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New England Writers' Centre

The Show goes on in Glen

11/9/2021

 
By Lydia Roberts
Author and Deepwater resident Michael Burge wants local talent to shine at this year's High Country Writers Festival.
"We're aiming to turn limitations into bonuses!"
Picture
HIGH Country Writers Festival director Michael Burge wants to showcase local talent and emerging authors at this year’s event.

The festival, which starts on Saturday, December 11, is aimed at all authors and writers and will be held in Glen Innes. It is centred in The Makers Shed, in Grey Street. Burge will be joined by other authors, including Mary Garden, Jessica White and Gundula Rhoades who will share their experiences and ideas in workshops and discussions. The New England Writers’ Centre will have a stall at the festival.


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BRINGING THE PAST TO LIFE

9/29/2021

 
By Lydia Roberts
UNE lecturer in writing, Ariella Van Luyn, says readers want historical fiction to feel authentic
"This might be a bit creepy for some, but I also like walking in cemeteries to find out about how people lived and died."
​

"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. 
Picture

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building a sustainable creative lifestyle

9/14/2021

 
by Lydia Roberts
Move out of pain into health & resilience
Eva Knörles takes a ‘whole body’ approach to address pains associated with repetitive movements experienced by creatives - writers, illustrators, musicians, makers ...
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."
Picture
Photo credit:  Laurence Nussbaumer

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Drawing Inspiration From A Prize-Winning Author

9/1/2021

 
by Lydia Roberts
Yumna Kassab's words of encouragement to budding authors
PictureYumna Kassab is a past-winner of the Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing (Poetry)
​IT COULD take just 15 minutes a day to turn your dreams into tomorrow's bestseller.
​
That's the advice from writer Yumna Kassab, a past-winner of the Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing (Poetry).

Kassab, from Western Sydney, wrote her Australiana stories while living and working in Tamworth.

Her first book of short stories, The House of Youssef, was listed for prizes including the NSW Premier's Literary Award and The Stella Prize, so Kassab understands the process behind writing.

"Write for 15 minutes a day," she says.

"Don’t throw the writing out. Don’t tear it up. The writing will add up and when you come back to it later, even if it seems average, you’ll start to notice a progression.


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Everyone can be a writer

10/15/2018

 
by Jim Belshaw
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Back in Armidale on a visit, I went down to the Newie (Armidale’s New England Hotel) for a Friday night drink with Uncle Ron and some of his country mates. The stories flowed, some of them very entertaining indeed.

“Why don’t you write them down," I said.

Everybody suddenly got very self-conscious.

“We’re not writers”, they said.

This is a not unusual reaction. The problem, I think, is that we have mystified writers and writing, turning it from a simple process into a capitalised art form. This is compounded by school experiences that have taught us not that we should write but that we must write in a particular way, that focus on the mistakes we make in writing.


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In the Spotlight Fiona McDonald

9/20/2018

 
by Becky Holland
Picture
Fiona left school in year 11 and did a variety of jobs. In 1985 to 1990 she attended the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney. Founded in 1890, it is the oldest continuous fine art school in Australia and is still operating today in assisting artists achieve their dreams. Over the years, Fiona has thought of herself mostly as a visual artist doing black and white pen drawings,  but also gouache colour pictures.

Most recently, Fiona took an opportunity to be part of Stuff of Tales. Each writer or artist is paired up with a museum in the New England area and conducts workshops. Fiona had the chance to explore Saumarez Homestead with the view to select an item from the collection to become the basis of a story.


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Interview with John Charles Ryan

9/7/2018

 
By Becky Holland
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How do you begin a poem?

For me, a poem begins with an inspired, though fleeting, thought or impression that I realize I must write down promptly, or risk losing. I tend to begin poems outside, in contact with the earth—with a notebook, leaning against a tree or smelling a plant—but I usually finish poems indoors, in insulated comfort, and occasionally a long while after I initiated them. I’m fascinated by language, and particularly by archaic and scientific terminology, so poems can be prompted by odd words. On a much different note, a poem sometimes begins with a broiling sense of indignation that I feel I should set free.


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In the spotlight Trish Donald

8/24/2018

 
By Becky Holland
Picture
Trish Donald is a previous board member of the New England Writers’ Centre. Her artwork regularly makes an appearance in the newsletter.

In 2018 Trish launched her first book with Little Pink Dog Books who were looking for emerging authors and illustrators. 

Little Pink Dog Books liked some of her monster drawings and asked if she would write and illustrate a book where those monsters were Worry Monsters - manifestations of a child's anxiety. They asked if the child could overcome her Worry Monsters by using mindful breathing, that would help young children cope with their anxiety.

It aligned with Trish’s desire to help parents and children connect through books, and so began "Tissy Woo and the Worry Monsters".


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2018 Pitch Independent a fantastic success!

8/10/2018

 

Pitch Independent — Sophie Masson (NEWC Chairwoman)

As one of the three co-ordinators for the New England Writers’ Centre’s big Pitch Independent program, I am happy to report that it was a brilliant success!

The prep day two weeks ago went really well, with lots of people getting advice and practising their pitches in front of local publishing professionals. We hosted a fantastic lineup of some of Australia’s best small and independent book publishers and literary magazine editors, who participated in a lively and engaging symposium, heard lots of one-on-one pitches from writers in all genres as well as illustrators, and generally gave generously, and warmly, of their time, knowledge and expertise.

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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which the New England Writers' Centre is situated and pay our respects to Aboriginal Elders past, present and emerging.
  • Home
  • Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing
  • Illustration Prize for Children's Picture Book Publishing
  • Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
  • About
    • Annual Reports
    • Our Board
  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • 2024 Archive
    • 2024 Illustration Prize for Children's Picture Book Publishing
    • 2024 Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing >
      • 2024 Thunderbolt Judges
      • 2024 Thunderbolt Winning submissions
    • Writing for the Primary Education Market
    • Story to Script Course
    • Writing and Illustrating for Children
    • Riveted Press Pitch Sessions
    • Grow Big Little Seed
    • Crafting Memoir
  • 2023 Archive
    • 2023 Thunderbolt winners >
      • 2023 Thunderbolt Judges
      • 2023 Thunderbolt winning submissions
    • 2023 Illustration Prize for children's picture book publishing
    • Varuna Fellowship 2023
    • Inside Story Workshop Series
    • Story to Script Course
    • Dive into Worldbuilding
  • 2022 Archive
    • 2022 Summer Micro Grants >
      • 2022 Summer micro grants_Mary McMillan >
        • 2022 Summer micro grants_Kerry Moran
    • 2022 Illustration Prize for children's picture book illustration
    • 2022 Thunderbolt winners >
      • 2022 Thunderbolt Prize winning submissions
      • 2022 Thunderbolt Prize Judges Reports
    • 2022 Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
  • 2021 Archive
    • 2021 Illustration Prize Winners
    • Varuna Fellowship 2021
    • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 >
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 Judges Reports
    • 2021 Summer Micro Grants >
      • 2021 Summer micro grants_Trish >
        • Beetle Hunt Stories
      • 2021 Summer micro grants_James
      • 2021 Summer Micro Grants_Fiona
  • 2020 Archive
    • Thunderbolt Prize 2020 >
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2020 Judges Reports
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2020_Winning submissions
    • Illustration Prize 2020 Winners
    • Varuna Fellowship 2020
    • 2020 Historical Novel Prize
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Inside Story Book
    • By The Book video series
    • Stories Connect