Close and Personal…

‘Request Program’, a play by Franz Xaver Kroetz  A Black Bag Trilogy Performance, Detached Gallery, Hobart, 5th to 14th August, 2022 Earl Art Centre, Launceston, 25th to 27th May, 2023 Language is vital to me. Whatever the writing project, I am always conscious of its beauty, power and utility. One of my attractions to Drama […]

Back in the ‘seventies when I (Leigh) started attending theatre, two out of every three plays were Australian originals. The Nimrod in Sydney, the Australian Performing Group and La Mama in Melbourne produced fresh local drama that spoke directly to audiences about their own lives. Fast forward to 2022 and what has been built from […]

This month our recommended reads column features Tasmanian writer Zachary Harris, author of Sons of Burke, the first novel in what will be a five book saga published by Pegasus Publishers. Have you always wanted to be a writer? I have loved writing since early high school, and since then I have aspired to be […]

Caroline Flood is the award-winning author of numerous short stories that have been widely published in literary journals in Australia, the USA and Canada. Her first collection of short stories With These We Will Never Go Hungry was published by Ginninderra Press in 2022. This collection poignantly explores themes of domestic violence, motherhood, grief, childhood and loss, deftly inviting the reader […]

Mallika is the author of two adaptations of classics for children—the Ramayana: The Quest to Rescue Sita and Peter Pan in the POP! Lit for Kids series (WS Education, 2021). She Never Looks Quite Back is her first collection of short stories published by Penguin Random House SEA on 14 December 2021, and is a […]

Eliza Henry-Jones is the award-winning author of In the Quiet, How to Grow a Family Tree and P is for Pearl. Arianne recently interviewed Eliza on her latest novel, Salt and Skin, a wild and haunting mystery set on the remote Orkney islands off the coast of Scotland. Where did the inspiration for Salt and […]

Minnie Darke (aka Danielle Wood), the best-selling author of Star Crossed and The Lost Love Song is back with another heartwarming contemporary romance, With Love From Wish and Co. Read on for a Q&A where Minnie talks about her inspiration behind the novel, her writing process and more… Where did the inspiration behind this story […]

  Lucy Christopher is a British/Australian author best known for her bestselling YA novel Stolen. Lucy has also published books for younger readers and was up until recently a Reader and Creative Director in creative writing at Bath Spa University. She is now living in Hobart and working as a Senior Lecturer in creative writing at […]

The Winter’s Tale                                     Blue Cow Theatre, TMAG, 13th to 28th May. Covid shut down the theatres and sacked the actors and technicians. The Arts have always had a tough run in this country so artists have always had to learn resilience. Still keeping in mind the shattered careers and companies and the Morrison government’s […]

Ben Walter’s debut collection of short fiction, What Fear Was, is a brilliant, poignant, funny and utterly original collection that belongs on every Tasmanian’s bookshelf. Arianne was lucky enough to spend some time talking to Ben about his ideas for this book, his writing process and more. Do you have any particular rituals you like […]

Tasmanian writer Colin Baldwin is the author of A Soldier’s Quartet, which was recently nominated for the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award. To celebrate this wonderful achievement, Arianne asked Colin some questions about where the idea for his book came from, and his writing process. Can you start by telling me a bit about how […]

Arianne recently chatted with Tasmanian born Francesca Haig, bestselling author of the post-apocalyptic fantasy trilogy The Fire Sermon, about her new novel, The Cookbook of Common Prayer, which will be featured in our October Recommended Reads. I was curious to know whether Francesca enjoyed writing one book more than another, or if she found the process of writing […]

Young Dawkins’ most recent collection of poems, Slow Walk Home was our Tasmanian Recent Release Feature for April. Young was kind enough to answer some of our questions about the book and his life as a poet and traveller.   Do you remember the moment that you decided poetry was something you wanted to pursue as […]

Jane Harper, Queen of rural noir, recently chatted with Arianne about her latest novel, The Survivors and the writing life. The landscapes and towns in your books have such a strong presence, almost as if they are characters themselves. Is this something you have in mind when writing, landscape as character? Yeah it definitely is, and […]

Ben Marshall is the author of The Last Circus on Earth, a thrilling near future novel taking reader’s on a journey across Europe and Russia with a hellish Circus. It won the 2019 Fantasica Science Fiction Prize. Read on to find out more about Ben’s writing process and inspiration for his novel, and the play he is currently […]

