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Australian Recent Release – Normal Women by Ainslee Hogarth In this darkly comic story about how we value female labor—and don’t—a new mother becomes embroiled in a dangerous mystery when her friend, a controversial entrepreneur, goes missing. When her daughter Lotte was born, Dani had welcomed the chance to be a stay-at-home mother. To be good […]

Where did the idea for the Lost Child story come from? The lost child is, of course, a famous trope in Australian art and literature. My take on it is portraying a child/man, a lost soul, not a little unlike myself at his age, and surrounding him with a kind of contemporary gothic mystery that […]

Australian Recent Release: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton Outside the island there is the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm […]

Australian Recent Release: Love, Just In by Natalie Murray Sydney TV news reporter Josie Larsen is approaching thirty and coming dangerously close to failing at life. Lost in a vortex of other people’s career milestones, engagement parties and baby showers, Josie is perennially single, abandoned by her globetrotting family, and invisible to her boss – […]

What is a motherthing? The very word or word-mash speaks of deep grief and longing. A cavity that must be filled with a colourless, texture-less paste—a drywall putty or glue or Spakfilla. Something that is so almost its surroundings that it has the ability to patch up and make invisible the festering wound that wraps […]

Australian recent release: The Year I Met my Brain by Matilda Boseley An essential and empowering guide for any adult living with ADHD—compassionate, funny and full of practical tips. Matilda Boseley’s adult ADHD diagnosis was a massive, earth-shattering event. She was given a prescription but had no idea what ADHD meant for her identity, her […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: The Unearthed by Lenny Bartulin   When human remains are discovered in the wilds of the Tasmanian west coast, the dark past comes into the light of the present in this deeply moving novel from the author of Fortune. There are animals in the camouflage of undergrowth; they forage this final, fading […]

Australian Recent Release: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See The latest historical novel from New York Times bestselling author Lisa See, inspired by the true story of a woman physician from 15th-century China—perfect for fans of See’s classic Snowflower and the Secret Fan and The Island of Sea Women. According to Confucius, “an […]

‘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 […]

 Australian Recent Release – The Heart is a Star by Megan Rogers Layla Byrnes is exhausted. She’s juggling a demanding job as an anaesthetist, a disintegrating marriage, her young kids, and a needy lover. And most particularly she’s managing her histrionically unstable mother, who repeatedly threatens to kill herself. But this year, it’s different. When […]

Tasmanian Recent Release – The Secrets of The Huon Wren by Claire Van Ryn A deeply moving novel of love and loss set in the majestic mountains of Tasmania’s Central Highlands.  Senior journalist Allira is writing a story for Folk magazine when she meets Nora, a nursing home resident with dementia and a doll cradled lovingly in […]

Australian Recent Release – Anam by Andre Dao A grandson tries to learn the family story. But what kind of story is it? Is it a prison memoir, about the grandfather imprisoned without charge or trial by a revolutionary government? Is it an oral history of the grandmother left behind to look after the children? […]

Aus recent release – The Wonderful Thing about Phoenix Rose Josephine Moon The delightful new novel by the bestselling author of The Jam Queens. Phoenix Rose, a 35-year-old neurodivergent teacher, is at a crossroads in her career and in her relationship with her boyfriend, Zack. But when she receives an urgent plea from a friend in […]

Australian Recent Release: The One Thing We’ve Never Spoken About by Elfy Scott An investigation into the failings of Australia’s mental healthcare system, grounded in a personal story of a mother–daughter relationship Journalist Elfy Scott grew up in a household where her mother’s schizophrenia was rarely, if ever, spoken about. They navigated this silence outside the […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: gigorou – first nations wisdom and womanhood by Sasha Kutabah Sarago Gigorou (jig-goo-roo) means ‘beauty’ or ‘beautiful’ in Jirrbal, the language of Sasha Kutabah Sarago’s grandmother. Growing up, Sasha didn’t feel gigorou. At a young age, she was told, ‘You’re too pretty to be Aboriginal’. Since then, she’s been on a journey […]

Looking for summer reading or gift ideas? TasWriters members have published a great variety of books this year. We’re sure you’ll find that there’s something for everyone. We’ve put together this flyer to make it easy for you to find just what you’re after. Please note, there are 3 pages, so make sure you click […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: The Hang-Up by David J McMullen ‘The Hang-Up’ is a tale of two loves, the love Jordie and Jess share for each other and the love they both share for music. Set in the mid-1970s Australian/American music scene ‘The Hang-Up’ will put you right there amongst it as the songs are written, recorded […]

Australian Recent Release: Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood From the author of the much-loved It Sounded Better In My Head comes a fabulously entertaining new rom-com. “Eighteen-year-old Brooke is the kind of friend who not only remembers everyone’s birthdays, but also organises the group present, pays for it, and politely chases others for their share. She’s the helper, […]

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 […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: Limberlost by Robbie Arnott The much-anticipated third novel by award-winning Australian author Robbie Arnott, Limberlost is a story of family and land, loss and hope, fate and the unknown, love and kindness. In the heat of a long summer Ned hunts rabbits in a river valley, hoping the pelts will earn him enough […]

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 […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: The Angry Woman’s Choir by Meg Bignell By the acclaimed author of Welcome To Nowhere River comes a heart-warming and uplifting story about a remarkable group of women who discover they are all capable of incredible things – if they’re strong enough, and angry enough, to take up the cause. Freycinet Barnes […]

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 […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: With Love From Wish and Co by Danielle Wood. From the author of the international bestsellers Star-crossed and The Lost Love Song comes a captivating novel about a young woman whose one little mix-up sets off an unexpected chain of events, with repercussions for her business . . . and her love […]

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 […]

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe “Dark Emu argues for a reconsideration of the ‘hunter-gatherer’ tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession. Accomplished author Bruce Pascoe provides compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production and land management […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: Rita’s Revenge by Lian Tanner The town of Little Dismal has more than its fair share of clever animals, which is why they are now in danger. Can Rita – poet, outcast and duck – solve the case of the chook-napped Clara? A quacking mystery story from the award-winning author of A […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: Release by Lucy Christopher  Both a courtroom drama and a road trip in the searing heat of the West Australian desert, Release is the story of two people confronting each other, each intent on destruction and survival.  Ten years ago, sixteen-year-old Gemma Toombs was kidnapped from Bangkok Airport by an infatuated drifter, Tyler […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: The Signal Line by Brendan Colley. Brothers Geo and Wes are testing their relationship now that their parents have passed away. Geo and Wes rarely agree on anything, especially not the sale of the Hobart family home. Geo needs the money to finance his musical career in Italy.  For Wes, the house […]

