Fiction

Writing adventures in Ireland: the Tyrone Guthrie Centre

As a member of the Varuna alumni, of course I threw my hat in the ring for the annual reciprocal residency exchange with the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland. Got to be in it to win it, right? I will add a disclaimer here… in 2016 when I won, it was a lottery system rather than a prize being earned by any actual talent. (Note to new players, this has now changed). What ensued was a wonderful month in an old gothic mansion in Ireland’s midlands, meeting artists, musicians and writers from all over the world and making some dear Irish friends. I may have done more exploring and socialising than actual writing while there – but, you know, I had to let all those ideas percolate. My time there was spent in midsummer, where the sun went down very late at night, adding to the magic of the natural environment; swans drifting on lakes and squirrels darting in and out of the woodlands. read more here.

Flash fiction: Sunlight Soap

I hadn’t tried writing flash fiction before, and actally wasn’t really sure what it was. The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) invited entries for a 250 word piece asking what the collective noun for writers would be. It’s very mysterious how in creativity tiny little images or memories become something you build a story around. Without getting too wierd, a couple of years ago I was sitting in a bar in Sardinia when I saw a glittering silver object tumble down from the sky. This fleeting moment was the kernel of this story, which ended up winning first prize; Sunlight Soap.

Short story: No Dams

I was doing some thinking about how our idealism tends to wane as we get older. I clearly remember my younger days and the causes we all fought for. I wrote this somewhat nostalgic story about a group of friends on their annual catch up, facing up to the fact that they have lost the fire of their convictions. This story won the Wollongong Writers Festival Short Story Competition in 2017 and was published here in Mascara Literary Review.

The night shift: Katharine Susannah Pritchard Writers Centre

In 2019 I was awarded a residential fellowship at Katharine Susannah Pritchard writers centre in the Perth Hills. Writing, reading, walking, eating, drinking champagne and enjoying the beautiful wildlife, wildflowers and history of this very special place. Below is a piece I wrote about my experience here. I would really encourage writery friends to apply for a fellowship here in the former home of such a giant of Australian writing, KSP. https://www.kspwriterscentre.com/fellowship-program. I was awarded a second fellowship to be taken in 2021, but you know, COVID happened.