Learn from the best
With great courses comes great responsibility. Our amazing presenters not only possess truckloads of talent and experience, they're also great at sharing!
Meet them now.
Dr Pamela Freeman is the award-winning author of more than 40 books. Pamela has a Doctorate in Creative Writing and is the Director of Creative Writing at the Australian Writers’ Centre. She has developed many highly regarded writing courses that have inspired and educated thousands of writers.
Her most recent novel as Pamela Hart is An A-List for Death. This follows Digging Up Dirt, the first in the Poppy McGowan mystery series. She also publishes Regency romance novellas with Escape Publishing. Prior to this, she’s published a number of historical novels, mostly set in the first part of the 20th century (WWI and the Roaring Twenties).
Her most recent novel as Pamela Hart is An A-List for Death. This follows Digging Up Dirt, the first in the Poppy McGowan mystery series. She also publishes Regency romance novellas with Escape Publishing. Prior to this, she’s published a number of historical novels, mostly set in the first part of the 20th century (WWI and the Roaring Twenties).
Dr Kate Forsyth is an award-winning author, poet, and storyteller. Her most recent novel is The Crimson Thread, a reimagining of ‘The Minotaur in the Labyrinth’ myth, set in Crete during the Nazi invasion and occupation of World War II.
Kate's other historical novels include The Blue Rose, set against the backdrop of Imperial China and the French Revolution, published by Penguin Random House in 2019, and Beauty in Thorns, a reimagining of Sleeping Beauty set amongst the wild bohemian circle of Pre-Raphaelite artists and poets, which was published by Penguin Random House Books Australia in 2017. Kate is also a well-known writer of children's books, such as her fantasy adventure series, The Impossible Quest, and the Long-Lost Fairy-Tales collection, illustrated by Lorena Carrington.
Kate's other historical novels include The Blue Rose, set against the backdrop of Imperial China and the French Revolution, published by Penguin Random House in 2019, and Beauty in Thorns, a reimagining of Sleeping Beauty set amongst the wild bohemian circle of Pre-Raphaelite artists and poets, which was published by Penguin Random House Books Australia in 2017. Kate is also a well-known writer of children's books, such as her fantasy adventure series, The Impossible Quest, and the Long-Lost Fairy-Tales collection, illustrated by Lorena Carrington.
Cathie Tasker is a fiction editor with more than 25 years’ experience and has also been a judge of the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and the Aurealis Awards. Cathie has worked for children’s publishers such as HarperCollins Publishers, Scholastic Australia and Koala Books. She has edited books by Mem Fox, Jackie French, Bruce Whatley, Judith Rossell, Sue Whiting, Pamela Freeman, Coral Vass, Craig Smith, Dee Huxley, Hazel Edwards, Ann James, Matt Cosgrove, Meredith Costain, Rod Clement, Sally Odgers, Patricia Mullins, Rodney McRae, Pamela Lofts, Junko Morimoto and more. Many of her students end up with published deals.
Judith Rossell is a full-time writer and illustrator of children's books. Over the past 20 years, she has written 15 books and illustrated more than 80. Her work has been translated into 16 languages.
Judith's latest books are Play with your Plate, a picture book which she wrote and illustrated, and Wakestone Hall, Wormwood Mire and Withering-by-Sea, three Victorian fantasy-adventure novels for young readers. Withering-by-Sea won the Indie Award for Children and Young Adults, the Australian Book Industry Award for Older Children, and was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards and the Aurealis Awards.
Judith's latest books are Play with your Plate, a picture book which she wrote and illustrated, and Wakestone Hall, Wormwood Mire and Withering-by-Sea, three Victorian fantasy-adventure novels for young readers. Withering-by-Sea won the Indie Award for Children and Young Adults, the Australian Book Industry Award for Older Children, and was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards and the Aurealis Awards.
Sue Whiting is the author of more than 60 books and she has worked in the publishing industry for over 15 years. Sue's book The Echidna Near My Place was a Notable Book in the 2023 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards, her nature storybook Platypus was a Notable Book in the 2016 CBCA Awards, her picture book A Swim in the Sea won Speech Pathologists Australia's 2014 Book of the Year, and her junior novel Get a Grip, Cooper Jones was a Notable Book in the 2011 CBCA Awards.