Australian Recent Release: The Islands by Emily Brugman. The Islands is set in the mid-1950s on Little Rat, and island in an archipelago off the Western Australian coast. A small group of Finnish migrants has moved to the island to establish the crayfishing industry. Among them is Onni Saari and his family, drawn there by tragedy, but […]

Australian Recent Releases: The Dreaming Path – Indigenous thinking to Change Your Life by Paul Callaghan with Uncle Paul Gordon. This book uses conversations, exercises and Dreamtime messages to reveal a path to ancient wisdom – wisdom as relevant today as it ever was. In our modern world with its incessant demands, it is easy to […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: Devotion by Hannah Kent. ‘Devotion is utterly original. A glorious, heartbreaking love story of infinite beauty.’ – Heather Rose. Prussia, 1836. Hanne Nussbaum is a kindred spirit with nature, and would rather run wild in the forest around her village of Kay than conform to the expectations of her family and society. Hanne […]

TasWriters was delighted to have been able to support and participate in a recent reception at the Hobart Town Hall, hosted by the City of Hobart Council and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds. Held on the 2nd of December, the event honoured the achievements of Tasmanian writers over the previous 12 months – they form an […]

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2021 Hobart Writers Festival a success. We loved it, and we hope you did too. The pictures taken by Festival Photographer, Jillian Mundy, certainly suggest that good times were had. There are lots and lots of great photos – managing them is a big job (we’d love […]

The Daisy Utemorrah Award This annual award is presented to an Indigenous writer for an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction. The Daisy Utemorrah Award is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers currently living in Australia. Generously supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and the State Government of Western Australia, and […]

TasWriters loves volunteers! We are seeking passionate, practical, inspired, or simply helpful people to assist us with tasks such as admin duties, answering the phone, writing content for our website and newsletters, managing our images, organising events, fundraising, and lots, lots more. In fact, you can probably tell us what we might need you for. […]

Setting the course & rituals for your creative practice Residency program for artists, performers and creative professionals at Arteles Creative Center in Hämeenkyrö, Finland. Program duration: 1 month periods in April / May 2022 Deadline for applications: 13th of January 2022  New Course is a guided residency program for the personal growth of artists, performers […]

Looking for summer reading or gift ideas? TasWriters members have published a great variety of books this year. We’re sure you’ll find that there’s something for everyone. We’ve put together this flyer to make it easy for you to find just what you’re after. Please note, there are 5 pages, so make sure you click […]

Australian Recent Release: Sunburnt Veils by Sara Haghdoosti. Girl meets boy, ghosts his text messages, then convinces him to help her run for the student union. Just your typical love story with a hijabi twist. Tara wears hijab even though her parents wish she wouldn’t, and in a swipe right world she’s searching for the […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: The Freedom of Birds by Stephanie Parkyn. From the bestselling author of Josephine’s Garden comes a story of adventure, friendship, belonging and the importance of storytelling. In search of a place to belong after the fall of Napoleon’s Empire, two French storytellers and a runaway girl journey through France’s theatres, battlefields and fairytale […]

Australian Recent Release: Dark as Last Night by Tony Birch. Don’t miss this new story collection from award-winning Indigenous writer and master of the short story, Tony Birch. In Dark as Last Night, Birch seizes upon the vital nature of human connection at critical moments in our lives, whether they come about due to the loss of a […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: One Hundred Days by Alice Pung. One hundred days. It’s no time at all, she tells me. But she’s not the one waiting. Sixteen-year-old Karuna has fallen pregnant in a rush of independence, defiance and desire. Furious, her mother, already protective to the point of possessive, locks Karuna inside their fourteenth-storey housing-commission […]

Ingrid Ramsdale’s debut novel, Emilie, is perfect for fans of historical fiction. The story follows sixteen year old Emilie Lefroy, a young Huguenot noblewoman leagues ahead of her time, who dreams of studying herbal medicine. Fiercely intelligent and passionate about learning, Emilie struggles to come into her own amidst her strict and highly devout parents […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: The Monster of Her Age by Danielle Binks. ‘There is an unexpected intersection where family, grief, forgiveness, and horror films meet, and in the lovely center is Danielle Binks’ The Monster of Her Age. Realistic, romantic, inclusive, and full of heart, this book belongs on everyone’s shelf’ – Trish Doller, author of […]

Australian Recent Release: The Tulip Tree by Suzanne McCourt Henryk reached out to embrace him, formally, awkwardly. How rarely they’d touched since childhood, thought Adi, as he sank against his brother, how clumsy their love. Brothers Henryk and Adam Radecki share a fraught relationship – always a battle between love and jealousy. Henryk, though unhappily […]

At TasWriters we are always on the lookout for new writing by authors based in Tasmania. Geoff Parton is one such writer, and Arianne recently interviewed him on his children’s series, Ugo and Jack. Book one introduces Jack, a boy doing his best to cope living with his alcoholic father and bullying older brother on […]

Australian Recent Release: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, Princesses of Crete and daughters of King Minos, grow up hearing the hoofbeats and howls of the Minotaur reverberating from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur, Ariadne’s brother and her Father’s greatest shame, calls for blood every year. When Theseus, the Prince of […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: The Last Bookshop by Emma Young. Cait Cooper’s closest companions have always been books. When Cait finally sets up her own bookshop, right in the centre of the city, she thinks her happily ever after has come early. But things are changing, and rapidly. Cait’s elderly friend June is suddenly interested in […]

TasWriters recently chatted with Tasmanian poet Kristen Lang about her latest collection, Earth Dwellers, a stunning achievement brimming with intelligence, warmth and clarity. This book is a rare treat not to be missed. How long have you been working on this collection? The oldest poem dates back to 2002, with the most recent being written […]

Australian Recent Release: All the Murmuring Bones by Angela Slatter. Fans of Naomi Novik and Katharine Arden will love this dark, fearless new fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter. Miren O’Malley’s family prospered for many years as a result of a dark bargain struck with the mer: ensure the safety of their ships in […]

Deborah Thomson is a survivor. For sixteen years she suffered horrific abuse and coercive control by her husband. With tremendous courage and persistence, she and her children escaped. Whose Life is it Anyway tells the story of how she came to be in an abusive relationship and how she regained her strength, self-confidence and dignity in leaving. […]

