgy Takes the City. From the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards media release: The shortlists for this year's Prime Minister's... read more

Ashleigh Mills launches her travel directory – ‘Hotels with Cats’

Courses taken at AWC: Blogging for Beginners Freelance Writing Stage 1 Travel Writing Profile Writing Ashleigh Mills wanted to combine her passion for cats, travel and freelance writing. So she took AWC’s courses in Blogging for Beginners, Travel Writing and Freelance Writing Stage 1. Then everything fell into place... read more

Jo Hartley’s life-changing leap from recruitment to successful freelance writer

Courses taken at AWC: Freelance Writing Stage 1 Copywriting Essentials Travel Writing Profile Writing When Jo Hartley took Australian Writers' Centre’s Freelance Writing Stage 1 course it totally changed her life. Today she calls herself a freelance writer and says she can’t imagine her life without writing. “It... read more

Margaret Morgan: “Through the course at AWC, I discovered that I really could be a novelist”

Courses taken at AWC: Write Your Novel Thanks to the Australian Writers' Centre’s Write Your Novel course, and the subsequent publishing of her first novel, The Second Cure (Penguin Random House), Margaret Morgan now proudly calls herself an author. “I’ve just had my first novel published and I... read more

Jaci Byrne’s dreams of being a published author come true

Courses taken at AWC: Freelance Writing Stage 1 Inside Publishing (previously called How to Get your Book Published) After self-publishing four novels and a series of eight illustrated children’s educational books on Amazon, Jaci Byrne decided that she wanted to get her books ‘traditionally published’. She took Freelance... read more

Sarah Bailey wins Ned Kelly Award for Best First Novel

A HUGE congratulations to AWC Creative Writing Stage 1 graduate, Sarah Bailey who has won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Novel, The Dark Lake (2017 Allen & Unwin). The Dark Lake was a bestseller around the world and her suspenseful storytelling about a police procedural set in country... read more

How vision impaired Graham Frizzell gained the confidence to become a successful freelance writer

Courses taken at AWC: Freelance Writing Stage 1 Travel Writing How to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting Business Copywriting Essentials Living with profound vision impairment (Graham is legally blind) and growing up prior to the advent of the adaptive technology that has so enriched his life today, Graham felt completely... read more

Mandy Foot lands children’s book deal as writer and illustrator

Courses taken at AWC: Writing Picture Books Congratulations to Australian Writers’ Centre Writing Picture Books graduate Mandy Foot on her publishing deal with Hachette Australia. Her charming book Joey and Riley (about a young boy and his beloved dog in rural Australia) will be published next year and in the... read more

Catherine celebrates her second children’s book published this year

AWC alumni Catherine Pelosi is kicking goals again with the publication of her second book this year. Something for Fleur is Catherine’s first picture book and it comes hot on the heels of her first junior fiction novel, Quark’s Academy. So it’s been a big year for... read more

Maggie Hutchings – from counsellor to children’s author

Course taken at AWC: Writing Picture Books Maggie Hutchings’ determination to improve and keep writing until she was published has paid off, thanks to taking AWC’s Writing Picture Books course and the subsequent publication of her children’s book Unicorn! by Affirm Press. “I was absolutely committed to the... read more

Congratulations to AWC graduate Lauren Gardiner on the publication of her book ‘baby + me!’

Courses taken at AWC: Writing Picture Books Creative Writing Stage 1 Congratulations Lauren on the publication of baby + me!. A graduate of AWC’s Writing Picture Books and Creative Writing Stage 1 courses, Lauren is the author of this beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written story book for soon-to-be... read more

Mandy McKeesick has never looked back since taking AWC’s Freelance Writing course

Courses taken at AWC: Freelance Writing Stage 1 Travel Writing Copywriting Essentials How to Write Media Releases Five years ago Mandy McKeesick completed the AWC Freelance Writing Stage 1 course with the aim of showcasing the Australian bush. Today today she has a successful business working with both magazine and... read more

Sarah Bailey’s much awaited second thriller hits the bookshelves

Congratulations to AWC alumnus Sarah Bailey who appeared in the Sun Herald and The Sunday Age. Sarah has just published her second book Into the Night (Allen & Unwin), a brazen murder with hundreds of witnesses and a case where no one can be trusted. Sarah’s acclaimed debut novel... read more

Shelly Unwin blasts off with another winning children’s book!

AWC courses completed: Writing Picture Books How to Write for Children and Young Adults Prolific children’s author Shelly Unwin is blasting onto bookshelves with her new picture book Blast Off!, which rockets through the solar system in a funny, fact-filled space trip around the planets. Inspired by her... read more

Ali Berg knew she wanted to be an author from the age of three!

AWC courses completed: Creative Writing Stage 1 When Ali (on the right above) gave up her job in advertising at the age of 24 to travel the world, little did she realise it would culminate in an innovative career built around books and a two-book deal with Simon and... read more

Ingrid Alexandra fulfils a lifelong dream to be a published author

AWC courses completed: Advanced Fiction Writing Techniques Ingrid’s tenacity and stubbornness to keep at it no matter how many rejections were thrown at her has paid off with the launch of her psychological thriller The New Girl published by HarperCollins imprint Avon Books UK. Investing in skills “I'd... read more

Astrid Scholte: Now a successful author of young adult fiction

AWC Courses completed: Creative Writing Stage 1 Advanced Fiction Writing Techniques (Creative Writing Stage 2) Start Your Novel History, Mystery and Magic Blogging for Beginners What Publishers Want Lofty ambitions pay off Astrid Scholte had always hoped to be published. In fact, she had the lofty goal of being published... read more

Announcing the 2018 Australian Book Industry Awards Longlist

A HUGE congratulations to everyone on the ABIA 2018 longlist – especially our alumni Sarah Bailey for The Dark Lake and Tania Blanchard for The Girl from Munich. Great to see our graduates kicking so many goals. Bravo! Also to these fantastic authors who have all featured in the Australian Writers... read more

AWC alumnus Penelope Janu has won the 2017 XO Romance Prize

AWC alumnus Penelope Janu has won the 2017 XO Romance Prize for her unpublished manuscript, On the Same Page. Described by guest judge Alexandra Nahlous as “A wonderful, captivating story about a writer desperate to keep her identity hidden, and the man determined to expose her”, Penelope receives a $5000... read more

Brad Kelly: From history teacher to full-time freelance writer

AWC courses completed: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 Freelance Writing Masterclass Program Copywriting Essentials Profile Writing The Business of Freelancing Writing Australian History After a 15-year career as a history teacher, Brad Kelly was ready for his next challenge. With a keen interest in the world of writing... read more