February

Jeanell Buckley’s Stretcher Bearer was published by Ginnindera press. This novel is written after extensive research using the diaries of Australian WWI soldiers.

 

 

 

Alicia Gilmore’s first novel, Path to the Night Sea, was published by Regal House Publishing. It follows Eliza through and after hard times with her abusive father.

 

 

 

Janine Dickinson’s The Sweet Hills of Florence was published by hybrid publishers. Set in the time of Hitler’s visit to Florence, it follows a Florentine family as they work with the resistance.

 

 

 

March

Julie Thorndyke’s first children’s picture book Waiting For The Night, with illustrations by Anna Seed, was published by Interactive Press.

 

 

May

Kristyn M Levis published her book, The Girl Between Light and Dark, with Philippines-based publisher Anvil Publishing. It’s the sequel to her first book, The Girl Between Two Worlds.

 

 

 

June

Ruth Waters has written and illustrated Not So Scary Bear, out now from Windy Hollow Books.

 

 

 

Carrie Kablean’s release What Kitty Did Next follows Kitty Bennett after the events of Pride and Prejudice.

 

 

 

July

Sarah Luke’s new non-fiction book, Callan Park: Hospital for the Insane, has been published by Australian Scholarly Publishing.

 

August

Dina Davis published Capriccio: A Novel. “When Esther, a Russian-Jewish refugee, meets Larry and Grace, poets on the brink of fame, a drama of intrigue and betrayal is set in motion. Set in London in the swinging sixties, Capriccio is a story of obsessive love, finally told from Esther’s perspective.”

 

Phil Sandford self-published a musical biography of Willie McIntyre, an Australian jazz pianist and singer from the 1940s and 1950s, The Lion Roars: The Musical Life of Willie ‘The Lion’ McIntyre. He also compiled a companion CD, The Lion Roars: Selected Tracks by Willie ‘The Lion’ McIntyre 1946-85.

 

September

Hayley Lawrence’s debut Young Adult novel Inside the Tiger was released by Penguin Random House. Inside the Tiger is about a teenage girl who writes to a death row prisoner and falls for him, destroying them both.

 

 

Carmel Bendon published a fiction book Grasping at Water. The lives of psychiatrist Kathryn and a mysterious woman pulled from Sydney Harbour intertwine, forcing Kathryn to question her convictions.

 

 

Elyot Rodgers published their fiction novel A Story Untold. “In this gripping tale, a divorcé who becomes unwittingly entangled within drug and criminal activities sets out on a quest to help others escape the corrupt system.”

 

 

Alec O’Halloran wrote a biography of Pintupi man Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri (c1923-1998), The master from Marnpi. Namarari was a founding member of Papunya Tula Artists, and became an award-winning artist.

October

Drenched in rhythm and the vividness of pop lyrics, Colin Varney’s debut novel, Earworm, explores the complexities of filial and romantic love, connecting us to our universal communion with music.

 

 

 

Elizabeth Cummings’ release The Forever Kid “is a powerful picture book tackling the complex subject of grief from a child’s perspective.”

 

 

LM Ardor wrote a thriller entitled The Practice Baby. “GP Dee Flanary risks her reputation, her livelihood and ultimately her life when she investigates the death of a patient.”

 

 

November

Michele Connolly’s How To Be An Introvert In An Extrovert World was published in November by Louder Minds. It’s a handbook for happiness and confidence – full of strategies, humour, inspiration, and psychological insights into the introvert life.

 

 

Further Congratulations

 

Mark Marusic:
‘Time Frames’ in The Mozzie (Oct 2018), ‘Irish Doggie Eyes’ in The Mozzie (Aug 2018) and ‘Wasteland Could Be Wonderland’ in The Mozzie (June 2018) ‘Cornwall Coast’, ‘Late Winter Bushwalk’, ‘November Gardens’, ‘Sydney Humidity’ in Husk Magazine (Aug 2018).