Allison Tait is an internationally published bestselling author of seven middle-grade adventure novels.
Also known as A.L. Tait, Allison's latest book is The Fire Star: A Maven & Reeve Mystery published in 2020 by Penguin Australia. Her other children's book series are The Ateban Cipher (The Book of Secrets and The Book of Answers) and The Mapmaker Chronicles (Race to the End of the World, Prisoner of the Black Hawk, Breath of the Dragon, and Beyond the Edge of the Map). Her books have been shortlisted for numerous awards.
A multi-genre writer, teacher and speaker with many years’ experience in magazines, newspapers and online publishing, Allison is also the co-host of the popular 'So you want to be a writer' podcast.
Also known as A.L. Tait, Allison's latest book is The Fire Star: A Maven & Reeve Mystery published in 2020 by Penguin Australia. Her other children's book series are The Ateban Cipher (The Book of Secrets and The Book of Answers) and The Mapmaker Chronicles (Race to the End of the World, Prisoner of the Black Hawk, Breath of the Dragon, and Beyond the Edge of the Map). Her books have been shortlisted for numerous awards.
A multi-genre writer, teacher and speaker with many years’ experience in magazines, newspapers and online publishing, Allison is also the co-host of the popular 'So you want to be a writer' podcast.
Candice Fox is the award-winning author of bestselling crime novels, most recently Fire With Fire. Other recent novels include 2 Sisters Detective Agency, her seventh collaboration with iconic crime and thriller author James Patterson, and The Chase, an electrifying cat-and-mouse thriller set in the Nevada desert, which was the winner of the Best Crime Book in the 2022 Ned Kelly Awards. With James, she is also the author of Gathering Dark, The Inn, Hush Hush, Liar Liar, Fifty Fifty, Never Never and Black & Blue. Described as “a brutal, action-packed and really hard-edged novel about a crime set in a FIFO mine in the outback,” Never Never hit number 1 in the New York Times bestseller list and around the world.
Set in far north Queensland, Candice’s Crimson Lake trilogy is a series of edgy suspense novels. The books were published by Penguin Random House Australia, starting with Crimson Lake in 2017 (now a hit TV series called Troppo), followed up by Redemption Point in 2018, and the final instalment, Gone by Midnight, in 2019.
Set in far north Queensland, Candice’s Crimson Lake trilogy is a series of edgy suspense novels. The books were published by Penguin Random House Australia, starting with Crimson Lake in 2017 (now a hit TV series called Troppo), followed up by Redemption Point in 2018, and the final instalment, Gone by Midnight, in 2019.
Nicole Hayes is an award-winning author of books for children and young adults. Her latest project, Little Legends, celebrates the great game of AFL, a sport that Nicole loves. She is also a writing instructor who has taught with the Australian Writers' Centre for more than eight years, as well as at universities, TAFEs and schools around Australia. She currently teaches Creative Writing at Deakin University and Sports Media at Swinburne.
Petronella McGovern is a best-selling author and editor. Her latest novel is The Liars, a heart-stopping cocktail of family secrets, sinister unsolved disappearances and a community at war with itself. Her second novel, The Good Teacher, was longlisted for the Sisters-in-Crime Davitt Awards, and her first novel, Six Minutes, debuted on the Australian best-seller list and was shortlisted for three prestigious awards. Both psychological suspense novels, they have been described as gripping page-turners. She has also co-written two non-fiction books.
Petronella has been working as a writer and editor for thirty years, managing and training in-house editorial teams. She holds a Masters in Arts (Creative Writing) from the University of Technology, Sydney. Petronella lives in Sydney on the edge of a national park, and when she’s not reading books, she enjoys bushwalking.
Nat Amoore is an award-winning internationally published author of books for children, including Secrets of an Undercover Activist, We Run Tomorrow, The Right Way To Rock, The Power Of Positive Pranking and Secrets Of A Schoolyard Millionaire.
Nat is the 2021 winner of the Environment Award for Children’s Literature. She has also been shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Book Prize and the REAL Children’s Choice Book Awards. In 2019, Nat was Australia's #1 bestselling debut children’s fiction author. Nat has also placed first and second at the CYA Conference and was the recipient of the CBCA Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program.