Australian Recent Release: Max by Alex Miller. “Always a truth seeker, with Max Alex Miller has written a wonderful work of non-fiction, as fine as the best of his novels.” Raimond Gaita, author of Romulus, My Father. I began to see that whatever I might write about Max, discover about him, piece together with those shards of memory, it would be […]

Leigh Swinbourne is a Tasmanian author and playwright. His short stories and articles have been published in a variety of journals and anthologies, and he is a recipient of grants through Arts Tasmania and Varuna. Arianne recently chatted with Leigh about his novel Shadow in the Forest, which was shortlisted for the University of Tasmania […]

Happy New Year from TasWriters! Below are three exciting new titles and one old favourite to continue fuelling your summer reading. Australian Recent Release: Bluebird by Malcolm Knox. “Filled with biting observations about our culture and our families so starkly insightful they make you gasp,” Charlotte Wood. The Lodge – a house perched precariously on a […]

Get started on your memoir Writing your life story can be a fun, creative and healing activity.  Perhaps you’ve thought about writing but felt afraid, or preposterous. These are common barriers and I’d like to help you get around them. With fear based barriers, some belief or experience in your past is intruding, and it’s […]

Australian Recent Release: A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville. In A Room Made of Leaves, her most recent novel, Kate Grenville re-imagines the life of Elizabeth McArthur, wife of John McArthur, notorious bully and wool baron in the early days of Sydney’s colonial history. Grenville ponders whether Elizabeth had written a secret and outrageously bold […]

Looking for summer reading or gift ideas? TasWriters members have published a great variety of books this year. We’re sure you’ll find that there’s something for everyone. We’ve put together this flyer to make it easy for you to find just what you’re after. Please note, there are 4 pages, so make sure you click […]

Jane Naqvi recently took a moment to answer some questions about her riveting debut novel, Jackjumper. Where did the idea for this book come from? The idea arose from reflecting on my Tasmanian lifestyle combined with a penchant for travel, including the meeting of in-laws and people who had very different lifestyles from mine. Gradually […]

Kate Eagles, secretary at TasWriters, recently published the memoir of her great-great grandmother Bessy Maria Marlay Deloitte, a project she undertook for her English Honours thesis at Utas in 2018. Arianne recently chatted to Kate about the book’s journey. Excerpt of back cover blurb – “In 1817, when Bessy Maria Marlay was born, Britain was recovering from […]

Julia Miller is the author of Germline, a gripping thriller set in a post pandemic world in which science, history romance and mystery merge together in a world Charles Darwin could never have imagined when he popularised the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’ – Forty South. Dr Ellen Hancock survived the 2064 pandemic but is not yet […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: The Survivors by Jane Harper. “A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away…” “Jane Harper creates an impressive landscape that serves to illustrate how the experience of place inevitably shapes the lives of those who live there. You may find it hard to leave behind.” Sydney Morning Herald. Set […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: Top End Girl by Miranda Tapsell. Sharing my story is important … I think it is true that you don’t aspire to be what you cannot see. I would like this book to show you that you can push yourself to do things you never dreamed you would do. Growing up, Miranda […]

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 […]

After reading the back cover I was ready for this to be a sad and depressing story. What I found was an uplifting and thought provoking read. A book I found hard to put down. I cared about the characters and how they would cope with the intricacies and disappointments of life. Amanda paints the […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: Please Don’t Hug Me by Kay Kerr. “A funny-serious own-voices story about what happens when you stop trying to be the person other people expect you to be and give yourself a go.” Text Publishing. Erin is excited for schoolies, and maybe a little nervous. But her life is getting messy, which […]

Australian Recent Release:  Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty. At just fifteen, Dara McNulty became a published author with his debut, Diary of a Young Naturalist . This stunning book takes the reader on a sensory journey through Dara’s Northern Ireland home in the form of diary entries. Dara’s deep connection to the natural world […]

Australian Recent Release: The Viennese Girl by Jenny Lecoat. Lecoat weaves a riveting tale, inspired by the true story of Hedy Bercu, a young Jewish girl who fled to the island of Jersey seeking refuge from Nazi occupied Vienna, only to become trapped on the island during the German occupation. Hedy hides in plain sight, […]

Australian Recent Release: The Foundling by Stacey Halls. From the best-selling author of The Familiars comes a new tale set in Georgian London. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at a Foundling Hospital, Bess returns to bring her child home. But when she arrives she discovers, to her shock, that her daughter has already […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: The Clergyman’s Wife by Molly Greeley. “Poignant, pensive and brilliant …” Laurel Ann Nattress, editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It. Charlotte Collins (nee Lucas) leads a quiet and respectable life as the wife of Hunsford’s vicar. She tends to the house, cares for her daughter and tolerates her husband’s dreary […]

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we thought why not celebrate the incredible female (and female identifying) literary greats, both past and present? So, every two weeks we will feature an extraordinary female writer and their work on the blog. Let’s kick off with Nikita Gill, a brilliant young poet whose fame began when she started […]

Australian Recent Release: The Secrets of Strangers by Charity Norman. Shortlisted for Best Crime Novel in the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Awards for Crime Fiction From the bestselling writer of See You in September, comes Secrets of Strangers – intense, persuasive, unputdownable. This story begins in an ordinary cafe on an even more ordinary day in […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: Charlotte Pass by Lee Christine. “Hums with tension and long-held secrets… You won’t read better” – Fleur McDonald, bestselling author of Starting From Now. After human remains are found on Mount Sitwell in the Snowy Mountains by ski patroller Vanessa Bell, Detective Sergeant Pierce Ryder of the Sydney Homicide Squad is called […]

Australian Recent Release: A Murder at Malabar Hill  by Sujata Massey.   “Marvelously plotted, richly detailed . . . This is a first-rate performance inaugurating a most promising series.” The Washington Post. Fans of Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher and Alexander McCall Smith’s Precious Ramotswe will love this brilliant new crime heroine. The scene is 1920’s Bombay, […]

Australian Recent Release: Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton . Winner of four ABIA Awards this year, including the prestigious Book of the Year Award, the MUD Literary Prize 2019, UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and Book of the Year at the 2019 Indie Book Awards. Boy […]

Looking for summer reading or gift ideas? TasWriters members have been busy this year. They have published a grand variety of books, something for everyone. We’ve put together this flyer to make it easy for you to find just what you’re after. (Download link for ‘right click & save as’ lovers).

