A big congratulations to these Writers’ Centre members, who have recently achieved amazing successes. Many have had their first short stories or poems published, some have won writing competitions, and others have had their first book published. They are short story writers, children’s writers, poets, writers of non-fiction, memoir and more, and they serve as an inspiration to all of us to keep writing, reading and striving for our goals.
Patricia Bernard who has written a picture book about Papua New Guinea, The Lost Tail, for Ford Street Publications. Patricia has also written eight Asian adventure books for eight to nine year olds for Blake Education Publishers, who have asked for eight more!
David Blissett who has just signed a contract with Melbourne Books to produce a coffee-table-style book, Reflections of Elephants, in partnership with photographer Bobby-Jo Clow and a host of guest writers including Mark Tredinnick and Bradley Trevor Greive AM.
Judith Daley whose story ‘Biscuits’ was shortlisted for the Melaleuca Blue 2014 Life Writing Competition. The story is published in the anthology You’ll Eat Worse Than That Before You Die, which is available on the Melaleuca Blue website.
Frank Davidson who won the Emerging Writers Award in the New England Writers’ Centre Thunderbolt Competition, themed around the bushranger Thunderbolt, for his story ‘Grand-da’s stolen boots’. Hooray!
Georgie Donaghey who is very excited to announce her first picture book Lulu, which will be published through Dragon Tales Publishing in April 2015. Illustrated by Ann-Marie Finn, the book will be available to purchase via the Dragon Tales Publishing and Creative Kids Tales websites.
Joanne Fedler whose new book about parenting Love in the Time of Contempt: Consolations for Parents of Teenagers nudged its way into the book world to take its place amidst the other thousands of books born on 2 February 2015. It will be launched on Wednesday 11 February at Gleebooks at 6pm.
Kathleen Fernandes who has had four poems, ‘Festering’, ‘Elephant’s Grief’, ‘A Memory Blush’ and ‘Latte Lives’ published in Freexpression November issue 2014.
Denis Fitzpatrick who has published two short stories, ‘Bygones Beth’ and ‘Such Heavenly Waters’ with shortstoriesclub.com. Denis has also republished his short non-fiction book King Street Blues, with the assistance of Kindle Direct Publishing. This book is a positive portrayal of his willfully chosen five years’ of homelessness in the inner cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
Ramon Loyola who had two books of selected poetry published in 2014, not poems, just words and I Look For You In Other Truths, both available from various online retailers and in select bookstores in Australia. His short stories ‘Yeah, No’ and ‘Somebody’s Sunday’ and new poems ‘my father’s skin’ and ‘mother unplugged’ also appeared in Narrator Australia and Narrator International, digital imprints of MoshPit Publishing.
Peter Richards who has just published his first children’s book Bugs Bugs Bugs Everywhere There Are Bugs with Xlibris publishing Australia. As you can see, it’s about bugs! It’s available online now at Xlibris, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many more.
Alison Stewart whose unpublished memoir Cold Stone Soup won the FAW National Literary Awards, 2013 Jim Hamilton Award for a non-fiction manuscript.
Darcy-Lee Tindale who placed first in the C.A. Broadribb Wild Things ‘Best of Times’ Short Story Competition with her quirky short story ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’, a dark satire about everyday life choices. Darcy-Lee also made the shortlist of the Ned Kelly Crime Fiction Awards, 2014 Sandra Harvey Short Story Award for her story ‘The Scars of Noir’.