This could be you | Australian Writers' Centre

Maggie Hutchings – from counsellor to children’s author

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.

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

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 big brothers and sisters. This is no ordinary book – an innovative addition is the ability for a sibling […]

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

Mandy McKeesick completed the AWC Freelance Writing Stage 1 course with the aim of showcasing the Australian bush. Today she has a successful business working with both magazine and corporate clients doing just that!

Sarah Bailey’s much awaited second thriller hits the bookshelves

Congratulations to AWC alumna 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 The Dark Lake (2017) was a bestseller around the world and her taut and suspenseful storytelling earned her comparisons with authors such as Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins. In 2018 The Dark Lake was winner of the Davitt Award (Debut) award for best crime books written by Australian women.

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

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.

Ingrid Alexandra fulfils a lifelong dream to be a published author

Ingrid’s tenacity and stubbornness to keep at it no matter how many rejections were thrown at her have paid off with the launch of her psychological thriller The New Girl published by HarperCollins imprint Avon Books UK.

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’ Centre podcast So You […]

AWC alumna Penelope Janu has won the 2017 XO Romance Prize

AWC alumna 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 advance and a publishing contract […]

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

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, he completed a course at the Australian Writers’ Centre. “I had always been drawn to long form journalism and features, and I wanted to learn the nuts and bolts of the trade,” says Brad.

Joy Adan: Living her dream as a freelance writer

Even though Joy Adan dreamt of becoming a writer, she initially didn’t have the confidence to pursue this passion. “I had a recurring voice in my head – that sounded a lot like my mother – that kept telling me that the only people who could call themselves writers were either really lucky or really poor. That I should do the responsible thing – and set aside my creative ambitions in search for a secure, well-paying job.”