Terry Whitebeach                                                                                                            […]

Australian Recent Release: Song Spirals by Gay’wu Group of Women. “A rare opportunity to connect with the living tradition of women’s songlines, as recounted by Yolngu women from far north Australia.” – Allen and Unwin. We want you to come with us on our journey, our journey of songspirals. Songspirals are the essence of people […]

Australian Recent Release: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. Khai Diep does not feel big, normal emotions like grief, and love. He feels irritation when people move his stuff, and contentment when his finances are in balance, but otherwise, he believe’s himself to be defective.  But Khai’s family know that his autism means he processes […]

In May 2019, Judith Kerr, one of the world’s most beloved children’s authors, passed away at the age of 95. To celebrate her life and the infinite delight her books gave to both children and adults, Arianne has (with great difficulty) chosen three of her most classic tales to feature.  Judith Kerr was born in […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith. “Beautifully imagined and researched, enthralling and sometimes shocking, The Electric Hotel is a glorious tribute to the birth of movies” – Heather Rose. From the bestselling author of The Last Painting of Sara de Vos comes a beautiful, compelling story of intertwined fates and unexpected discovery. […]

Australian Recent Release: Daughter of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson. “It’s impossible not to consider, as you read Daughter of Bad Times, that everything in 2075 is already here now and we are doing nothing to stop it. An utterly compelling vision by one of our finest writers.” Heather Rose, bestselling author of The Museum […]

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 […]

Tasmanian Recent Release: Star Crossed by Minnie Darke. One of Australia’s most well loved and acclaimed storytellers, Tasmania’s own Danielle Wood, is back under the pseudonym Minnie Darke with her first ever work of commercial fiction. Star Crossed is set to become an instant favourite, with publication rights already sold to nineteen countries, and negotiations for […]

The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award is now open! If you are a writer under 35 years old with a polished manuscript between 30,000 – 100,000 words, do not hesitate to enter Australia’s most prestigious literary award. With a prize of $20, 000 and publication with Allen and Unwin, this is too good an opportunity to pass […]

With The Australian/Vogel Literary Award now open for entries, get into the mood for the 2019 announcement by reading some of the past winners. If you are a writer and would like more information on how to submit your manuscript, click here   The Yellow House by Emily O’Grady – 2018 winner. Ten year old Cub […]

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. […]

Australian Recent Release: The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell. “…This book is a joy – it’s a celebration of age instead of an apology for it, and a reminder that life is always an adventure if you let it be. I loved this uniquely endearing book” Kelly Rimmer, from the Hachette Australia webpage. […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion. “Can a house heal heartache? From coastal Australia to the rugged beauty of Ireland, an enchanting novel of starting over, in the tradition of Maeve Binchy and Monica McInerney” – Hachette Australia. Ellen and Aiden O’Shea always loved staying at their grandmother’s cottage in Ireland during […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak. “Zusak is a writer of extraordinary empathy and he excels in his understanding of adolescent boys…in his portrayal of the gently traumatised Clay he has created a memorable character to savour… in Bridge of Clay, as earlier in The Book Thief, Zusak has succeeded in creating a story […]

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 spoke to Robyn Ferrell about a fantastic new publishing initiative she is hoping to launch in the near future, The Chook Raffle Press, a national, government funded publisher. Read on to learn more about what sparked this idea, and what it could mean for publishing in Australia. Chook Raffle Press sounds like a […]

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 […]

Australian Recent Release: Inappropriation by Lexi Freiman. “A search for belonging in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs turns into a riotous satire of identity politics in this wildly irreverent coming-of-age story” – Allen and Unwin. In her first days at a prestigious Australian girls school, fifteen year old Ziggy is thrust into an alienating social hierarchy that pushes her […]

Island Story, edited by Ralph Crane and Danielle Wood, is a beautiful book compiling items from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery with a selection of original writing. Arianne recently interviewed Danielle and Ralph about what inspired this unique book, and its journey from idea to publication.   What inspired you to embark on this project? Ralph […]

First of all, I absolutely love your title! I’m a bit of a title snob and yours would definitely entice me to pick your book off the shelf. How long did it take to come up with this title? Fairly quickly, actually! And thank you for feeling it would entice you to pick it up. […]

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. […]

On Cape Barren Island there is a tiny primary school that sets up a Book Café every week where parents are encouraged to come and have a cup of tea and read to their children. There are only eight children enrolled in the Cape Barren Island School from Kindy to Grade eight, as well as […]

                  Beginning in 1921, PEN International was the first worldwide organisation of writers, and the first organisation to highlight that freedom of expression and literature could not be separated. They encourage organisations to facilitate gatherings where people can write letters and greeting cards to writers who have […]

The TWC congratulates the winners of the 2017 Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Prizes: Tasmania Book Prize: Into the Heart of Tasmania by Rebe Taylor Margaret Scott Prize: The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose University of Tasmania Prize: Brodsky Dies by Adam Ouston Tasmanian Young Writer’s Fellowship: Erin Hortle   See the full details at […]

Award winning Historical Fiction author Alison Stuart will be holding a workshop on the 19th of November, giving detailed yet accessible instructions on how to navigate the world of Scrivener, the writing program that so many writers and professionals have fallen in love with. How long have you been using Scrivener? I think since about […]

This year, between October and December, Jessica Cockerill and Suzi Claflin have been provided a hot-desk and access to scientists, artifacts and research (within approved bounds) at the IMAS research institute so that they can create a piece of writing that will help expose IMAS work to the public. Check out these interviews to learn […]

This year, between October and December, Jessica Cockerill and Suzi Claflin have been provided a hot-desk and access to scientists, artifacts and research (within approved bounds) at the IMAS research institute so that they can create a piece of writing that will help expose IMAS work to the public. Check out these interviews to learn […]

Blog Post Written by Gina Mercer  One Friday, a group of excited people scramble onto the ferry at Triabunna with bulging backpacks – they’re off to Maria Island for the weekend. Nothing so exceptional about that. But this is no ordinary group. Here are 14 young recent migrants and refugees from places as diverse as […]

Kate Kelly and her son Albert Evans live together in a home under the mountain, in Hobart, Tasmania. Kate is a writer and visual artists and Albert loves to draw, ride his bike and eat marshmallows. Together they explored the emotions and understandings from Alberts perspective of his parents separation, and created a unique and […]

