2024 wrapped
Phew! Everybody give yourself full credit just for surviving the big year. Mine started off fairly slow but became super crazy in the end. In a good way!
I’m eternally grateful for the opportunities I’ve received as a fledgling author, especially through @westwordsws, and for the wonderful friendships in the #writingcommunity. Here’s my 2024 wrapped.
Awards and Residencies:
1) Everymind Award for ‘Paper Guitar’ - Grieve 2024 by Hunter Writers’ Centre. Pictured here with the fabulous Katherine McLean.
2) Westwords-Varuna Emerging Writers’ Residency for my novel ‘Dark Opera’
Shortlisted for Uncharted Magazine Novel Excerpt Contest, EM Fletcher Family History Writing Award; Long listed for Furphy Literary Award
Publications:
1) Grieve Volume 11 by Hunter Writers’ Centre - ‘Paper Guitar’
2) Verandah Journal Vol 38 - ‘By the hand of Ali Silver’
3) BAD Western Sydney: The Second Case - ‘Westwards’
4) ZineWest 2024 - ‘Blue Jeans and Pop Music’
5) Splinter Journal Vol 1 - ‘Schrodinger’s Migrant’
6) The Ancestral Searcher by Family History ACT - ‘Nothing to Forgive’
Poetry: ‘INT RUS IVE’ at Slippages, Firstdraft Gallery exhibition
Speaking opportunities:
1) Liverpool City Library Author Panel with Anna R Walsh, Zohra Aly and Lisa Kenway,
2) Bravewords Live at Gosford (twice! Thanks Adrienne and Rob of Bravewords)
3) Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival Gala dinner at The Women’s Club
Writing community:
The wonderful WestWords community, Varuna Writers’ House mentors and housemates Ally Burnham, Michele Seminara, Lucia Vuong, Ruth Larner, Dani Osifo, the ever patient mentor Michael Campbell, inspiring authors like Lisa Kenway, Augusta Supple, J. Marahuyo, Jelena Curic, Linda Atkins, and many others, you are simply the best.
And before you think everything’s peachy… Behold! My field of rejections! Here’s a three-year wrap of my acceptances, rejections, new short pieces, and manuscripts. I think it tells a more authentic story about being a writer, in case you think my IG is full of glittery wins. In fact, if something is glittery, my preschooler has probably been at it.
Being a writer is a long and lonely road, scattered with the bones of rejections, made better only by like-minded writers in the community.
And what does the data tell us? Depends on your flavour of positivity. Mainly though - writers gotta write.