At the bottom of the world, there is an island. It is a land of rugged wilderness, of ice and snow and blistering heat, of the oldest trees on earth . . . They say tigers still roam there. They say other things roam, too.  I was fortunate enough to chat with Kyle Perry, author […]

If you’re not already following Claire Christian (@ClaireandPearl as she goes by on Twitter and Instagram) please do. You will not regret it. She will add a mountain’s worth of joy and wholesome goodness to your feed. Did I mention she also has the most adorable pug called Midge? If you’re not on social media […]

Celebrated Tasmanian children’s author Lian Tanner has done and lived through some amazing things. Tourist bus driver? Tick. Juggler? Tick. Teacher? Tick. Been accidentally dynamited while scuba diving in Papua New Guinea? Triple tick. I was lucky enough to have a chat to Lian about her hilarious and heart-warming new book, A Clue for Clara. I’m always curious about the ways […]

Congratulations to Tasmania’s own Erin Hortle on the publication of her debut novel, The Octopus and I, which was released by Allen and Unwin yesterday. Read on for a fascinating insight into the inspiration behind the book. Where did the idea for this novel come from? I was inspired to write what became The Octopus and […]

T.C Shelley, author of the wonderful new kids book, The Monster Who Wasn’t, answers some of our questions. Where did the idea for this book come from? My daughter and I were watching ‘Tinkerbell’ and she asked me ‘If fairies come from a first laugh, where do monsters come from?’ And so I answered it as […]

Favel Parrett, the award winning author of Past The Shallows and When The Night Comes, is a writer of astonishingly moving stories in rare, evocative prose. Arianne was lucky enough to speak with her about her latest novel, There Was Still Love, set between Prague and Australia. It is a tale of memory, family, and the […]

Terry Whitebeach                                                                                                            […]

Arianne recently chatted with best-selling children’s author Davina Bell, about her gorgeous new picture book, All the Ways to be Smart, featured in this month’s Recommended Reads: https://taswriters.org/recommended-reads-june-3/ Read on for Davina’s own unqiue insight into the world of children’s book publishing, and the idea behind this delightful book. Firstly, congratulations on the publication of All […]

Margo Lanagan is the award winning author of both novels and short stories. Her writing is astonishingly beautiful, powerful, strange and lyrical. Arianne was lucky enough to ask her some questions, which the TWC would now like to share with you. Do you have a favourite novel or short story from the collections you have […]

If you haven’t yet read Star Crossed, the big hearted and hilarious romantic comedy by Tasmania’s Minnie Darke (aka Danielle Wood), perhaps this interview will whet your appetite. Pop on over to our https://taswriters.org/april-recommended-reads/ page to discover more. When did you get the first inkling of the idea for this novel? The idea for the […]

Arianne recently interviewed award winning and internationally published author Karen Viggers about her most recent book, The Orchadist’s Daughter, which is featured in our Recommended Reads for March here https://taswriters.org/recommended-reads-march-3/  Karen’s books have been translated into French, Italian, Norwegian, Slovenian and Spanish. Her work has enjoyed great success in France, selling more than 800,000 copies to date. […]

Arianne recently chatted with Esther Campion, author of Leaving Ocean Road, about her second novel, The House of Second Chances, and of course, everything to do with writing in between.   I asked Esther where her idea for The House of Second Chances came from. Esther says after completing her first novel, she didn’t feel […]

Angela Slatter is the award winning author of speculative fiction novels Vigil and Corpselight. She is also particularly adept with the short story. Her collections, The Bitterwood Bible and Sourdough and Other Stories have both received critical acclaim, with Sourdough being a finalist for a World Fantasy Award in 2011, and Bitterwood being a co-winner of this award for Best Collection […]

Arianne was lucky enough to interview award winning author Markus Zusak about his new novel, Bridge of Clay, and chat about all things writing. Read on for the full conversation.     I’m always curious about where writers find inspiration for their novels. Markus says the idea for Bridge of Clay began quite a while ago, […]

Arianne recently chatted with Tasmanian fantasy author Cary Lenehan about his new book Clearing the Web, the third book in his Warriors of Vhast series, his writing process and what inspires him. Have you always wanted to be a writer? I suppose that I dreamt of it a long time ago when, at school, I […]

Arianne recently interviewed Kate Gordon, one of Tasmania’s most well loved storytellers, about her life as a writer and the publication of her new book, Girl Running, Boy Falling, a brave and heartfelt exploration of teen suicide that contributes to the breaking of persistent taboos around the nature of suicide and mental illness.     Where did […]