Forty South Publishing is delighted to announce the winner and finalists for the Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2017. Once again there were entries from all round Australia and New Zealand and the judges, Peter Grant, Margaret Johnson and Fiona Stocker, selected eleven stories for publication in the 2017 anthology. The winning story by Jennifer Porter will […]

The team at the Tasmanian Writers Centre would like to offer their congratulations to this year’s winner of The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award Marija Perečić for her stunning debut novel The Lost Pages. A richly reimagined story of the extraordinary literary rivalry between Max Brod and Franz Kafka, The Lost Pages is an inspired novel of friendship, […]

Young Writers in the City of Glenorchy: Residents Announced It’s that time again. The Tasmanian Writers Centre has launched its 2017 Young Writers in the City residency program, connecting emerging writing talent with community spaces. The newest residency takes place in the Glenorchy City Council municipality, and six young writers will be paid $500 to […]

The team at the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre was shocked and hugely saddened to hear about the death of local writer and photographer Brett Martin last week. Brett was a former member of the TWC Board, including a spell as chair in 2008 and deputy chair in 2009. Before moving to Tasmanian and taking up a […]

Tasmanian writer Louise Dando-Collins recently attended Adelaide Writers Week, along with her husband and fellow writer Stephen Dando-Collins. Louise has been kind enough to write a reflection on the event for the TWC blog.   Attending Adelaide Writers Week, Australia’s largest writers festival, has long been an ambition, but attending the 2017 festival with my husband […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Jane Beeke spent her residency at the Bass Strait Maritime Museum, writing a continuous story inspired by the history she researched. This is the final entry in this series. You can learn more […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Jane Beeke spent her residency at the Bass Strait Maritime Museum, writing a continuous story inspired by the history she researched. This is the fifth entry in this story, which we will roll […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Jane Beeke spent her residency at the Bass Strait Maritime Museum, writing a continuous story inspired by the history she researched. This is the fourth entry in this story, which we will roll […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Jane Beeke spent her residency at the Bass Strait Maritime Museum, writing a continuous story inspired by the history she researched. This is the third entry in this story, which we will roll […]

All the TWC team were enormously saddened to hear about the recent death of local writer, musician and photographer Mark Clemens. Mark was a much loved and valued member of the state’s creative community. Mark’s funeral took place on Monday 6th February and we are honoured to share these beautiful words from Mark’s friend and fellow writer […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Jane Beeke spent her residency at the Bass Strait Maritime Museum, writing a continuous story inspired by the history she researched. This is the second entry in this story, which we will roll […]

Were you at the Tidal Festival in Devonport this month? If so, you might have caught our five talented Young Writers in the City in action as they read from their experimental essays in front of the festival audience. The readings took place in the Devonport Regional Gallery and our writers were joined by Cameron […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Kyle Perry spent his residency on the Spirit of Tasmania.   The Piece of Small World By Kyle Perry   This piece I have assembled on a back-to-back voyage on Spirit of […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Jane Beeke spent her residency at the Bass Strait Maritime Museum, writing a continuous story inspired by the history she researched. This is the first entry in this story, which we will […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Skye Cusack’s experimental essay was inspired by the people she encountered in the Rooke St Mall.   Sonder, and the Lucid Dream By Skye Cusack   Preface I am going to be […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Lauren Hay spent her residency writing from Sea FM and documents her experience in this essay. The SeaFM studio on the corner of Hillcrest Road and Don Road is home to Lee […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Kate Elphinstone spent her residency at the Devonport Regional Gallery, and has crafted the following experimental essay based on her experiences.   Bigger on the Inside By Kate Elphinstone   I’m writing […]

Harriet Riley last year won our Wildcare Nature Writing Prize. Her prized essay Endlings has been published in Island 146. We invite you to read Harriet’s beautiful and moving story here, and purchase the magazine online to see it in print. Endlings By Harriet Riley In 1996 a correspondence published in Nature coined the term […]

Skye Cusack, one of our 2017 Young Writers in the City residents, spent time around Christmas wandering through the Rooke St Mall to source inspiration for her experimental essay. Reaching 1500 words, or thereabouts, Skye decided to take some photos of what she saw. We can’t reveal her full story just yet, but having read a first […]

Jane Beeke is one of our 2017 Young Writers in the City, and she is spending her residency exploring Devonport’s Bass Strait Maritime Centre. Here, you can see some photos of her residency journey and some excerpts from her blog, in which she is documenting her time and discoveries on this historical journey. Jane spent her […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre has selected five emerging writers aged 16-30 as residents in the inaugural Devonport Young Writers in the City program. Kate Elphinstone, Skye Cusack, Jane Beeke, Lauren Hay, and Kyle Perry are immersing themselves in the northern coastal city of Devonport to craft experimental essays based on their summer experiences.  Kyle Perry, […]

By Simone Natale, Lecturer in Communication and Media Studies, Loughborough University; and Andrea Ballatore, Lecturer, Birbeck, University of London. First published in The Conversation.   After years of sales growth, major publishers reported a fall in their e-book sales for the first time this year, introducing new doubts about the potential of e-books in the […]

By Peggy Albers, Professor of Language and Literacy Education, Georgia State University. First published in The Conversation.   If you are a parent or a teacher, you most probably read stories to young children. Together, you laugh and point at the pictures. You engage them with a few simple questions. And they respond. So what happens to […]

Thank you to everyone who came along to our Christmas Gathering at Hadley’s Hotel in Hobart earlier this week. It was great to see so many people there – some familiar faces but also some members who are new to the centre – and what a treat to have readings from so many of Tasmania’s best […]

Tasmanian writer and TWC mentor Terry Whitebeach recently attended the PEN AGM in Melbourne, and kindly agreed to write an account of the experience for the TWC Blog.   On 29th November I flew to Melbourne to attend PEN’s AGM and participate in their annual writing of greeting cards to writers imprisoned for their writings and broadcasts. […]