Nat is the 2021 winner of the Environment Award for Children’s Literature. She has also been shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Book Prize and the REAL Children’s Choice Book Awards. In 2019, Nat was Australia's #1 bestselling debut children’s fiction author. Nat has also placed first and second at the CYA Conference and was the recipient of the CBCA Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program.
Lesley Gibbes is an internationally published author of more than a dozen books for children. Her latest picture books are Dinosaur Dads, Dinosaur Dads to the Rescue, Three Little Mermaids and Searching for Cicadas.
Her hilarious, internationally published chapter book series Fizz, illustrated by Stephen Michael King (CBCA Notable Book, Younger Readers), includes Fizz and the Police Dog Tryouts, Fizz and the Dog Academy Rescue, Fizz and the Show Dog Jewel Thief and Fizz and the Handbag Dognapper.
Her hilarious, internationally published chapter book series Fizz, illustrated by Stephen Michael King (CBCA Notable Book, Younger Readers), includes Fizz and the Police Dog Tryouts, Fizz and the Dog Academy Rescue, Fizz and the Show Dog Jewel Thief and Fizz and the Handbag Dognapper.
Tim Harris is the award-winning bestselling author of several laugh-out-loud series for kids, including Ratbags, Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables, Toffle Towers, and Exploding Endings.
A former primary school teacher of 15 years, his stories are filled with quirky scenarios, loveable characters and plenty of imagination.
A former primary school teacher of 15 years, his stories are filled with quirky scenarios, loveable characters and plenty of imagination.
Natasha Lester is an award-winning author of historical fiction. Her latest book is The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard, a gripping homage to women and fashion. Her other recent novels include The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre, a fascinating World War II tale that braids fashion and espionage, The Riviera House, The Paris Secret, The Paris Orphan (also published as The French Photographer), The Paris Seamstress, and Her Mother's Secret.
A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, set in the Jazz Age in New York, was released by Hachette Australia in 2016 after a bidding war between publishers. Her previous novels are If I Should Lose You (2012) and What is Left Over, After (2010).
A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, set in the Jazz Age in New York, was released by Hachette Australia in 2016 after a bidding war between publishers. Her previous novels are If I Should Lose You (2012) and What is Left Over, After (2010).
L.A. Larkin’s crime-thrillers have won her fans all over the world. Described as a superb ‘chiller thriller’ writer by Marie Claire magazine, and praised by the king of crime, Lee Child, Louisa writes stories with lots of plot twists and characters that surprise. She also writes humorous dog-detective mysteries as Louisa Bennet.
Bernadette Foley is one of the most connected people in the publishing industry, working as an editor and publisher for over 30 years. She was publisher of fiction and non-fiction for international publishing house Hachette Australia for 10 years, working with such authors as Di Morrissey, William McInnes, Gabrielle Lord, Graeme Blundell, Kate Ceberano, Bronwyn Parry, Lian Hearn, Pamela Freeman, Troy Cassar-Daley and many more. In 2015, Bernadette received the George Robertson Award for Service to the Australian Publishing Industry.
Jo Riccioni is a novelist and short story writer. Her latest novel, The Rising, is the explosive conclusion to her duology that started with The Branded. The series is a young adult epic fantasy adventure which has caused a buzz among readers and the publishing industry. Jo's first novel, The Italians at Cleat's Corner Store won the International Rubery Award for fiction and was shortlisted for the New Angle Prize in the UK, while her short stories have won competitions around the world and been optioned for short film.
Alexandra Spring is a journalist and editor. The former features director of Vogue Australia, her stories have appeared in Elle Australia, Guardian Australia, Sunday Life, InStyle Australia, Vogue UK, Vogue Girl, GQ Australia, The Walkley Magazine and Your Garden, as well as online for NRMA, Primped, The Hoopla and The Knot. She is currently a Senior Digital Producer at ABC Radio National.
Cindy MacDonald is deputy editor of The Saturday Paper, where she commissions and writes a range of features on news, books, lifestyle, social issues, the arts and more. Prior to this, she had a long career in journalism, including deputy editor at the award-winning Good Weekend magazine.
