”I think all essays are ‘personal’ to the extent that an essay is, among other things, a reflection of the writer’s mode of thinking and an enquiry into their interests. ‘

Each month the NSW Writers’ Centre staff share what we’ve been reading.

Ahead of her two courses at the centre, we spoke to Aleesah Darlison about writing children’s books and promoting your work as an author.

You’ve got your first draft finished, but what next? We spoke to editor Pamela Hewitt about the best things to bear in mind when revising your work.

Ahead of his one-day workshop, we sat down with Mark O’Flynn, author of The Last Days of Ava Langdon and The Forgotten World, to chat about how he finds inspiration when writing.

‘Know yourself and your podcast- if you can’t define it, then how are others supposed to?’

‘Humour is a brilliant tool for a writer. It has the power to draw the reader in and soften the blow. It’s subversive.’

‘Whether you are writing a memoir or fiction grounded in real events, the reader needs to trust that you are dealing with the nonfiction elements as honestly as you can.’

February promises to be a bundle of reading-and-writing fun. Delve into what’s in store for the literary-minded this month.