Congratulations!  It’s been an enormous year for writers in Tasmania, with countless awards, book launches, grants and residencies right across the board. Join us as we show respect to the literary successes from 2016 so far, from activities through the centre and beyond.  Tasmanian Writers Centre program successes:   Erica Bell Mentorship recipients  Tania Walker […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre launched its inaugural Hot Desk residency program this year, inviting writers aged 18-30 to embark on individual projects in our Salamanca Arts Centre studio space. Our resident Erin Hortle is part-way through a creative writing PhD at the University of Tasmania. An ongoing concern of her academic and freelance writing is […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre launched its inaugural Hot Desk residency program this year, inviting writers aged 18-30 to embark on individual projects in our Salamanca Arts Centre studio space. Our successful writer Vivienne Cutbush is an emerging writer and artist. She works across comic-style, graphic storytelling, and creative non-fiction. Vivienne has been published in Overland and works […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre launched its inaugural Hot Desk residency program this year, inviting writers aged 18-30 to embark on individual projects in our Salamanca Arts Centre studio space. Our successful writer Vivienne Cutbush is an emerging writer and artist. She works across comic-style, graphic storytelling, and creative non-fiction. Vivienne has been published in Overland and works […]

Erica Bell Mentorship Program awarded to four Tasmanian writers   “Writing is a long and lonely road, so when I saw the Erica Bell Mentorship Program advertised, I saw the opportunity to approach my rewrites with a guide. I’m really looking forward to drawing on the wisdom of someone who’s been through it all before” – […]

Welcome to our Young Writer in the City stories! The works in this series were written by young writers who sourced inspiration from Launceston’s prominent sites and buildings during their 2016 residency.   About YaYa Mackeddie, 2016 Young Writer in the City I’m a typical teenager with way too many books to read and not […]

Welcome to our Young Writer in the City stories! The works in this series were written by young writers who sourced inspiration from Launceston’s prominent sites and buildings during their 2016 residency.   About Tessa Wynne, 2016 Young Writer in the City I am a 23-year-old student, feminist, artist, writer, mum and recent discoverer of […]

Welcome to our Young Writer in the City stories! The works in this series were written by young writers who sourced inspiration from Launceston’s prominent sites and buildings during their 2016 residency.   About Jasper Godden, 2016 Young Writer in the City Jasper is the sort of person who comes up with his best ideas […]

Welcome to our Young Writer in the City stories! The works in this series were written by young writers who sourced inspiration from Launceston’s prominent sites and buildings during their 2016 residency.   About Grace Kenyon, 2016 Young Writer in the City I am 17 years old, in year 11 at Launceston College. I am […]

Welcome to our Young Writer in the City stories! The works in this series were written by young writers who sourced inspiration from Launceston’s prominent sites and buildings during their 2016 residency.   About Eloise Hart, 2016 Young Writer in the City My name is Eloise Hart. I am 24 years old and I grew […]

By Ruth Dawkins   Last Sunday saw the second of our two Hidden Stories events take place at Moonah Arts Centre. As with the first event, which took place on Indigenous Literacy Day, we had a fantastic line-up of Indigenous writers, animators, musicians and academics, and we were thrilled to have another engaged and excited audience. […]

Photos by Claire McCarthy   In the past few months, we’ve teamed up with the City of Launceston to support writers aged 16-25 as part of our residency program. These Young Writers in the City  explored their surrounds for inspiration, from the QVMAG to Civic Square. Venturing into some of Launceston’s iconic spaces, the writers-in-residence were […]

  By Stephanie Eslake and Ruth Dawkins   You may have noticed our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages in full swing last night! We wanted to share our Hidden Stories with you in light of Indigenous Literacy Day. The event packed out the Moonah Arts Centre with Tasmania’s Indigenous leaders and an engaged and inspired audience. We were […]

By Lucinda Sharp   Forty South Publishing and the Tasmanian Association for the Teaching of English (TATE) are proud to announce the winners of the Young Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2016 as judged by Cameron Hindrum (Senior Section), Penny Lane (Junior Section – preliminary judge) and Dr Anne Morgan (Junior Section – final judge). The winner of each section […]

To celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day 2016, which takes place on 7th September, we have been working with the Tasmanian branch of Children’s Book Council of Australia to run two days of events at Moonah Arts Centre titled Hidden Stories. Some of the most respected Aboriginal writers and speakers from Tasmania and beyond have agreed to participate in […]

The Tasmanian Writers Centre, Wildcare Inc and Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service are delighted to announce the winner of the Wildcare Tasmania Nature Writing Prize 2016. Harriet Riley from New York receives first place with her essay Endlings: On Love and Extinction. The writer and climate specialist will be awarded $5000 and have her story published […]

  Each year, across Australia, The Children’s Book Council of Australia brings children and books together to celebrate Children’s Book Week. During this time schools, libraries, booksellers, authors, illustrators and children hold events and activities to celebrate Australian Children’s Literature. This year’s Book Week runs from August 20th-26th and we thought it would be nice to […]

AUTUMN // 1834 // The Province of Salamanca (The Cottage Green) The leaves were blood red, falling from the sky and scraping along the ground. A dangerous chill settled around the Province of Salamanca and the clouds rolled over full of the promise of rain. There was a buzz around the port as citizens curled […]

iv: aftertaste; burnt coffee   I spent eternities in that café waiting   asking the room to take its place at the foot of my table kick off its shoes and start talking telling me                                      everything   […]

ii: for example   during the convergence the resident’s real success was their invention of the forced poem   a poem with no substance no tangy flesh or love or beauty no forethought architecture or structure no driving force lightning arc great fire of creation no kindling spark or seed simply   obligation default position […]

i: manifesto of the forced poems   forced poem, noun: an anti-poem non-being inexistence   e.g. pressing        exhausted fruit;   wringing a dry cloth with expectation of a pouringout;   forcing   the contents   from a void Michael Stratford Hutch completed this poem as part of the Tasmanian Writers Centre Hot […]

Eloise Hart has spent the past week exploring spaces in the City of Launceston. The writer (and talented photographer) is part of our Young Writers in the City program, in which a small group of emerging writers aged 16-25 take up a residency in one of Launceston’s prominent sites. The writers will each craft an experimental […]

By Stephanie Eslake   One morning while living in a Sudan boarding school, Sarafino Enadio woke to the sounds of gunfire and soldiers marching. He wasn’t able to contact his family when he fled into the bush to avoid being captured – or worse. He eventually escaped on foot through the border of South Sudan, […]

More than 100 Tassie kids have embarked on magical journeys of their own making during these school holidays. Weaving stories of places near and far, budding young writers up to 17 years old are having a ball at the free Children’s Creative Writing Workshops. Our finest children’s authors are travelling to LINCs right across the state. It’s been a […]