We See The Stars by Kate Van Hooft is a stunningly poignant novel which was recently featured in our Reccommended Reads column. For more information, click here https://taswriters.org/recommended-reads-june-2/ Read on for an interview with Kate where Arianne asks her about all things writing, and be inspired by Kate’s insight into the creative process.   Where did the […]

A few weeks ago Arianne sat down and had a chat with Robbie Arnott, debut author of Flames about his inspiration for the book and his writing process. Read more https://taswriters.org/recommended-reads-may-2/   I’m always curious about a writers process. I asked Robbie if he was a careful creator of sentences, editing as he went, or if […]

I recently spoke with Julie Hunt about her new book Shine Mountain and her writing process. Have a read and be inspired by her wonderful responses!   What was the primary inspiration for Shine Mountain? The story came from many different sources. I was reading about Appalachian folklore and came across the belief in a […]

Emily Conolan was born and raised in Launceston, and now lives in Hobart. She is known for her teaching and humanitarian work and has recently published the engaging ‘choose your own adventure’ style Freedom Fighters series. Check out her wonderful Q&A below: I love it how you’ve written these books in second person. It’s a form […]

We asked authors Danielle Ross Walls and Louise Correcha to talk about their wonderful new book Working Mums, full of inspirational stories that will lift women up and give them renewed courage on managing the balance between work and family life. Do you remember the moment you decided to write this book? The moment of inspiration? […]

Colin Dray is an author and teacher of English literature and creative writing. His short stories have appeared in Meanjin and his non-fiction in Australian Literary Studies and Antipodes. I had the pleasure of interviewing him to chat about his debut novel Sign, published in 2018 by Allen & Unwin and shortlisted for the Australian […]

If you’re interested in writing a memoir and haven’t yet signed up to Carmel Bird’s fantastic upcoming workshop, have a read of this inspiring Q&A to wet your appetite. Or, even better, sign up before reading to secure your place!   I love the title of your workshop ‘Stuff that Happened’. It seems deceptively simple. […]

We were lucky enough to chat with Louise Allan, debut author of The Sisters Song, about her journey as a writer. Published by Allen and Unwin and included in our Recommended Reads for January, members have the opportunity to win one of two copies simply by commenting why you would like a copy on Facebook or emailing me […]

We chatted with Stephanie Parkyn about the publication of her debut novel, Into the World, her writing journey, inspirations and plans for the future.   Firstly, congratulations on the publication of your novel Into the World! How has the launch process been? Exciting but daunting! I lived in both Hobart and Launceston while I was writing […]

Orysia Dawydiak, our 2017 Prince Edward Island (PEI) writing exchange resident was kind enough to take a break from her projects and come down to the office to have a chat with me about her experience during this residency and her writing life. Orysia is a Canadian writer of both long and short fiction, YA […]

  The Tasmanian Writers Centre interviewed Campbell McConnachie to discuss the story behind his debut novel The Fatalist, the incredible tale behind the life of serial killer Lindsay Rose, a man Campbell unknowingly befriended at his local pub. I thought perhaps the discovery of Lindsay’s secret had spurred Campbell into the writing life, but he […]

Environmental journalist and author Anna Krien caught up with us to chat about her life as a writer and the importance of environmental writing before her upcoming workshop at the Moonah Arts Centre on the 20th of August.   When you think back on your childhood, what are some of the places that stand out […]

Robbie Arnott, writer and TWC Board member recently attended the Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne. Here he discusses his experience with the Tasmanian Writers Centre. What was your role at the EWF? I was on two panels – one about copywriting (my day job is in an advertising agency as a copywriter), and one about […]

In the lead up to his Writers Journey Workshop on creative non-fiction, we chatted with James Dryburgh about his writing journey and the art of the essay. When did you start writing professionally?  I haven’t started yet! One day… I started sending things hoping to get published in 2011. These were essays based on experiences […]

Caroline Brothers and James Dryburgh discussed Caroline’s latest novel, The Memory Stones. Her story covers the stolen generation of Argentina’s dark days in the late 1970s. As a former New York Times correspondent, Caroline has covered events in South America and worldwide. She has made the transition to novelist, using her profound knowledge of true events as the springboard […]

