Record number of books published in 2022 by AWC graduates

We checked our list, we counted it twice, and we still have no idea who is naughty or nice – BUT we are delighted to announce that our graduates published more than 50 books throughout 2022. What an absolute bonanza!

This amazing publishing success has come in the shape of adult fiction, books for kids, non-fiction, poetry, short stories and memoirs – basically, our alumni have demonstrated once again that they can do it all.

And here in no particular order (okay, it’s in alphabetical order by first name – we had SO MANY successful graduates that we had to put them all in a spreadsheet) are a selection of the amazing books published by our graduates this year.

Al Campbell – The Keepers

Alex Sarkis – Something Blue

Alyce Elmore – When All Hope is Lost

Anna Spargo-Ryan – A Kind Of Magic

Apsara Boldovino – The Lucky Shack

Astrid Scholte – League of Liars

Belinda Carli – The Innocent Witch

Bettina Deda – Dare To Dance

Bronwyn Hall – Gone to Ground

Carla Fitzgerald – Keeping Up with the Dachshunds

Carla Fitzgerald – How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five

Cathrine Mahony – Currently Between Husbands

Charlotte Barkla  – From My Head to My Toes I Say What Goes

Deb Frenkel – Naturopolis

Debra Clewer – Ah-Fur, Super Sleuth – The Case of The Missing Moggies

Diane Connell – The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird

Dinuka McKenzie – The Torrent

Freda Chiu – Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters

Gabriella Margo – All's Fair in Love and Tequila

Gabriella Margo – Tulips from Mal

Gaylene Young – A Date to Die For

Jeanette Stampone – Shadow and the Girl

Jennifer Hetherington – Between Coastal Rocks & Softer Places

Jim Lemon – Algae

Julie Fison – One Punch

Karen Ginnane – When Souls Tear

Karne Loon – Fostering Culturally Diverse Leadership in Organisations

Kim Sami – Orisons : Soulful Reflections

Kristy Nita Brown – Looking for Lily

Kylie Orr – Someone Else's Child

Lindsay Duncan – Becoming Ben: From God to Gay

Louise Bassett – The Hidden Girl

Madeline Te Whiu – The Assassin Thief

Maria McKinnon – Elkie's Escape

Michael Garozzo – Wilson and the Superdoopers

Millie Lewis – Mr Price's Pet Emporium

Miranda Luby – Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over

Monica Lunin – What She Said

Naomi Hart – Life at the Bottom of the Blender

Nat Amoore – We Run Tomorrow

Paula Stevenson – Buster Follows His Nose

Penelope Janu – Clouds on the Horizon

Penelope Janu – On the Same Page

Pete Mitchell – Darwin's Wake

Petronella McGovern – The Liars

Rae Cairns – The Good Mother

Rebecca Marshallsay – Facing the Wave

Reece Carter – A Girl Called Corpse

Richard Pritchard – Wylah the Koorie Warrior 

Samera Kamaleddine – Half My Luck

Shankari Chandran – Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens

Sandhya Parappukkaran – The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name

Susea Spray – A Big Blue Boat

Valerie G. Miller – Everything in Between

Veronica Lando – The Whispering

Vikki Conley – Milly and the Mulberry Tree

Vikki Conley – Amira's Suitcase

So how did they do it?

One thing is clear from all of our graduates – to realise your dream of becoming a published author takes commitment to yourself and to your craft.

Veronica Lando, whose debut novel The Whispering won the prestigious Banjo Prize in 2021 and has now been published by HarperCollins, says: “Becoming a published author always felt like some far-fetched dream that only happened to other people. It was only when I got stuck into some of my AWC courses and learned to develop (and stick to) a writing routine, that I started to take myself more seriously.”

Millie Lewis, whose debut picture book Mr Price's Pet Emporium was published by Larrikin House, says: “The Writing Picture Books course showed me that I could learn to master something I knew very little about. For the first time since having a baby, I felt competent at something, and that was truly transformative for me”

Reece Carter, who is making waves with his brilliant debut A Girl Called Corpse and is now a full-time writer, says: “I say this to anybody who will listen: Writing is a skill that can be learned. Forget the notion that you are either ‘talented’ or ‘untalented’ because everybody (I mean it, everybody!) has potential in them. But to turn your big ideas into a book that excites and entertains, you need to take the time to learn the tools of the trade.”

Congratulations to all of our graduates on their publishing success! (And if you have something writing-related to celebrate, please send us an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!)

Here’s to a fabulous 2022 – and let’s look forward to even more in 2023. We hope to see YOUR name on this list next year.