Mark Clemens has released his latest book The Field of Dreams: Walking in Tasmania’s First National Park. The official launch will take place at the State Cinema next month. The Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2016 once again had entries from across Australia and New Zealand. Craig Cormick‘s winning story appeared in the June edition of Tasmania 40° South magazine and all finalists’ stories will be […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre is excited to announce the successful applicants of the inaugural Hot Desk Residency program. This year’s residents are University of Tasmania students Erin Hortle and Gemma Krambousanos, local poet Michael Stratford Hutch, and Sydney writer Vivienne Cutbush who will make the move to Hobart later this year. Click here to learn about their interests and how they’ll spend their […]

Congratulations to Katherine Brabon on winning the Australian/Vogel Literary Award for her novel The Memory Artist. You can read an excerpt of the novel online for free here. Writer and invasive species management specialist Nicole Gill has been granted a six-week residency at Lake St Clair enabling her to focus on two projects – a children’s book relating specifically to the location […]

This story was published in the Commissioner for Children Young Creative Writers Awards: Winning Entries 2015 book. Ellie Foster received a Merit Certificate in the 9-11 age category. Entries for the 2016 awards are now open.  Play is being at the pontoon in summer… Bubbles pop next to my head. I can see the warm rays of […]

This story was published in the Commissioner for Children Young Creative Writers Awards: Winning Entries 2015 book. Ruby Wood received a Merit Certificate in the 12-14 age category. Entries for the 2016 awards are now open. Birds are singing softly. Not real birds of course; those were all destroyed years ago. No, these are simple robots, programmed […]

This story was published in the Commissioner for Children Young Creative Writers Awards: Winning Entries 2015 book. Kate Gallen received a Merit Certificate in the 9-11 age category. Entries for the 2016 awards are now open. Click here to learn about our free Children’s Creative Writing Workshops on statewide these holidays.   Brown and squelchy Under […]

This story was published in the Commissioner for Children Young Creative Writers Awards: Winning Entries 2015 book. Freya Cox was an Overall Winner. Entries for the 2016 awards are now open.     they give us pencils to draw with feeling pleased at their generosity they do not wait to see the pictures that appear childish […]

  Parallel importation  “You may have heard about how books will now be cheaper for consumers – and although this is disputed, it sounds like a good thing. But what does this really mean and what would we lose in exchange?” – Susan Hawthorn writes in The Guardian about the damaging impact of parallel importation on our book […]

By Stephanie Eslake   About a century ago, David Unaipon became the first Indigenous author to be published in Australia. He paved the way for many of the incredible stories that have since been shared throughout our culture (some of which can be explored through this Reading Australia list that follows the theme: ‘Our History, […]

By Arianne James   The first Twitch Tuesday of the year was held on April 19, and began by discussing the world of publishing with Ben Walter. An experienced and prolific writer, Ben gave the room an insight into the Australian publishing industry, noting some valuable tips and tricks to increase the chances of young […]

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 […]

Congratulations to Zoe Cooney, Arianne James and Sheridan Legg! We are thrilled to have three excited interns joining our busy team. They will each work  a day per week in our office situated on the first floor of the historic Salamanca Arts Centre. They will work closely with centre staff and undertake research, proofing, assistance with strategic partnerships […]

By Stephanie Eslake, image by Leigh Rigozzi   You have the greatest idea for your writing project. You’re keen to launch an e-book, invest time in research and development, or collaborate with others to host your literary event. But how will you source the funds to make it happen? Crowdfunding is an effective way to help […]

By Leigh Rigozzi and Stephanie Eslake   Ever wanted to write about your life, but worry what your friends or family will think when they appear in your revealing tales? Jon Doust is no stranger to the feeling. It didn’t stop the writer-comedian from producing two novels inspired by personal stories, and he has two […]

On 18 February, TWC was proud to present a discussion between authors Elizabeth Gilbert and Heather Rose at the Theatre Royal. You can see a video of the event here. Here are some photos from Elizabeth’s visit, courtesy of Kate Harrison.

Subscribe to our free monthly events bulletin – This Writing Month. Subscribe using the form below and you’ll be kept abreast of just about everything related to books and writing in Tasmania – book launches, writing workshops, literary festivals, author and book discussions, and much, much more. If you would like to receive our members-only newsletter Writas, […]

The Wildcare Nature Writing Prize 2016 is now open for entries from writers anywhere in the world. The competition is open to both fiction and non-fiction. Entries must be between 2,000, and 4,000 words and will be accepted until Sunday 29 May. The winning entrant will receive $5,000, their story will be published in Island […]

It’s been another busy year at the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre – full of festivals, workshops, competitions, gatherings, masterclasses and mentorships. Throughout the year we’ve been bringing writers in from overseas and interstate to connect with and inspire the literary community in Hobart: Anita Heiss came down to teach a course on memoir writing, Omar Musa on […]

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; […]

Theme: Social Justice Sections: (1) Poetry (2) Short Story First Prize for each section: A$600.00 and a Radio 3CR Vintage Sound-bite Cartridge Trophy Second Place and Third Place Certificates awarded for each section Highly Commended and/or Commended Certificates awarded at Judges’ discretion. Submissions close: 25th November 2015 Award Winners announced: March 2016 Rhonda Jankovic Literary […]

‘TRANSITIONS’ 1st, 2nd & 3rd cash prizes, plus Highly Commended & Commended certificates as awarded by judge. Total prize pool over $700 ENTRY GUIDELINES Work entered in this competition must be original, in English, unpublished and not have won a prize in any other competition. Authors retain copyright. Theme ‘Transitions’ Poems entered must in some […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre is seeking expressions of interest for the role of Twitch Coordinator, commencing January, 2016. Twitch is the young writers arm of the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre. It aims to support young writers (12-35 year-old) in the state by facilitating events, promoting opportunities, celebrating achievements and in doing so, helping to grow our […]

Chris Downes is an American, but it’s hard to hold it against him.

One of the perks of membership with the TasWriters is access to our free lending library. With an array of Tasmanian books and a variety of writing professional development guides, it’s worth a look. Browse our selection here via Library Thing.