On May 21st Claire Konkes will be running a workshop at Moonah Arts Centre on Freelancing and Feature Writing. The Tasmanian Writers Centre’s Arianne James caught up with her for a chat. Claire Konkes has worked successfully in and out of journalism for the past twenty years. Her life’s current journey has her working as a lecturer […]

Karen Armstrong is a writer and visual artist. She sells her work at Inka Gallery and Saddlers Court, and has in the past sold pieces at Gallery on the Square, Goulburn St Gallery, Grand Chancellor, Cotton Duck Gallery, Geeveston and Tasmania Shop and Gallery. Last year, Karen published a poetry collection with Ginninderra Press. If We […]

On April 8 and 9 Peter Timms will be running a two-part workshop on research methods for fiction and non-fiction writers. The Tasmanian Writers Centre’s Arianne James caught up with him for a chat. Peter Timms began his career in the world of Art Curating. From 1971 to 1988 he held positions at Shepperton Art […]

One of our March Recommended Reads is The Journey of Admiral Bolognaise – the second book in the Captain Blueberry series by Tasmanian writer and illustrator Rachel Tribout. Made possible through a Pozible campaign , this beautifully designed book follows the adventures of one Admiral Bolognese as he decides to prove that monstrous monsters don’t exist…but can he!? […]

  Dr Rebe Taylor is a historian specialising in Tasmanian anthropology and archaeology. She first encountered Tasmanian Aboriginal history on a beach on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, hearing stories about the women who had been taken there by sealers. She has been trying to understand the history of Tasmanian Aboriginal diaspora, loss, rediscovery and endurance […]

Author Karenlee Thompson, currently based in Queensland, will be back in Tasmanian this month to launch her new short story collection Flame Tip (Hybrid Publishers) at Fullers Bookshop in Hobart. Flame Tip is a collection of short fictions that explore different realities and perceptions arising from the Tasmanian Black Tuesday bushfires. The pieces in this collection are as diverse in […]

Tasmanian writer Shanna Rudov-Clark’s book There’s Magic in the Sky was published by Forty South Publishing in September 2016. The book is a beautiful and unique combination of art, science and rhyme. It’s an accessible book for children that explains how the magical lights of the aurora are made. There’s Magic in the Sky takes the reader on […]

One of our Recommended Reads for February is The Trapeze Act by Libby Angel; a book which does a beautiful job of weaving together stories from the circus, portraits of family relationships, and tales of a doomed ivory expedition.  Libby is a renowned Australian poet, but this is her first novel and it has been […]

Sally Wise is the bestselling author of several books, including A Year in a Bottle and Slow Cooker. Sally has recently teamed up with friend and colleague Paul McIntyre – an award-winning playwright and a senior producer for ABC Local Radio in Tasmania – to write The Little Book of Slow, which offers practical suggestions, recipes and more for making […]

Tasmanian writer Fiona Levings has recently launched her debut picture book for children, The Moonbow. The book is a beautiful, heartwarming story, wonderfully illustrated by Fiona, and it is one of our Recommended Reads for January. If you check out that post you’ll see that we have a copy to giveaway! We are very grateful to Fiona for taking some […]

Tasmanian writer Christine Dibley has recently launched her debut novel To the Sea. The book is one of our Recommended Reads for January and if you check out that post you’ll see that we have a copy to giveaway. We are delighted that Christine could take the time to answer a few questions for us in […]

One of our recommended reads for December is the wonderful KidGlovz by Julie Hunt. KidGlovz is a graphic novel which recently won the Children’s category at the Queensland Literary Awards. We are so pleased that Julie, who lives in Tasmania, could take the time to have a chat with us about KidGlovz and her other […]

Congratulations on the publication of Down the Dirt Roads, Rachel! How has your launch tour been going? The tour was sensational. I spent most of my time in regional South Australia and Western Australia with large audiences and a sell-out on books in most places. The important thing for me was seeing the women in […]

One of our recommended reads for November is PAUSE: A Collection of Tasmanian Moments by the celebrated photographer Paul Fleming. Originally from Launceston, but now a resident of Hobart, Paul uses his writing and photography to share positive stories and experiences about Tasmania and beyond. Most of his work is shared through social media, where he is […]

Tasmanian writer Katherine Johnson released her second novel The Better Son in October 2016, and we are very pleased to feature it as one of our Recommended Reads for this month. We’re also delighted that Katherine took the time to have a quick chat with us. Congratulations on the release of The Better Son! Can you […]

