Category: Alumni/Student success stories
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

How Rashida Tayabali became a freelance writer and author

Rashida Tayabali had always wanted to write, but had been discouraged from studying journalism at university. While working as a marketing coordinator, she decided her maternity leave would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover her old passion. Inspired by a colleague who had done courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre, Rashida enrolled in Freelance Writing Stage 1 – and immediately her life changed.

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1 July 2022
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

How AWC graduate Julie Fison learnt to build suspense in her novel ‘One Punch’

Courses completed at AWC:
Crime and Thriller Writing
Copywriting Essentials

Julie Fison had been writing professionally her whole adult life, having worked as a journalist and published books for kids and young adults. But when she decided to write a novel for adults, she knew there was more she could learn. She turned to the Australian Writers’ Centre to hone her skills around plotting and characterisation.

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30 May 2022
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Millie Lewis builds on her picture book success

Courses taken at AWC:
Writing Picture Books
Writing Chapter Books for 6-9 year olds
Laugh Out Loud

Millie Lewis had an unexpected birthday treat when she received an ‘I’m interested’ email from publisher James Layton at Larrikin Books. While on maternity leave from her job as a paediatric psychologist, Millie had turned to writing to reclaim her pre-mummy identity, enrolling in courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre. And just a short time later, she had a positive response to her manuscript for Mr Price’s Pet Emporium.

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27 April 2022
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Rebecca Marshallsay on ‘Facing the Wave’ and becoming a published children’s author

Courses taken at AWC: 
Writing Picture Books
Reinvent Yourself
Having completed a picture book manuscript, Rebecca turned to the Australian Writers’ Centre.

“I knew it was worth taking the time to workshop it a bit and, serendipitously, an AWC Writing Picture Books course was starting the following week. I took the leap and signed up straight away,” Rebecca says.

That manuscript became Facing the Wave and it has now been published by Larrikin House.

“I was very excited to be published from my first pitch and I know that the things I learned through the AWC helped me be as prepared as possible.”

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4 April 2022
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Congratulations to the AWC alumni shortlisted for the CBCA 2022 Book of the Year

Congratulations to all the wonderful authors, illustrators and publishers who have made it onto the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) shortlisted books for 2022. We’re particularly chuffed for the talented graduates from our Writing Picture Books course – children’s authors Vikki Conley, Sandhya Parappukkaran and author/illustrator Freda Chiu –

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30 March 2022
Jeanette Stampone, author of picture book Shadow and the Girl
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Jeanette Stampone becomes a published author with debut picture book, ‘Shadow and the Girl’

Courses taken at AWC: 
Writing Picture Books
Presenting to Kids
When Janette Stampone came across AWC’s Writing Picture Books course, she was intrigued. She was on maternity leave and felt like the right time to take her writing seriously.

“Enrolling on the course meant I had actually invested in myself and my dream,” Jeanette says. “While I was taking the course, I felt a strong sense of ‘this is what I should be doing’.”

Jeanette’s decision to invest in herself paid off and she can now call herself a published author. Her debut picture book Shadow and the Girl has been released by Red Paper Kite with illustrations by Demelsa Haughton.

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25 March 2022
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

AWC alumna Freda Chiu on the Ena Noël Award Shortlist 2022

Huge congratulations to Freda Chiu on being shortlisted for the Ena Noël Award Shortlist 2022! This is an incredible achievement for Freda who wrote and illustrated her picture book A Trip to the Hospital (Allen & Unwin), published last year.  Although she was a successful freelance artist and educator when

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8 February 2022
More than 50 AWC alumni and presenters published books in 2021
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

More than 73 books published by AWC alumni and presenters in 2021!

Success comes in all shapes and sizes and for more than 62 of our alumni and presenters, it came in the size and shape of a published book. That’s right, 51 alumni from the Australian Writers’ Centre community published more than 57 books in 2021! Of course, that’s no surprise

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15 December 2021
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