Our Team

Writing NSW is managed by our CEO and staff who are responsible to a volunteer Board.

Staff

CEO

Sophie Groom
Sophie is responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of the organisation.

Program Manager

Rowena Tuziak
Rowena manages all of the diverse programming and activities that Writing NSW undertakes.

Finance Manager

Jeanne Kinninmont
Jeanne is responsible for the organisation’s financial management and governance.

Membership and Operations Coordinator

Elliot Cameron
Elliot coordinates our member services and the operation of our location at Garry Owen House.

Professional Development Officer

Rochelle Pickles
Rochelle manages the facilitation and planning of the diverse Writing NSW course program.

Project and Communications Officer

Adara Enthaler
Adara coordinates our communications streams including Newsbite and social media, as well as working on our events and other projects.

Administration Officer

Nevenya Cameron
Nevenya is responsible for the organisation’s administrative support and assists with member and digital services.

Caretakers

A team of caretakers is responsible for the upkeep of the Writing NSW building and facilities including cleaning, gardening, room set-up and maintenance.

Board
The Writing NSW Board is made up of writers, industry representatives and skilled professionals. Many of our Board members have a longstanding relationship with the organisation as members, tutors or in other capacities.

Eleanor Limprecht

Eleanor Limprecht – Chair
Eleanor Limprecht is the author of four novels: The Coast, The Passengers, Long Bay and What Was Left, which was shortlisted for the 2014 ALS Gold Medal. She writes contemporary and historical fiction, essays, book reviews and short fiction. Her short stories have been in Best Australian Stories, Sleepers Almanac, and Kill Your Darlings. She teaches creative writing at UTS, where she received her Doctorate of Creative Arts in Writing.

Shankari Chandran – Deputy ChairShankari Chandran
Shankari is a lawyer and author of Song of the Sun God (Perera-Hussein Publishing, 2017), The Barrier (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2017) and Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens (Ultimo Press, 2022) winner of the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award. Song of the Sun God is being adapted for a six-part TV series. Her work has been long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award (2019), and short-listed for the Fairway National Literary Award (2018) and the Norma K Hemming Award for Speculative Fiction (2018). She won the Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship (2019) and the Create NSW Writers’ Fellowship (2018/2019), essential support that enabled her to write Chai Time. Her stories reflect her ancestral Tamil background and its impact on contemporary Australia.

Priya RoyPriya Roy – Treasurer
Priya Roy is a finance and strategy professional who has extensive experience in commercial strategy, corporate strategy, & corporate finance – both in Australia and in the US. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is currently Treasurer & Board Director at Arts on Tour and at Writing NSW. She holds degrees in International Business, Finance, & Mathematics and is currently pursuing her PhD in International Business. She is a supporter of the arts in all forms.

Fiona Hazard
Fiona Hazard is a publishing professional focused on promoting writers, nurturing literary careers and creating non-traditional publishing pathways for emerging creators. Always an avid reader, her love for books drew her to the publishing industry and she has built an outstanding publishing career with a wealth of experience in both the UK and Australia. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), she is Group Publishing Director for Hachette Australia and New Zealand and has been a key leader in growing their lists. Fiona leads Hachette Australia’s partnerships with the State Library of Queensland’s black&write! program and the Emerging Writers Festival. She is also Co-Convenor of Hachette Australia’s annual literary prize for emerging and unpublished writers, The Richell Prize, which has seen a number of literary careers launched. She is proud to lead the Hachette Australia publishing team and to have worked with many award-winning authors and illustrators. Fiona’s author list includes Geraldine Brooks, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Claire Thomas and Dr Michael Mosley.

Chloe Michele
Chloe Michele is an accomplished fundraising expert with 13+ years spanning the not-for-profit, higher education and private sectors. In her current role at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), she leads strategic partnerships for the School of Design and serves as an Executive Committee Member for the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, a collaboration between TAFE NSW and UTS. Previously, Chloe held the position of Trusts and Foundations Manager at the Black Dog Institute, where she secured multiple philanthropic gifts exceeding $1 million. Chloe holds degrees in Communication, Creative Writing and Visual Arts. Her writings have been published in respected Australian journals, including New Australian Fiction, Rabbit Poetry and many editions of the UTS Writers Anthology, including the special 40th Anniversary edition which celebrated the most outstanding work featured since the collection debuted. Chloe is passionate about the power of philanthropy to support and bolster an inclusive writing community in NSW. She has a keen understanding of the writing and publishing industry and is dedicated to supporting and developing writers across the region. 

Nardi Simpson

Nardi Simpson
Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay writer, musician and educator from NSW’s north west freshwater plains. As a member of Indigenous duo Stiff Gins, Nardi has travelled nationally and internationally for the past 20 years, performing in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Vietnam and the Pacific Islands. Nardi is the recipient of the 2018 Black&Write! Indigenous Writers Fellowship with the state library of Queensland where she is currently editing her debut novel, Song of the Crocodile. In 2019 Nardi will commence work with Ngarria Burria – the Indigenous Composures initiative and commence her tenure as musical director of Barayagal, a cross cultural choir of Indigenous and non-Indigenous singers to be run out of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2019. Nardi is also a Gamilaraay Language teacher and cultural consultant heavily involved in the teaching and sharing of culture in both her Sydney and Yuwaalaraay communities.

Sophie Stern
Sophie is a legally-trained policy and strategy advisor with expertise in governance, culture and accountability. Her experience spans the private and government sector, both in Australia and the United Kingdom. She currently works in financial services and previously held roles with the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Financial Conduct Authority (UK) and Herbert Smith Freehills, and was a Board Observer with the Sydney Jewish Museum in 2022. She holds degrees in International Studies and Law, and is an avid reader and aspiring writer.

Eliza Twaddell
Eliza Twaddell is a Chartered Accountant and policy and stakeholder engagement professional with a focus on producing good outcomes for people experiencing vulnerable situations and circumstances. With a decade of experience in government, the private sector and not for profits, Eliza brings a diverse set of financial and strategic skills to the board. Eliza is a resident of Sydney’s inner west, a keen reader and supporter of local organisations and causes.

Adam van RooijenAdam van Rooijen
Adam van Rooijen completed a BA in Communications (Media Arts & Production) at UTS in 2005 and began his career in digital advertising before moving to London in 2009, where he transitioned his career into becoming a digital marketer for Random House. He has worked on campaigns for recognised brands like Lee Child, Bill Bryson, Dan Brown. He returned to Sydney where he worked at HarperCollins Publishers as Head of Digital and Marketing for the Harlequin division, developing book and author marketing campaigns for Rachael Johns, Tricia Stringer, Tea Cooper and in nonfiction for Naomi Simson, to name a few. He has worked on successful recognised collaborations and was recognised as a 2018 Mumbrella BEFEST finalist for the Mills & Boon meets The Bachelorette campaign. Currently, he is working at Apple, as business lead for Apple Books.

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