I kill people. Okay, let me rephrase that. I kill people ….. okay, third time lucky…. I kill fictional people and then send other fictional people off to solve the crime. . . and there’s no better place to do that than at Varuna, The National Writers’ House.

Or, as I like to call it, murder central.

​A NICHE publisher making “small, surprising things” has just been launched by NEWC chair, Sophie Masson, and illustrator, Lorena Carrington.

Pardalote Press will publish unusual projects by the pair, who have set up a crowdfunding campaign to help establish their tiny press, which within the first two days of the campaign had already well overshot its original funding goal of $2,500.

A LOVE LETTER to arachnids is how Armidale creative James O'Hanlon describes his forthcoming book, I Love Spiders.

James won the 2021 Varuna/New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship for his manuscript, which takes an endearing and scientific look at his great passion, arachnids.

"I spent a lot of time hanging around arachnologists and realising how overwhelmingly fascinating spiders were," James says.  ​"I thought the rest of the world ought to know about this, so the idea for a popular science book was born."

It was a rare scoop when university student Sharnee Rawson landed the role of co-editing Inside Story: the wonderful world of writing, illustrating and publishing children's books.

Published by United Publishers of Armidale (a collaboration between two New England-based boutique publishers, Christmas Press and Little Pink Dog Books), and the New England Writers’ Centre, Inside Story is a one-of-a-kind resource for anyone wanting to know more about the children's publishing industry.​

It's a common enough question that led to award winning author JP (Josh) Pomare writing a "twisty thriller".

Josh and his partner, from Melbourne, were mulling the idea of letting their home to Airbnb guests.

They wondered what was the worst that could happen if they did so and decided it was worth the risk.

​The business has been a success, but the question, of what could possibly go wrong, led to Josh's latest novel, The Last Guests.

So she has designed a “kit bag” of drawing warm-ups, tips and advice to help potential illustrators and writers achieve their goal of drawing and writing for children.

Sandy will share her kit bag, as well as her experience as a children’s illustrator, at a workshop organised by the New England Writers’ Centre. 

“I would love the participants in this workshop to have their dreams of becoming an illustrator made more possible,” Sandy says.

“It would be awesome for people to come away feeling more confident in their ability to create and to learn to relax into illustration work.”

​EVER get stuck into a good story, only to find your mind drifting after a few chapters because you can’t understand the characters?

Armidale editor Anna Thomson found she couldn’t “fall into” the story with some works she edited, even though the plot was well written and constructed.

Her solution was to write her own novel and, thanks to the inaugural Varuna-New England Writers' Centre fellowship, she spent a week working on Bloodwood.
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“Having an entire week to work uninterrupted on the manuscript was just what I, and it, needed,” Thomson said.

"WHAT is tomorrow’s fish-and-chip wrappings could also be a best-selling novel." 

So says Ariella Van Luyn, a lecturer in writing at The University of New England. Dr Van Luyn will deliver an online workshop for the New England Writers’ Centre on November 13, where she will discuss researching and writing historical fiction.

She says Australian newspapers and magazines found in the National Library of Australia's “Trove” digital catalogue are a rich source of inspiration. That’s also the case with tomes of old newspapers found in local libraries.

“Usually, [the local history collection] is tucked away in a corner of the library and contains all kinds of fascinating books and pamphlets,” Dr Van Luyn says. 

Aches and pains after long periods of focused creativity can often be prevented by making small changes over time.

​That’s the message from massage therapist and breathing educator Eva Knörles, who will be conducting a workshop, Your Creative Body, for the New England Writers’ Centre on Saturday, October 9.

“It’s common for creative people to experience aches and pains associated with repetitive tasks, particularly sitting at a desk and using a keyboard for long hours, or standing at an easel,” Eva says.

“At the workshop, I will take a ‘whole body’ approach to each individual to help address the issues unique to them and the way they like to work."