This could be you | Australian Writers' Centre

Freda Chiu combines her creative talents with debut picture book ‘A Trip to the Hospital’

“My heart was pounding hard in my chest and I felt so elated and relieved that my childhood dream was finally coming true!”

That’s how Freda Chiu describes the moment she found out that her debut picture book, A Trip to the Hospital, was going to be published by Allen & Unwin. Although she was a successful freelance artist and educator, Freda wasn’t sure she had the skills to write her own picture book. But after taking the Writing Picture Books course with the Australian Writers’ Centre, Freda was unstoppable.

“I loved how structured and practical the Writing Picture Books course was,” Freda says. “I learned more in the two days I was at the AWC than in the few years prior doing self-research.”

Writing Podcast Episode 437: Sarah Bailey discusses her latest novel ‘The Housemate’ [Story Sessions series]

Now, this is so exciting as this is Sarah’s fourth published novel, and her first standalone book outside of her very popular Gemma Woodstock crime series. In this novel, we’re introduced to a new protagonist – investigative journalist Olive Groves. In this Story Session, Sarah talks about her writing process and reads the first chapter […]

Fiona Murphy becomes a published author with her debut memoir ‘The Shape of Sound’

As a budding writer, Fiona Murphy had a slew of writing ideas, but felt she lacked the confidence and skills to make them come to life. After taking a few freelance writing courses with the Australian Writers’ Centre, something clicked and she started successfully pitching stories.

That momentum led to the start of her career as an essayist and has culminated in the release of her memoir The Shape of Sound, published by Text Publishing in March 2021.

“Signing the contract was an out-of-body experience—it was both thrilling and terrifying! It took weeks for it to sink in.”

Writing Podcast Episode 436: Meet Susannah Hardy, author of ‘Loving Lizzie March’.

Meet Susannah Hardy, author of ‘Loving Lizzie March’. Discover why you should not show off your research skills and why indie publishing could be right for you. Plus, we have 3 copies of ‘Sweet Jimmy’ by Bryan Brown to give away.

Writing Podcast Episode 435: Sandie Docker discusses her latest novel ‘The Wattle Island Book Club’ [Story Sessions series]

This is the fourth novel from Sandie and it is bound to be as fabulously popular as her previous three. Longtime listeners may remember we spoke to Sandie back in episode 323 when The Banksia Bay Beach Shack had just come out, which was her third novel, and before that she published The Cottage at […]

Anika Molesworth shares her powerful story with debut book, ‘Our Sunburnt Country’

With an outline for her book, Anika secured a contract with Pan MacMillan to write about her experiences of climate change as a scientist and farmer. But after months of writing, she knew she needed some expert advice to shape her thoughts into a coherent book. She enrolled in the Australian Writers’ Centre’s Creative Non-fiction course.

“As I worked my way through the course, I began to feel more confident as a writer. And once I completed the course, I was so eager to dive back into my manuscript and apply all my new learnings.”

Anika’s debut book Our Sunburnt Country is out now with Pan Macmillan.

Writing Podcast Episode 427 Meet Rebekah Campbell, author of ‘138 Dates’

Meet Rebekah Campbell, author of ‘138 Dates: The true story of one woman’s search for everything’. Discover how to harness community to build book sales. Have you listened to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast? Plus, we have 3 copies of ‘The Disappearing Act’ by Catherine Steadman to give away.

How Rebekah Campbell’s 138 dates led to a publishing deal with Allen & Unwin

Whenever Rebekah Campbell told people the story of how she met her husband, they would lean in and ask for more. That’s when she knew she had to write a book about her three-year search for love. So when she saw the Write Your Novel six-month program at the Australian Writers’ Centre, she felt it was the push she needed to write the book she’d been putting off for years.

Doing the course paid off. Rebekah’s book 138 Dates has now been published by Allen & Unwin.

Children’s author Victoria Mackinlay releases two remarkable picture books

Picture book author – and AWC alumna – Victoria Mackinlay has had an extraordinary month. She has published not one but TWO new picture books, The Lion Who Came To Stay and The Bark Book. As if that wasn’t achievement enough, her first picture book Ribbit Rabbit Robot has been listed for both the Speech […]

CJ Fentiman discovers her perfect career path writing about pets

After taking several courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre, CJ gained the confidence to write a book about her experiences of living in Japan and the cats she met along the way.

“These courses provided me with the skills I needed to develop my writing further and to meet like-minded people, so we could grow and nurture our creativity together,” CJ says.

CJ’s uplifting memoir The Cat with Three Passports is out now with Silver Vine Press, and it was an award-winning finalist in the Animals/Pets: Narrative Non-Fiction category of the 2021 International Book Awards.