Established Author Forum: Book in for the Year

Details

Eligibility: The Writers Victoria Established Author Forum is for those who have authored at least one traditionally-published book, screenplay or play. If you are contracted to publish your first book this year, work in the industry or have an equivalent track record of short-form publications, you are also welcome to attend. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please email [email protected].

All sessions will take place at The Wheeler Centre, unless otherwise noted.  

• Thursday 29 February, 6.30pm

Featuring Cate Kennedy on Building and Modulating Tension in Your Narrative, exploring ways to deepen your understanding and use of pacing in prose.

• Thursday 13 June, 6.30pm

Featuring Jane Harrison on Lessons from Theatre, considering ways to deepen your understanding of characterisation and dialogue through playwrights’ tricks.

• Thursday 24 October, 6.30pm

Featuring Melanie Cheng on Balancing Writing with Life, examining competing demands on writers’ time and mental energy.

• Thursday 21 November, 6.30pm

End of year celebration, with refreshments and an open mic night for readings from members.

About the Tutors:

Cate Kennedy is the author of the highly acclaimed novel The World Beneath, which won the People’s Choice Award in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards in 2010. She is an award-winning short-story writer whose work has been published widely. Her first collection, Dark Roots, was shortlisted for the Steele Rudd Award in the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards and for the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal. She is also the author of a travel memoir, Sing, and Don’t Cry, and the poetry collections Joyflight, Signs of Other Fires and The Taste of River Water, which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Poetry in 2011. She lives on a secluded bend of the Broken River in north-east Victoria.

Jane Harrison is descended from the Muruwari people of NSW. Her first play, Stolen, had productions across Australia and toured internationally. She was co-winner of the 2012 RAKA Kate Challis Award for Stolen. Rainbow’s End has had numerous productions since its premiere in 2003 and won the 2012 Drovers Award for best touring production. Both Stolen and Rainbow’s End have been placed on secondary school curricula. The Visitors premiered at Sydney Festival in 2020 and won the Sydney Critics Award for Best New Australian Work for 2021. It had a new production at the Sydney Opera House in September 2023. Her novel, Becoming Kirrali Lewis, won the 2014 Black & Write! Prize, and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Her latest novel is The Visitors. She is the Festival Director of Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival (2016, 2019, 2022).

Melanie Cheng is an author and doctor based in Melbourne, Australia. Her short story collection, Australia Day, was awarded the 2018 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction. Her novel, Room for a Stranger, was shortlisted for the 2020 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and longlisted for the 2020 Miles Franklin Award. Her writing has been published in The Guardian, The Age, The Saturday Paper, The Australian and The Big Issue, among many others. Her new novel, The Burrow, will be published in September 2024.

Covid-19 restrictions:

You can find details of how Covid-19 restrictions will affect the workshop here: https://writersvictoria.org.au/about-us/covid-19-information/. You are encouraged to wear a mask in the workshop space. The Wheeler Centre’s policy is that close contacts should not attend the building. If you are a close contact of somebody with Covid-19, or have Covid-19 symptoms yourself, please do not attend; please contact [email protected] to arrange a refund in this situation.

Not a Member?

Members of Writers Victoria receive up to 37% off the full price of our workshops, seminars and courses. In addition, members have access to a range of other discounts and opportunities and receive a subscription to 'The Victorian Writer' magazine. Memberships start from just $50. Find out more about becoming a member here.

Book early to access our early bird prices! These expire 9 days before the course begins. Please keep in mind that our workshops require a minimum number of participants to run, so booking early also helps ensure that a workshop will go ahead. 

Cancellation Policy