David Leser is an award-winning feature writer who has worked for The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, HQ, The Bulletin, Good Weekend, The Australian Women's Weekly, Vanity Fair, Newsweek and The Daily Beast. He is the author of Women, Men and the Whole Damn Thing (Allen & Unwin) and has also worked as a Washington and Jerusalem-based correspondent.
Bernadette Schwerdt has trained over 9,000 people in the art of writing words that sell. She was a senior account director and copywriter for global advertising agency Young & Rubicam Advertising and worked on campaigns for clients such as Apple, Amex, Optus and Colgate. In 2001, she founded the Australian School of Copywriting, launching the careers of thousands of successful copywriters.
Carli Ratcliff is an award-winning editor, journalist, digital content specialist and UX writer. She established and has led the UX writing team at Qantas for many years. She now also advises on UX digital content and best practice for clients including SBS OnDemand, and advises Adobe on the design of their 'Writing for Voice' platform.
Valerie Khoo is an award-winning feature writer who is also CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre. She writes for a range of corporate and consumer publications and was previously a regular writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for over 20 years. Valerie is also the author of seven books. Her latest books are So you want to be a writer (co-authored with Allison Tait) and Power Stories: The 8 Stories You MUST Tell to Build an Epic Business.
Ky Chow has over a decade of journalism experience as a reporter for Australia's top news brands such as SBS, Sky News, the Australian Financial Review and the ABC. As a specialist in business and finance journalism, Ky can share how to write persuasively on business topics both simple and complex.
Dean Koorey is a freelance copywriter and Content Manager at the Australian Writers' Centre. He originally trained as a graphic designer before working as an Art Director for worldwide advertising agency Draft FCB in Auckland, New Zealand. While there, he helped create many award-winning campaigns for print, radio, online, billboards and television. (And played a lot of pool.)
Michelle Barraclough is a writer and strategic marketing professional with more than years' experience in a diverse range of industries including tourism, hospitality, professional services and retail. She has a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and a Bachelor of Arts (Literature) from Monash University.
Sarah Bacaller is an author, researcher and audiobook producer/narrator from Melbourne. She co-directs the Australian audiobook production company, Voices of Today, and has produced audiobooks for many Australian authors.
Sarah is also the author of The Fault Lines Founding Liberty (Wipf & Stock) and She, Tenacity (Incisus), and has had work published in The Age, Sydney Review of Books, The Conversation, ZeeFeed, and in various international academic journals.
Sarah is also the author of The Fault Lines Founding Liberty (Wipf & Stock) and She, Tenacity (Incisus), and has had work published in The Age, Sydney Review of Books, The Conversation, ZeeFeed, and in various international academic journals.
Linda Diggle is an expert in self-publishing. She helps professionals, entrepreneurs, speakers, coaches and market leaders decode the complex world of self-publishing and bringing their book to market.
Nat Newman is an award-winning writer who won the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the Pacific Region with her story “The Death of Margaret Roe”. Her novella The Office of Dead Letters was published in 2022 and the sequel The Door of Inconvenience is due out in 2023.
Grant Doyle is an experienced copywriter, content manager and web editor. After many years as a print journalist and author, Grant began writing web content in the late 1990s. Since then, he's worked for many corporations, government departments, SMEs and not-for-profit organisations in various online content roles.
Margaret Whiskin is an editor with more than 30 years’ experience. She has worked with many authors at all stages of manuscript development including Julie Janson, Gladys Milroy, Bruce Pascoe, Marie Munkara, and Sue McPherson.
Margaret is a tutor for the Australian Writers’ Centre and has held many positions in the Australian publishing industry. She has been an editor, publishing manager and publisher for Magabala Books, Fremantle Press, Weldon Owen and HarperCollins as well as mentoring and training in-house editors. Margaret has also worked as a freelance editor throughout her career.
Margaret is a tutor for the Australian Writers’ Centre and has held many positions in the Australian publishing industry. She has been an editor, publishing manager and publisher for Magabala Books, Fremantle Press, Weldon Owen and HarperCollins as well as mentoring and training in-house editors. Margaret has also worked as a freelance editor throughout her career.
