Our Committee

Writers Victoria has a hard-working voluntary Committee of Management which oversees the strategic and administrative operations of the organisation.

Bryan Keon-Cohen

Committee Member

Bryan lives and works in Melbourne. He graduated LLM in 1970, lectured at Monash University, worked with the ALRC in Sydney, practised as a barrister in Melbourne for 35 years, was appointed Queens Counsel in 1996, and retired in 2016. He acted mainly in native title, human rights, refugee appeals, and administrative and constitutional law cases, including in the High Court.

Nicolas Brasch

Chair

Nicolas has been a full-time writer for almost 20 years. He is the author of more than 350 books (mainly for children and young adults) for many leading international publishers, several of which have won Australian and international awards. He also teaches professional writing at Swinburne University; presents workshops and seminars on writing and storytelling; and is the founder of Writers in Residence Pty Ltd, a company that provides writing services to the corporate market. Joined in 2014.

Donata Carrazza

Donata is a graduate of Italian language and literature from the University of Melbourne. She has worked for over twenty-five years in hospitality, notably at the Mildura Grand Hotel. She is Chair of the Mildura Writers’ Festival Committee and, with New York poet and academic Paul Kane, has edited two books: 'Vintage: A Celebration of Ten Years of the Mildura Writers’ Festival' (2004) and 'Letters to Les' (2005). She is currently studying Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University in Melbourne. Joined 2017.

Abi Chellapen

Abi Chellapen is an Associate Director in a mid-tier accounting firm, ShineWing Australia Pty Ltd with over ten years’ experience in providing clients (including not-for-profit clients) with exceptional service in the areas of tax, governance and finance. She is also responsible staff recruitment, leadership and engagement and growing the firm’s client base through business development activities. She has a keen interest in assisting the not-for-profit sector grow and enjoys reading in her spare time.

Noe Harsel

Noe Harsel has worked for over 15 years in the not-for-profit arts and culture space. Her diverse experience includes project management, fundraising, marketing, communications and curatorial work with many of Melbourne’s key cultural institutions. She has worked as a journalist and is working on her first non-fiction manuscript. Noe has lectured in design, communications, publishing and editing as well as in history, architecture and cultural studies and is currently Co-Director of Melbourne Jewish Book Week.

Peter Hill

Secretary

Peter is a Director of Fenwick Software and has been a director of a number of technology companies in the past and a major shareholder in a successful Australian software company. As well as being a successful businessman Peter is a writer and editor and has a blog on things motoring. He has compiled and edited five books including: Practical Software Project Estimation published by McGraw-Hill. Joined in 2015.

Victor Sekulov

Treasurer

Victor is a Finance Manager with over thirty years experience both in the corporate private and the public sectors, including Not-For-Profit and health benevolent organisations. Victor has sat as a member of a number of committees in his role as Finance Manager/Financial Controller. These have included Audit Committees for major public hospitals; Policy Steering Committees, Evaluation of Service and Tender Committees. Victor is the convener of the Finance Subcommittee. Joined in 2014.

Amy Maddison

Committee Member

Amy is the founder of String Words, a social enterprise with a mission to humanise healthcare and aged care through storytelling and human centered design. Tertiary qualified in the Arts (Communications and Theatre), Education and Counselling (Conferral 2019), Amy is also a qualified TNI facilitator with several years of experience in various communications and engagement roles across healthcare, aged care, mental health and the Arts.