Writers Victoria 2012 Program Launch
David Astle along with some of Victoria’s hottest literary talent attended on Friday 6pm, 9 December 2011 at the Wheeler Centre to celebrate the first chapter in the Writers Victoria journey, by helping to launch our 2012 Program.
The 2012 Program features Victorian literary talents Steven Carroll, Maria Tumarkin, Leigh Hobbs, Kate Holden, Ouyang Yu, Van Badham, Chris Womersley and Andrea Goldsmith (see below for full bios). These are just some of the 90 authors and industry professionals delivering 200 intimate and interactive sessions to guide writers on their diverse journeys across 2012.
To see the full media kit, click here.
To download publicity photos, click here.
David Astle 
As Mr Dictionary on SBS, and DA in the world of crosswords, David Astle is a full-time word nerd. Under the guise of DA, David also composes such diverse puzzles as Wordwit, Omega and Metrohead for Fairfax, Rubicon for Australian Style, as well as writing the weekly column Wordplay for Saturday Spectrum. You can catch his wordiness under pressure on the SBS game-show, Letters and Numbers, every weeknight at six. www.davidastle.com
photo by Natalie Walker
Steven Carroll’s most recent novel is Spirit of Progress (2011), a prequel to his award-winning ‘Glenroy’ trilogy. His other books include Remember Me, Jimmy James (1992); Momoko (1994); The Love Song of Lucy McBride (1998); The Art of the Engine Driver (2001), which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2002 and France’s Prix Femina literary award for the Best Foreign Novel in 2005; The Gift of Speed (2004), which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2005; The Time We Have Taken (2007), which won both the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ (SE Asia and South Pacific Region) Prize and the 2008 Miles Franklin Award; and The Lost Life (2009), which was shortlisted for the Barbara Jefferis Award and for the ALS Gold Medal.
Maria Tumarkin 
Born in the former Soviet Union in a Russian Jewish family, Maria immigrated to Australia in 1989. Author of Traumascapes (2005), Courage (2007) and Otherland (2010), she lives in Melbourne with her two kids. www.mtumarkin.net
photo by Sergio Fontana
Leigh Hobbs is an artist and children’s author best known his characters Old Tom, Horrible Harriet, Fiona The Pig, Mr Badger and Mr Chicken. His latest picture book Mr Chicken Goes to Paris was shortlisted for the 2010 Prime Ministers Literary awards as well as the 2010 CBC Picture book of the year. Prestigious UK publisher Bloomsbury published four of Leigh’s picture books in 2010 and Mr Chicken has proved a big hit in The Louvre and Versailles Bookshops in Paris. www.leighhobbs.com.au
Kate Holden 
Kate Holden is the author of In My Skin: A memoir and The Romantic: Italian Nights and Days, both best-selling non-fiction books published by Text. She writes a regular column for The Age as well as essays, short stories, and reviews for major literary journals and newspapers in Australia.
Ouyang Yu
Ouyang Yu has published 59 books of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, literary translation and literary criticism in the English and Chinese languages. He also edits Australia’s only Chinese literary journal, Otherland (since 1995). His collections of poetry include Songs of the Last Chinese Poet (1997), New and Selected Poems (Salt Publishing, 2004), White and Yu, (PressPress 2010) and recent Chinese poetry, Shifeishi (Poemonpoem) published by Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, 2011. www.ouyangyu.com.au
Van Badham
Van Badham is an internationally award-winning playwright, critic and screenwriter, currently employed as an Artistic Associate for Malthouse Theatre. Her plays have been staged professionally across Australia, the UK, the USA, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Iceland. She has also written for radio, opera, cabaret, TV and music theatre, while her first book, Burnt Snow, was published by Pan Macmillan Australia last year. An experienced educator, Van taught theatre and film subjects at the University of Wollongong for many years, and spent two years as Writer-in-Residence at LAMDA (the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). www.vanbadham.com
Chris Womersley 
Chris Womersley’s fiction has appeared in Granta, Best Australian Stories 2006, 2010 and 2011, Griffith Review and Meanjin. His second novel, Bereft, won the ABIA Award for Literary Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, The Age fiction prize and the ASL Gold Medal. www.chriswomersley.com
James Phelan
James Phelan is a Melbourne-based writer. His first book was the author interview collection Literati: Australian Contemporary Literary Figures Discuss Fear, Frustrations and Fame (John Wiley, 2005). His bestselling Lachlan Fox thrillers include Fox Hunt (Hachette, 2006), Patriot Act (2007), Blood Oil (2008), Liquid Gold (2009), Red Ice (2010). His ALONE trilogy of Young Adult post-apocalyptic novels are Chasers (Hachette, 2010), Survivor (2011) and Quarantine (2011). He is currently working on a new adult thriller (2012), a 13-part Young Adult series (2013, Scholastic), and several film projects. James is published in over 120 countries. www.jamesphelan.com
Andrea Goldsmith
Andrea Goldsmith has published six novels. Her most recent, REUNION, was published by 4th Estate in 2009 to wide acclaim. She has mentored many new novelists, and has conducted several courses at universities, the VWC and writers' centres throughout Australia.
First Dog on the Moon 
First Dog on the Moon (Andrew Marlton) is the senior editorial Cartoonist at Crikey.com.au where he mercilessly lampoons anyone who gets his goat. By all accounts a lovely fellow and quite approachable, his cartoons are in wide demand and are available on t-shirts but not yet underpants. Andrew illustrated The Wombat and the Grand Poohjam, written by Jackie French. His most recent book First Dog on the Moon’s The Story of the Christmas Story, which he wrote and illustrated, was released in 2010 (Text Publishing).
Toni Jordan
Toni Jordan is an award-winning best-selling novelist. Her debut novel, Addition, was published in 2008, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and won best debut fiction in the 2008 Indie awards. Addition has been translated into 12 different languages and has been optioned for a film adaptation. Her second novel, Fall Girl, was published in November 2010 in Australia, with the UK, Germany and France to follow. Toni has been a columnist for the Age and her short stories and articles have appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Courier Mail, the Herald Sun, the Australian and the Monthly. Since 2007, Toni has taught Novel in RMIT’s acclaimed Professional Writing and Editing course. www.tonijordan.com
Steven Amsterdam
Born in New York, Steven Amsterdam has lived in Melbourne since 2003. He currently divides his time between palliative care nursing and writing. His first book, Things We Didn’t See Coming, won The Age Book of the Year award, was longlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award and the Guardian First Book Award, and was selected for the VCE reading list. His latest book, What the Family Needed, was released in November 2011 by Sleepers Publishing. www.stevenamsterdam.com
Phillipa (PD) Martin 
Phillipa is the author of five crime fiction novels published in 13 countries. Her Sophie Anderson series has met with international acclaim. Phillipa’s books are Body Count, The Murderers’ Club, Fan Mail, The Killing Hands and Kiss of Death. She’s also published an ebook novella, Coming Home. www.pdmartin.com.au
Sofie Laguna
Sofie Laguna is an author, actor and playwright. She has been published in the US and the UK and in translation in Europe and Asia. Her picture book with Andrew McLean, On Our Way to the Beach was included in the White Ravens 2005 annual selection of outstanding international children’s books by the International Youth Library (Associated Project of UNESCO). Her other books include My Yellow Blanky, Too Loud Lily, Surviving Aunt Marsha, Bad Buster and Big Ned’s Bushwalk.