Emily Brewin's Blog

I'm so thrilled my YA manuscript has been chosen as one of the recipients of the 2020 Award Mentorship Program - a HUGE thanks to the Australian Society of Authors and the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund for making this possible!

For a full list of winners and runners-up, or for more information on the program, visit the Australian Society of Authors.

Yesterday, I facilitated the inaugural session of a very special writers group. It’s members are secondary school students, from years eight to eleven, who have a passion for reading and writing. It was such a pleasure to pass on the knowledge I’ve gained from being a long-term member of my own writers’ group. The experience reminded me just how vital trusted writer pals are in the development of works, but also for the support and friendship that often comes from sharing wobbly first drafts and deep-seated doubts.

I haven’t seen my writers’ group since before Christmas, but look forward to our next session now with added fervor and high hopes that the young people I worked with yesterday will also discover the joy that comes from knowing they’re not on their own.

It’s hard to believe its been a year since I took up a sunny desk at arts space, Siteworks, in Brunswick as part of Moreland Council’s inaugural Writers in Residence program. But it has been, and I’m happy to announce the program is back and currently open for entries.

I can’t recommend it highly enough. The program provided me the gift of time and space to write as well as a generous financial grant. If you are a writer residing in Moreland, this is an opportunity not to be missed. But hurry, entries close on October 31st 2019.

For more information about the program, see the Moreland Leader article attached and visit Council’s website.

I was thrilled to be interviewed recently by book lover and podcast extraordinaire, Rosemary Puddy, for The Book Podcast. We talked all things writing, including process, ideas, inspiration and my latest novel, Small Blessings.

Keep an ear to the ground for the interview, which will be released on the 13th of August 2019 at THE BOOK PODCAST

A huge thanks to Rosemary for the wonderful chat!

I’m so excited to be reading my short story, A Twist of Smoke, as part of the launch of a wonderful new anthology released by Margaret River Press. Come down to Readings bookstore at the State Library of Victoria at 6.30pm tonight to hear me, alongside other wonderful local authors, read from We’ll Stand in That Place and Other Stories. The anthology will be launched by Mark Brandi, award winning author of Wimmera and The Rip.

‘We’ll Stand in That Place and Other Stories is the latest anthology in the annual Margaret River Short Story Competition. In this latest collection, contemporary concerns, such as climate change, cultural inclusiveness and the need for queer spaces, are explored and a spotlight is shone on the complex emotions that we sometimes fail to honour in our daily lives and close relationships.’

Every writer has a beginning story - be that the start of their publication journey or the kernel of a new tale This month’s The Victorian Writer magazine features a bunch of writers’ personal experiences with starting something new, including mine. My article In the Beginning charts my path from baby writer to published author.

Click HERE to get your hands on the current edition. It’s jam-packed with insightful articles by lots of great writers, editors and industry folk.

Pretty damn chuffed to have my short story, A Twist of Smoke, sitting alongside such a fab collection of others.

Grab yourself a copy and read tales by Mark Smith, Justine Hyde, Mirandi Riwoe and competition winner, Kit Scriven, as well as lots more.

Thanks to Michelle Cahill and Margaret River Press for such a beautiful anthology!

Go to SHOP to get yourself a copy.

Virginia Woolf once famously wrote, ‘A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.’

In July/August, I am running a three-part course, Women in Literature, as part of the CAE’s Poetry and Literature series.

The course will examine the lengths women authors have taken to ensure a writerly life, and how depictions of women in literature have changed over time. 

For more information or to book, please go to Women in Literature.

Come join me and fellow authors, Louisa Deasey and Elizabeth Coleman, at Brunswick Bound’s First Chapters event this Friday June 7th at 7pm for author readings, wine and the chance to chat books and writing. It’s also a great opportunity to browse Brunswick Bound’s well stocked shelves after-hours (a rare treat)!

To book, click on: FIRST CHAPTERS AUTHOR EVENT

Flash fiction refers to stories that are 1000 words or less.

Writing flash takes far less time than creating longer forms, such as short story or novella, and is a great way to hone your creative writing skills.

But don’t be fooled, less words doesn’t make it easy to master… Creating a great flash fiction piece requires tight writing and good sense of narrative structure. But when it’s done well, it’s a joy. A bite-sized story can lift your spirits in the moments it takes to read, and can be passed quickly onto family and friends to do the same.

To try your hand at writing flash fiction, why not enter the Bath Flash Fiction Award, which requires pieces up to 300 words max. long.

For more information about flash fiction, click HERE

To enter the Bath Flash Fiction Award or for competition details, click HERE

Happy writing and good luck!