By Ruth Dawkins   Jennifer Livett was born in Hampshire, moving to Tasmania with her family when she was still a child. She spent most of her life here, completing a PhD in English and becoming a tutor and English at the University of Tasmania. After retirement, she enrolled in printmaking at the Tasmanian School […]

By Stephanie Eslake   Are you a young Tasmanian who enjoys short story writing? Perhaps you’re looking to build on our last Twitch short story event with Adam Ouston, or to hear a fresh perspective from another talented writer? Michael Blake will host the next Twitch Tuesdays workshop, coming up on October 18. The Tasmanian writer’s stories and […]

Net Brennan is one of those wonderful ‘quiet’ writers that you occasionally stumble across in Tasmania. Warm, funny and humble, she has no airs and gives no indication that she’s an internationally published author with more than 25 years experience writing and editing national publications. You have to delve deep into her website to find all […]

By Stephanie Eslake   Chris Wallace–Crabbe AM describes himself as “an acute noticer”. And it’s this skill of observation that he has turned into an artform, offering his commentary on Australian life through his highly acclaimed works of poetry. Chris has an international reputation as one of our nation’s leading poets. The son of a pianist […]

Last month saw the launch of the latest novel by Tasmanian writer Heather Rose. The Museum of Modern Love is one of our Recommended Reads for September, and there’s a chance to win a copy in our monthly competition, so head on over for a look. We are delighted that Heather was able to take time […]

  Wednesday 7th September 2016 is National Threatened Species Day and commemorates the 80th anniversary of the death of the last known (captive) thylacine.   Stripes in the Forest by award-winning children’s author, Aleesah Darlison, is a poignant and emotive story of an iconic species lost. Told from the perspective of the last wild, female Tasmanian tiger, it provides […]

By Stephanie Eslake   Poets, grab your works-in-progress and bring them along to be examined by an expert. Sound scary? Good – because we’re looking to push you Outside your comfort zone with Anne Kellas this September 24. Her Launceston masterclass is designed for experienced poets to venture into the unknown, and explore new ways to engage with poetry. Anne […]

By Stephanie Eslake   Hobart writer Adam Oustan knows a thing or two about short stories. His work has appeared in publications such as The Canary Press, Southerly, Island Magazine, Voiceworks, Crikey, The Lifted Brow, The Review of Australian Fiction, and the 2014 Transportation anthology. Adam is the recipient of the 2014 Erica Bell Literary […]

By Stephanie Eslake   Jane Godwin never quite grew out of children’s books. The Melbourne author has forged a career in writing for children of all ages, and since having produced more than 20 books in a range of formats from picture books for young kids to novels for the heavier readers. Jane will present two […]

One of the most anticipated Australian novels of 2016 was The Paper House; the debut offering from Melbourne based writer Anna Spargo-Ryan. Anna’s previous work – both fiction and nonfiction – has been published by Black Inc., The Guardian, Overland, Kill Your Darlings, Seizure, Daily Life, The Age, the ABC and others. When Anna isn’t writing she’s a web developer […]

By Stephanie Eslake   Are kids reading enough these days, or are they spending too much time in front of the screen? A recent report from Scholastic showed encouraging results – more than half of kids aged 6-17 like reading books for fun, or at least think it’s important. Even more (86 per cent) enjoy […]

By Stephanie Eslake   It’s no exaggeration to say Omar Musa is one of the coolest poets of his generation. The Malaysian-Australian artist blurs the lines between rap and poetry, having written two books and released three hip-hop albums. This month he returns to Tasmania, tutoring Year 9 students at The Friends School before he […]

By Stephanie Eslake   Have you ever felt moved by an issue and wanted to share your opinion with hundreds, even thousands of readers? Van Badham has. The columnist shares her views on social, political, and environmental issues through Guardian Australia and is heading to Tasmania this month to show us how it’s done in […]

By Stephanie Eslake   According to published writer and editor Lauren Daniels, a powerful character can reflect “the deepest themes of humanity”. Whether you’re writing creative non-fiction or mapping out a novel, it’s important to consider the psychology behind your leading star. Lauren will visit Hobart to show us how for her June 18 workshop […]

By Leigh Rigozzi and Stephanie Eslake   Author and former Island editor Gina Mercer has been named the 2016 recipient of our Prince Edward Island residency program, and it’ll see her work on a collection of eco-poetry and interviews all around the theme of water. Gina has spent three decades teaching creative writing and literature […]