Here at the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre, we were dismayed by the Federal Government’s announcement it would cut $104.8 million from The Australia Council. These cuts will have huge impacts on writer organisations like TWC. A Senate Inquiry has been called to investigate the issue. Everyone is welcome to make a submission to the Inquiry – […]

A new short story competition has been launched in honour of eminent and accomplished Tasmanian short story writer Geoff Dean. The Geoff Dean Short Story Competition will run biennially and is open to all Australian writers for outstanding short fiction between 3000-10,000 words. Geoff Dean, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 83, […]

Congratulations to Tasmanian writer, Julie Hunt, the winner of the first ever Readings Children’s Book Prize with her fantasy adventure Song For A Scarlet Runner. Julie receives prize money of $4,000 and will be appearing at an event in July. In the meantime, she answers questions about her book, which the Readings’ judges loved unanimously. […]

A great loss to the literary community. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of award-winning author Liam Davison and his wife Frankie, as well as everyone else affected by last week’s MH17 tragedy. Liam was a writer, mentor and workshop facilitator, and had a long-term association with Writers Victoria. Two of Liam’s books, […]

As a professional development opportunity the AIR program provides pathways for artists to connect their practice to young people and to inspire or introduce students and teachers to new ideas and approaches. Up to seven $9,000 residencies are available for professional Tasmanian artists in any artform. The 30 day residencies are located in selected colleges […]

Richard Flanagan is the only Australian writer on the longlist for the Man Booker Prize, which has this year been opened up to writers of any nationality. Flanagan, who was strongly tipped to win the Miles Franklin Literary Award last month, was included for his acclaimed novel about prisoners of war on the Burma Railway, […]

Thanks to all the 58 poets across the state who provided the 72 entries for Pillow Talk. These are the top five chosen by our three judges: When I Met You by Claire Jansen I liked it when you put your arm around my waist I liked it when you held me I liked not […]

Congratulations to Tasmanian historian and author, Alison Alexander for winning the National Biography Award for The Ambitions of Jane Franklin. For more information about this and other publications, click here. Photo courtesy of THRA (Tasmanian Historical Research Association).

Now in its 19th year, the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize remembers Tasmania’s most acclaimed poet. Proudly sponsored by The Hobart Bookshop and Island. First Prize: $2000 + publication in Island + annual subscriptions to Island, Griffith Review, Meanjin, Overland, Review of Australian Fiction, Southerly and The Lifted Brow* Second Prize: Publication in Island + annual […]

Congratulations to Tasmanian writer, Richard Flanagan, whose novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious literary prizes! The winner of the prize will be announced on 14 October. Good luck Richard! See more about the book at the Random House website […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre is very proud to be associated with this new award, offering $10,000 for an unpublished manuscript by a Tasmanian writer, in memory of Dr Erica Bell.  Such was the impact the late Dr Erica Bell had on Tasmania’s medical and literary world, her husband has established a Foundation in her name […]

When I was a Boy in Sudan and When I was a Girl in Sudan, published by the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre, are literally flying off the shelves!  Widely available in good bookshops around Australia and also via the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre website, these beautifully illustrated stories of traditional Madi life appeal to children and adults alike […]

We are saddened and shocked by the news of the passing of Thomas Connelly. Tom has done a huge amount to support writing and writers in Tasmania, running a bookstore, where he hosted writing events, and recently organising the Silver Words spoken word events. Tom also put pen to paper, writing (and performing) his own […]

Tasmanian writer Richard Flanagan became the fourth Australian to win the much-coveted Man Booker prize for 2014. After Richard’s book, The Narrow Road to the Deep North made it to the short list of the Booker, all Tasmanian writers, and indeed all Tasmanians, must surely have been holding their collective breath waiting to hear if […]

It’s time to get creative. The Tasmanian Writers’ Prize, run by the Forty South Publishing – the guys who publish the marvellous Tasmania 40° South magazine, is looking for short stories up to 3000 words with an island, or island-resonant, theme. Judges for the 2015 prize are Chris Gallagher, director of the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre, […]

Poring over manuscript after manuscript was a tough but eye-opening job for judges nutting out who would win the new Tasmanian manuscript prize – the inaugural Erica Bell Foundation Literature Award for $10,000 for an unpublished novel. The judging process, overseen by the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre and led by established authors Rohan Wilson and Lian […]

Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan has become a living literary legend in his home state – jointly winning the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for fiction for his tremendous tale of the Burma Death Railway in The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Flanagan has won the award alongside Victorian Steven Carroll for his title A World […]

December 2014 Are you in the know? Stay in touch with our FREE monthly events bulletin! Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan inspires home state with award-winning streak and passion for indigenous literacy Judges wowed by Tassie writing talent in inaugural Erica Bell Foundation Literature Award   November 2014 Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2015   October 2014 Congratulations […]

With more than 130 book launches and dozens of literary award wins, Tasmanian authors have plenty of reason to celebrate an unprecedented level of success in 2014. Book stores in Tasmania averaged three to four launches statewide each week, while the cream of Tasmania’s writing community were shortlisted, won and were awarded many prestigious awards […]

The Tasmanian Writers' Centre is seeking applications from writers from Hobart to live and write in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) this September.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re loved-up with your soulmate firmly in tow, or you’re a lonely heart looking for “the one”, you’re sure to enjoy getting friendly with one of Tasmania’s premier romance authors come this February 14. Tasmanian Writers’ Centre director Chris Gallagher said romance writing seemed to blossom naturally in Tasmania, with home-grown […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre is delighted to announce A Novel Journey – nine sessions over the course of 2015 designed to guide both budding and experienced writers alike through the journey of penning their very own masterpieces. A Novel Journey will be held in Hobart, starting March 29 respectively. The sessions will be held on weekend […]

In a rare event for Hobart, renowned spoken word and hip-hop poet Omar Musa will be delivering a skills-based workshop followed by a raw, edgy performance and open mic night on Saturday, March 28. The workshop and performance is presented by the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre in partnership with the Tasmanian Poetry Festival, and will be […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre is excited to announce the Hachette Mentoring Program, which offers a professional mentorship opportunity for one Tasmanian writer a year to work with Sophie Hamley, Publisher with Hachette Australia and former President of the Australian Literary Agents’ Association. Applications will open Monday June 1 and close 5pm, Friday June 26. You […]

The Tasmanian Writers’ Centre is hosting an evening with award-winning graphic novelist Nicki Greenberg and political commentary comic designer Pat Armstrong, in partnership with Her Majesty’s Favourite Really Great Graphical Festival 2015. Pat Armstrong In early 2014, millionaire Graeme Wood pulled the funding to his experiment in Australian web-journalism, the Global Mail. The final piece […]