The Writing NSW Kids & YA Festival is back! Directed by award-winning, internationally published children’s author Belinda Murrell, the Festival will showcase some of Australia’s best-known and dearly loved authors, illustrators, publishers, media personnel and industry professionals.

“In the midst of a quiet exercise, as we all had our heads bowed over our journals, something happened and the card table at the centre shook, causing the spheres to clink together in a quick little song of supernatural promise. The ghosts of Rozelle were saying goodbye.”

“I have always been open to feedback, even if it hurts my creative pride. I know that somewhere in it is either a ‘gem’ I can use, or it can trigger my inner critique to emerge and see the manuscript with a different lens.”

“Constructive criticism invites the person whose work you are reading to consider a few other ways of approaching their work, or a sentence or a character.”

“Suddenly I had the character of Finn, a character who refused to be silenced – and that was the message we wanted to bring to the screen.”

“Lean into the emotion. By their nature, psychological thrillers (and psychological dramas, which I feel better describes my writing!) turn on internal conflict, and so it follows that gripping and plausible internal drama maximises their effectiveness.”

“Once I had amassed enough facts, my rage fortified me. I couldn’t contain my secret anymore. My sadness and fear seeped onto the page, as well as an unbridled joy when I discovered Deaf culture.”