Tansy Rayner Roberts is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and pop culture critique. She is the author of Splashdance Silver, the Creature Court trilogy, and Love and Romanpunk among other novels. She also writes Tasmanian-based crime fiction under the name Livia Day including the novels A Trifle Dead and Drowned Vanilla. Recent published works include “Fake Geek Girl” in Australian […]

Terry Whitebeach has been teaching creative writing for over three decades in schools, tertiary institutions and communities in all states of Australia and in the USA. Her published work includes poetry, novels, biography, children’s picture books, radio plays, essays and reviews. She has a BA in English Literature and Philosophy, MA in English Literature and Creative Writing […]

Mark Dapin doesn’t waste a second. One page into his debut novel King of the Cross and I’m thrown into an uncomfortable interview with a multi-million dollar gangster. His writing packs a potent punch. Abrupt and energetic, Dapin crafts scenes that bounce out from the pages. It is clear that Dapin writes for the reader; […]

Lyn Reeves is a poet, fiction writer, editor and mentor. Her sixth and most recent poetry collection, Designs on the Body, (Interactive Press, 2011) won the IP Picks Best Poetry Award in 2010. From 1994 to 2012, Lyn was an associate editor for the literary journal Famous Reporter. She has guest-edited poetry for several poetry […]

Julie Hunt creates stories for children of all ages. Her picture book, The Coat (illustrated by Ron Books), won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Award in 2013 and her debut novel, Song for a Scarlet Runner (2013), won the inaugural Readings Children’s Book Prize was shortlisted for the CBCA Award for Younger Readers, the […]

Robyn Friend has more than 30 years experience working with writers at all levels and across all genres. Her own published works include fiction, faction, articles essays and reviews. Her first short stories appeared in the late 70s and early 80s in The Canberra Times, Nation Review, Overland, Island, Inprint and various other newspapers and journals. A […]

Dirk Flinthart lives in the north-east of Tasmania with his family, which includes a deranged dog, a neurotic cat, and three children. He has been writing since he was about four years old, but his publishing track record goes back only to somewhere in the late eighties, when he began producing articles for the Student […]

Anne Kellas is a writer, teacher, editor, and mentor to poets. Anne’s passion is teaching poetry, which she has done in Hobart for the past 25 years, mostly to community groups and more recently to university students in the Writing Poetry unit at the University of Tasmania. She has three collections of poetry to her […]

Dr Anne Morgan is a well-published children’s author and a winner of the Environment Children’s Book of the Year Award for junior fiction. Her books include The Smallest Carbon Footprint in the Land & Other Ecotales, The Sky Dreamer and the Captain Clawbeak series of junior novels. Her next picture book, The Moonlight Bird and […]

Verity Croker writes across a range of genres. Her most recent publication is May Day Mine, a young adult novel, released by Harmony Ink Press in the US. Her stories for 8-12 year olds, Cyclone Christmas and Block City, have been published by Sunshine Books/Wendy Pye, New Zealand. She has written travel articles for the […]

Dr Robyn Mundy is the author of two literary novels, The Nature of Ice, published by Allen & Unwin, and Wildlight published in 2016 by Picador. She is co-author of the young readers’ Epic Adventure: Epic Voyages, while her short fiction appears in Australian and USA literary journals, in The Best Australian Stories 2013, and in […]

Lian Tanner has been dynamited while scuba diving and arrested while busking. She once spent a week in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, hunting for a Japanese soldier left over from the Second World War. She likes secrets, old bones, and animals that are not what they seem. Lian’s best-selling Keepers Trilogy has been […]

Sally Odgers was born in Latrobe in the 1950s and still lives there with her husband and co-writer Darrel and their Jack Russells. She has two children, two grandchildren and enjoys walking dogs and gardening. Sally started writing in the late 1960s and has now produced somewhere between 250 and 300 published books. Recent books […]

Gina Mercer enjoys a three-stranded career as a writer, teacher and editor. She has taught creative writing and literature in universities and communities for nearly 30 years. She is a former editor of Island. She has published four collections of poetry, The Ocean in the Kitchen (Five Islands Press, 1999), Night Breathing (Picaro Press, 2006), […]

Kate Gordon grew up in a very booky house, with two librarian parents, in a small town by the sea in Tasmania. She spent her childhood dreaming about being a writer, and spent many a lunch hour walking around the playground reciting poetry. Kate’s first book, Three Things About Daisy Blue – a Young Adult […]