Welcome to the New England Writers' Centre!
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Your NEWC team are genuinely excited about the year we have lined up for you with a ton of writing and illustration workshops, competitions and festivals. Just scroll down for more info and links.
The results from previous year's competitions have been moved into archive as we prepare to publish this year's lineup. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, or jump on over to the Membership page to sign up and enjoy discounts for all our events. See you soon! |
New to the NEWC's website? Look for the navigation icon: three horizontal lines. Click to open menu options.
2024 WORKSHOPS & COMPETITIONS
February
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Writing for the Primary School Education Market
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Online - Saturday 24 February 2pm-3.30pm via Zoom
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Click the image for details
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Join award winning children's author, George Ivanoff, for an introduction to the world of writing for the primary school education market.
Discover your entry point into educational writing, and craft content that engages young readers and aligns with the Australian curriculum. Find out more or click the button below to book your place now. |
March - April
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Short story to short film script (6 week) course
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Armidale - Saturdays: March 23, 30 & April 6, 13, 20, 27
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Click image to find out more
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Create a script from your short story idea.
Learn how to turn your fiction into a short film script with acclaimed independent filmmaker, writer, producer and director, Richard Jones. Over six consecutive weekends in March and April, Dr Jones will guide you through the process of transforming your narrative into a visual story. This is a small group course. Please have a short story idea ready. Visit the Story to Script page for further details or click the button below to secure your place. |
May
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Writing & Illustrating for Children
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Armidale - Saturday 4 May 2024
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Click image to find out more.
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Would you like to try your hand at writing & illustrating a children's picture book?
Join celebrated author and illustrator, Cheryl Orsini, for this practical, in-person workshop on writing and illustrating for the children's picture book market, focusing on the use of storyboarding to build your narrative. This is a small group workshop and limited seats are available. Click here to find out more, or go straight to the button below and secure your place while you can! |
June
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The Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing
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Submission window opens 17 June 2024
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The New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing is one of Australia's premier short fiction awards for crime writing, with six categories of prizes.
Submissions for the 2024 Thunderbolt Prize will open for submissions on Monday 17 June and closes on Friday 27 September, 2024. For further information and to review previous year's winners, click here. |
July
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The New England Illustration Prize
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Submission window opens 15 July 2024
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The Illustration Prize for Children's Picture Book Publishing is a nationally recognised prize that attracts entries from all over Australia and garners a great deal of attention from publishers.
2024 marks the eighth year of this prize. This year's theme is "Reading is Magic." The submission window closes on 23 September, 2024. The competition is open to illustrators resident in Australia, at all stages in their careers. For further information and to review previous year's winners, click here. |
July + August
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Pitch to the publisher
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The submission window has now closed.
Pitch event (for selected submissions) 26 - 29 August |
Exclusive to writers and illustrators currently resident in New England, NSW.
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The NEWC has partnered with Riveted Press to bring you a unique opportunity. Local creatives are invited to submit a sample of their completed manuscript and/or portfolio.
Submission is free, but there is no guarantee of a pitch slot. ONE application per person. NEWC's judges will undertake a review of all submissions to select applicants on the basis of the presentation of their summary & sample, to meet online, via Zoom, with Rowena Beresford of Riveted Press. Submission window opens on 1 July and closes 2 August. Click here for more information. |
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Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
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NOTE: due to funding cuts, the Varuna-NEWC Fellowship has been deferred until 2025
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The Varuna-NEWC Fellowship offers a week's inspirational writing residency in the beautiful surroundings of Varuna, in the Blue Mountains.
The Fellowship includes full board and accommodation at Varuna, funds towards travel, a one-on-one consultation with a Varuna expert and more. The Fellowship is open to all writers, at any stage of their career, either currently living in the New England region, or who have previously lived there for at least five years. |
September
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Grow Big Little Seed: writing & submitting children's picture books
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Armidale - Saturday 14 September
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Join New England writer, Bec Nanayakkara, as she shares her experience as a debut picture book author - with her first two publications being released in 2024 - with more in the pipeline!
This small group workshop is an opportunity to connect with Bec and share in the insights and experience that she has gained in learning her craft, and pursuing and securing contracts with major picture book publishers. Click here to find out more, or go straight to the button below and secure your place while you can! |
October
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Crafting Memoir
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Online - Saturday 12 October 2pm-3.30pm via Zoom
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Click here for details
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Join author Ashley Kalagian Blunt for a workshop filled with strategies for getting the first draft of a memoir written and approaches for tackling the serious task of revision.
You’ll learn new insights into the craft of memoir, and receive a variety of tools and resources to support you. Find out more or click the button below to book your place now. |
..and more
Available from your local bookstore or direct from the publishers
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An essential resource for anyone interested, or planning a career, in the children's publishing industry, with insights and advice from professional publishers, agents, editors, writers, illustrators and content creators from across Australia.
Proudly produced in the New England by the United Publishers of Armidale. I'll be happily recommending it to any new writers and illustrators. Shaun Tan
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Crime writers & readers, if you're looking for a tribe we have just the place for you. Visit Sisters in Crime (brothers are welcome!), for a host of amazing resources and competitions, including the Scarlet Stiletto and The Davitt Awards.
See our YouTube channel for our latest videos including the "By the Book" video playlist of tips and advice from local writers, and the Stories Connect series.
And don't forget to become a member or renew your membership to receive discounts on all workshop bookings!
See our YouTube channel for our latest videos including the "By the Book" video playlist of tips and advice from local writers, and the Stories Connect series.
And don't forget to become a member or renew your membership to receive discounts on all workshop bookings!