The Tasmanian Writers Centre, in partnership with the Moonah Arts Centre and Glenorchy City Council, launched the Young Writers in the City residency program. This is the first time that Young Writers in the City has taken place in the City of Glenorchy.
The Young Writers in the City program is a unique opportunity that provides young writers a structured and paid writing residency to develop new work while also making an important artistic contribution to the municipality in which the program takes place. Six young writers-in-residence have been commissioned to create experimental essays inspired by the various spaces and venues they have selected across Glenorchy.
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Meet the Residents
Lily Bennett
Residency: Northgate and surrounds
Lily Bennett is a year 11 student at Guilford Young College and a member of the Australian Air Force Cadets. She first started writing when she was in second grade, penning journal entries and continuing her passion for words in the years since. After completing her pretertiary studies, she hopes to pursue dual academic interests in journalism and astrophysics. She has lived in Tasmania for her life so far and for much of this time has called Glenorchy home: “I can’t wait to write about my hometown and experience it in a way I most likely would not have done otherwise”.
Vivienne Cutbush
Residency: GASP (Glenorchy Art & Sculpture Park)
Vivenne Cutbush – A Field Guide to GASP
Vivienne is an emerging writer and artist. She works across comic-style, graphic storytelling, and creative non-fiction. Vivienne has been published in Overland and has worked at the Museum of Contemporary Art, FBi radio, studies creative writing and makes zines. She hails from Sydney and was last year selected as one of the Tasmanian Writers Centre Hot Desk writers-in-residence.
Kate Dewar
Residency: Migrant Resource Centre
Kate is a teacher and writer based in Hobart. She has degrees in English, history and secondary teaching and has worked as a teacher in the public education system since 2014. In 2015, Kate participated in a travel writing internship with Global Hobo in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia. During the course of the internship Kate co-authored and sub-edited a guidebook to Canggu and surrounds, with all proceeds going to local charity Metta Mama & Maggha. In 2016, she took leave from teaching to work for Stoke Travel as a writer and digital content producer in Barcelona, Spain and various other locations throughout Europe. Kate has written for the Tasmanian Times, Global Hobo, Prozely.com.au, Vice, and Stoke Travel – though not always under her real name. She is currently employed at Hobart College.
Zara Gudnason
Residency: MR-1 Fast Ferry
Zara wrote her first story about running away to join The Saddle Club. Some 15 years later, she still loves horses but her literary forays have expanded. After graduating from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Relations and Journalism, she now works as a journalist and communications assistant while she figures out the best way to topple the patriarchy.
Laura Hilton
Residency: Magnolia 73 Café
Laura is an Australian/American dual citizen, who has lived in Tasmania on and off for more than ten years. She is excited for this opportunity to work in an authentic local venue, and to connect with other writers in the community. Laura is a movie enthusiast who studied film making and screenwriting in Melbourne. After many years of globetrotting, she is now attempting to work her travel tales and advice into a book. Her adventures have led her to many beautiful locations and odd jobs around the world.
Elissa Evans
Residency: MONA
Elissa is mother to a 2-year-old boy and a student in Masters in Journalism and Media Communications at the University of Tasmania. She is also writing her first fiction novel. Elissa says her passion for writing has been with her from a very early age: “As soon as I could string two words together on paper, I realised there was nothing I loved more than to write and to create characters and complete fictional worlds out of my head”. Her goal is to become a published novelist with books sold in stores across the world. “Writing is my happy place, and I would love the opportunity to share that passion with the world. I’m incredibly excited to see what the future can offer, and I cannot wait to embark on my residency at MONA.”
Venue Guide
Migrant Resource Centre – Southern Tasmania @ KGV
(Level 2, KGV Sport & Community Centre, 1a Anfield St, Glenorchy)
The Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) has been helping migrants, humanitarian entrants and refugees to settle comfortably in Tasmania for over 36 years. It is a not-for-profit organisation that provides support for individuals and helps families connect with their local community and access available services. MRC offers a wide range of services to people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Our services include support for older people, specialised settlement services, including youth work, mental health services, and assistance with employment skills.
Northgate Shopping Centre & Surrounds
(Main Rd, Glenorchy)
Northgate Shopping Centre is the third largest shopping centre in Tasmania. Adjacent to Northgate is the Glenorchy Bus Mall, the centre of Glenorchy’s public transport activities, and the Council rose garden.
Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) & MR-1 Fast Ferry
(655 Main Rd, Berriedale & Brooke Street Pier)
MONA is an internationally-acclaimed art museum located within the Moorilla winery on the Berriedale peninsula. It is the largest privately funded museum in Australia. The museum presents antiquities, modern and contemporary art from the David Walsh collection. Walsh has described the museum as a “subversive adult Disneyland.” The MR-1 Fast Ferry is a camouflaged catamaran that sails between Brooke Street Pier and Mona.
GASP (Glenorchy Art & Sculpture Park)
(Elwick Bay, Glenorchy)
GASP is a dynamic, inspirational and internationally resonant open space providing unique encounters with art and creating memorable experiences for all in the natural environment. A 9 hectare public space, open 24/7, GASP is situated on the Derwent estuary system, at Elwick Bay.
Magnolia 73 Café
(73 Main Rd, Moonah)
Magnolia 73 Café is a a café located at 73 Main Rd Moonah, offering coffees and cakes.
