This could be you | Australian Writers' Centre

Anne Farrell: From marketer to children’s author with a three-book deal

Anne Farrell’s journey from marketer and copywriter to published author is proof that it’s never too late to follow a long-held dream. After completing more than a dozen courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre, Anne has signed a three-book deal for The Rakali Trilogy, with the first junior fiction title scheduled for release in 2026. […]

Amy Hutton builds on her rom-com success

When television producer Amy Hutton decided she wanted to switch careers and become a writer, she went all in. After making such a decisive move, Amy knew she had to learn the craft of writing if she were to succeed. She liked the variety of courses on offer at the Australian Writers’ Centre and she jumped in, learning the essentials of Fiction and Grammar, Plotting and Planning and how to Pitch Your Novel.

AWC graduate Rhonda McCoy publishes debut novel ‘Crow’

Tasmanian author and Australian Writers’ Centre graduate Rhonda McCoy has published her debut novel Crow, a rural family saga set in the central highlands of Tasmania. Rhonda’s path to publication began after she retired from a long career in health, managing hospitals and aged-care facilities. Following her husband’s cancer diagnosis, she shifted her focus to […]

Alex Dook – persistence pays off with crime fiction success

The word ‘persistence’ is often thrown about in the world of publishing. And Alex Dook is a perfect example of it paying off – with a little help from the Australian Writers’ Centre! Alex’s journey to publication was a long one – the culmination of years of learning from the many screenplays and manuscripts he […]

Charlotte Barkla expands her children’s book portfolio

Engineer-turned-maths teacher Charlotte Barkla never imagined she’d become a published writer – but three children’s books later, she’s thrilled to have rediscovered her passion.

Physio-turned-author Megan White adds to her Anatomy series

Megan White is fast becoming a force in the world of fantasy – with her latest 2025 release of The Anatomy of Gods following hot on the heels of her breakout debut novel The Anatomy of Songs, both through New Dawn Publishing. Yet just a few short years ago, she was busy pursuing what seemed […]

Mette Menzies: From Australian Writers’ Centre to a debut with HarperCollins

For best friends Viktoriya Butler and Steven Reynolds – who write together under the pen name Mette Menzies – a love of storytelling has turned into an extraordinary partnership. These pals are now co-authors of their debut novel, The Watervale Ladies’ Writing and Firefighting Society, published by HarperCollins. For Viktoriya, the journey began with a […]

Jemima Shafei-Ongu: From Furious Fiction to publication

Any author will tell you that inspiration can strike anywhere. And in the case of Jemima Shafei-Ongu, that ‘anywhere’ was during a weekend writing competition. The competition was Furious Fiction – a monthly 500-word story challenge created by the Australian Writers’ Centre. And while her story didn’t win the top prize, it would go on to become her latest picture book, A Lemon for Safiya, published in 2025 through Hachette.

AWC graduate Shelly Unwin celebrates new picture book release

Shelly Unwin was a stay-at-home mum with a young family when she decided to take the leap of faith and try her hand at writing picture books. “I was reading to my daughter one night and suddenly I knew 100% that was what I wanted to do,” recalls Shelly.

Alli Parker – sharing new Japanese-Australian stories

“I’d wanted to tell the story since I was eleven years old and even then I knew that I needed to wait until I was a better writer to do this story justice,” Alli told us. Although she had been writing for film and television for several years, she knew that she needed different skills to write Cherry’s story as a novel. That’s when she turned to the Australian Writers’ Centre.