Charlotte Barkla is a Brisbane-based author, who worked as a civil engineer and physics teacher before rediscovering her love for children’s literature. Her books include 11 Ruby Road (March 2024), All Bodies are Good Bodies, the Edie’s Experiments series and From My Head to My Toes, I Say What Goes.
Charlotte’s books have been translated in multiple languages and short-listed for awards. She regularly visits schools, libraries and festivals for creative writing workshops, sharing her passion for creativity and stories with children of all ages.
Charlotte’s books have been translated in multiple languages and short-listed for awards. She regularly visits schools, libraries and festivals for creative writing workshops, sharing her passion for creativity and stories with children of all ages.
Carla Fitzgerald is an author of children's books specialising in middle-grade novels and picture books.
Carla's middle-grade novel How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five is published by UQP and her picture book Keeping Up with the Dachshunds is published by Larrikin House. She is working on her second middle grade novel.
Carla's middle-grade novel How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five is published by UQP and her picture book Keeping Up with the Dachshunds is published by Larrikin House. She is working on her second middle grade novel.
Julia Kuris works with self-published authors to create beautiful covers that sell! She is the founder of Sydney based design and branding studio designerbility.com.au. Julia has designed covers for some of Australia’s leading authors and entrepreneurs as well as designing covers for Finch Publishing, an independent publishing house based in Sydney. She regularly speaks and teaches about cover design and is passionate about helping authors connect with their readers.
Julia teaches Book Covers That Sell.
Julia teaches Book Covers That Sell.
Kath Walters is a business writing trainer, journalist, feature writer, editor and book coach. Over her career at Fairfax Business Media and beyond, her stories appeared in the Australian Financial Review, Smart Company, Business Review Weekly, Business Spectator, Women's Agenda, ANZ Bluenotes and Company Director.
Vivienne Pearson is a Byron Bay-based freelance writer whose byline has appeared in Good Weekend, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Saturday Paper, ABC, SBS, MindFOOD, delicious and more.
A writer without a niche, she writes features and opinion pieces on parenting, lifestyle, opinion, food and news-related features. She was a recipient of an inaugural Walkley Grant for Freelance Journalists, producing seven stories on the topic of school fundraising.
A writer without a niche, she writes features and opinion pieces on parenting, lifestyle, opinion, food and news-related features. She was a recipient of an inaugural Walkley Grant for Freelance Journalists, producing seven stories on the topic of school fundraising.
Mark Farrelly's extensive copywriting career began at Ogilvy’s, working on BMW, Shell, Kit Kat, Smarties, Minties, Violet Crumble, Fantales & Black Magic as well as Barbie & Hot Wheels. He then joined the Leap Agency, writing for Australia Post, HP, BMW, RVIB, Foster Parents Plan, Lanes Biscuits and Link Telecommunications.
A position of Senior Writer/Creative Group Head lured him to Samuelson & Talbot (now M&C Saatchi) working on Morning Fresh, Radiant XL, Cussons Imperial Leather & Duo. He won Retail Launch of the Year Award for his Whitman’s Chocolates campaign.
A position of Senior Writer/Creative Group Head lured him to Samuelson & Talbot (now M&C Saatchi) working on Morning Fresh, Radiant XL, Cussons Imperial Leather & Duo. He won Retail Launch of the Year Award for his Whitman’s Chocolates campaign.
Jennifer Breukelaar is an Australian-American author of three novels and one short story collection. Also known as J.S. Breukelaar, her latest novel is The Bridge, a dark fantasy. Her short story collection, Collision, was a Shirley Jackson Award finalist and winner of the 2019 Aurealis and Ditmar Awards, and her second novel, Aletheia, received international acclaim and was also shortlisted for numerous awards. Jennifer’s short fiction, essays and poetry have appeared in magazines and anthologies worldwide, including several Year’s Best.
Deb Doyle is a consultant who runs three businesses: Editorial Training Services, Living Proof - Book Editing, and Draw On. She specialises in publication editing as well as in training company and government employees to improve their skills in grammar, punctuation, writing, editing, proofreading and plain English. She's conducted courses for AMP, Police NSW, the Productivity Commission, the RTA, and many other corporate and government entities in Sydney and Melbourne.