Sharon Willdin:
‘Homecoming’ in The Esthetic Apostle. A podcast for ‘Writing Through Isolation’. ‘Clowns Anonymous,’ a film she wrote and produced, was chosen for screening at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. ‘Treatise on Morality’ published in the Brooklyn Review. ‘Bairro Português’ was chosen as a finalist for the Ernest Hemingway Shorts Award; published in Hemingway Shorts, Volume 3.  ‘Foundations of Existentialism and the Metaphysics of Morals’ published in Chaleur Magazine. ‘Dead End’ published in Fall by Dark Ink Press. ‘First World Dilemma’ published in Sloth: Seven Deadly Sins by Pure Slush.

Christine Johnson:
Won second prize in the Trudy Graham/Julie Lewis Literary Award for Prose 2018. Won the West Australian Photographic Federation fiction first prize for fiction ‘At the Waters Edge’, in addition to publication in the Geelong Writers’ Short Story and Flash Fiction Anthology and award shortlistings.

Karen Lethlean:
‘Halloween Party’ published in Baby Teeth Journal. ‘Brought Up Right’ published in Here Comes Everyone’s Brutal issue.

Lisa Siberry: 
Won the Ampersand Prize with her middle-grade novel, Gloop, to be published by Hardie Grant Egmont in 2019.

Mark Riboldi:
Article, ‘Controlled Immersion’, published by Overland Literary Journal. Exploring the philosophy, cultural representation and commercialisation of virtual reality, the article was then turned into a VR experience of its own.

Andrew Patterson:
‘Little Rich Street Girl’ and ‘White Powder, Black Leather, Grey Badges’ both appeared in recent issues of Switchblade, a magazine for hard-boiled and noir crime writing.

Maura Pierlot:
Awarded a KSP Fellowship at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers’ to work on her full-length play, Leaving. Named winner of the CBCA NSW Aspiring Writers Mentorship Program and recipient of the Charlotte Waring Barton Award for her unpublished YA manuscript, Freefalling.

Michelle Morgan:
Won the SCBWI Spark Award 2017 in the Older Readers category for her middle grade novel Flying Through Clouds.

Teresa Peni:
‘The Space Invader and The Mud Lotus’ published in the Quarry journal’s tenth issue.

Echo Qin He:
‘Writers in my Family’ published in Light Borrowers: UTS Writers’ Anthology 2018.

Phillip Everett:
Awarded first prize in the Rolf Boldrewood Literary Awards for his short story, Old Woman Crazy With The Snakes. Previously he placed second in the 2013 Boldrewood’s with a short story, Where’s M’ Dog At.

Kathleen Fernandes:
Poems ‘The Lift’ and ‘Impression’ published in The Mozzie, Volume 26, Issue 6. Story ‘Hide and Seek’ published in Positive Words. ‘Kissing Gecko’ published in Polestar Writers’ Journal, Edition 34.

Libby Sommer:
Poem ‘Between the Islands of the Pacific’ accepted for publication in Quadrant magazine.

Wendy Lewis:
Had a play on at Manly called The Devil’s Caress.  It’s a murder mystery with a difference: an adaptation of the 1952 novel by Melbourne crime writer June Wright interwoven with the life and times of Wright herself.

Mary-Ellen Quirk:
Won first place in the aspiring category of the CYA Conference Competition for her Young Adult novel manuscript, Jellyfish Blues.

Sue Ingleton:
Imagined biography of Harriet Elphinstone Dick and Alice Moon entitled Making Trouble, Tongued With Fire will be published next year.

Debra Tidball:
Picture book The Scared Book won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Australia and New Zealand region.

Julie Howard:
Landed a publishing deal after attending the Penguin Random House Open House event at Writing NSW.

Ann Lax:
Won the New England Thunderbolt prize for crime fiction with her story Running the Gauntlet.

Diane Harding:
Children’s book entitled I dug a hole to China has been published by Pegasus Publishers.

Peter Bishop:
Won second place in the Adult Poetry section in the Lambing Flat FAW (Young, NSW) Regional Writing Competition for his poem Black Snake, and received commended for his poem The Tide is Out.