The Young Writers program offers an open and encouraging space for young writers and creatives to learn from award-winning Australian authors and illustrators. It's held here at The Literature Centre in Fremantle and in four Regional WA towns.
Term 1 - Deb Abela
After training as a teacher, Deb travelled to Africa where she was harassed by monkeys, caught in a desert sandstorm and thrown in jail . . . twice! She has since become an internationally published and awarded author of 28 books including her cranky climate change trilogy, Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm.
Term 2 - Sally Murphy
Sally Murphy, OAM, loves everything book – reading them, writing them and sharing them with other readers. She writes poetry and fiction, including verse novels and historical fiction, and sometimes her books make people cry. When she isn’t focussed on books, Sally works as a lecturer at Curtin University, and also swims, walks on the beach with her dog, and spends time with her large family.
Term 3 - Deb Fitzpatrick
Deb Fitzpatrick writes fiction and narrative non-fiction for children, young adults and adults. Her books have received awards in Australia, been published in the US and optioned for film. Deb’s latest book, Ajay Rane: Global Crusader for Women’s Health, is an Aussie STEM Stars title for middle-grade readers tracing the incredible career of Australian doctor, Ajay Rane. Deb loves incorporating stories from real life into her books and regularly teaches creative writing to people of all ages.
Term 4 - Brenton McKenna (EZSRA)
Brenton McKenna, known by his alter ego and middle name, EZSRA is a respected Yawuru artist based out of Broome, WA, who found a passion for comic books in his youth. A passion that ultimately led him to become one of the world’s most coveted First Nations Graphic Novelists. Eszra’s first work Ubby’s Underdogs: The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon, has now turned into a three book series.
Term 1 - Barry Jonsberg
Barry is a multi-award winning author of twenty four books for Young Adults and children. He has been published in eighteen countries and translated into fourteen languages. His best-selling book, My Life As An Alphabet, was turned into the multi-award winning movie, H Is For Happiness, in 2019. He lives in Darwin with his wife and a crazy blue heeler called Zorro.
Term 2 - Kirsty Murray
Kirsty Murray is a multi-award-winning author of 25 books for children and young adults. Her works include eleven novels as well as non-fiction, junior fiction and picture books. From historical fiction to dystopian fantasies, Kirsty's book's span genres and explore ideas about the past, present and the future. Her most recent innovative and collaborative work is Strangers on Country, which was a 2021 CBCA Honour Book.
Term 3 - Sarah Winifred Searle
Award-winning cartoonist/author/illustrator Sarah Winifred Searle originally hails from spooky New England but currently lives in sunny Boorloo (Perth, Australia). They make comics across many genres that explore themes of identity, health, relationships, and history. The Greatest Thing, their recent YA graphic novel, is a CBCA Notable and Lammy Award finalist.
Term 4 - Sue Whiting
Sue Whiting is an award-winning children’s and YA author, editor and former primary school teacher, who writes for many age groups, from picture books through to YA. She is passionate about the power of story and the importance of books and reading, and is an advocate for reading and writing for pleasure. Her latest book is Tilda, a historical novel for readers 10+.
Term 1 - Barry Jonsberg
Barry is a multi-award winning author of twenty four books for Young Adults and children. He has been published in eighteen countries and translated into fourteen languages. His best-selling book, My Life As An Alphabet, was turned into the multi-award winning movie, H Is For Happiness, in 2019. He lives in Darwin with his wife and a crazy blue heeler called Zorro.
Term 2 - Kirsty Murray
Kirsty Murray is a multi-award-winning author of 25 books for children and young adults. Her works include eleven novels as well as non-fiction, junior fiction and picture books. From historical fiction to dystopian fantasies, Kirsty's book's span genres and explore ideas about the past, present and the future. Her most recent innovative and collaborative work is Strangers on Country, which was a 2021 CBCA Honour Book.
Term 3 - Michael Speechley
Michael is a former graphic designer and a high school art teacher in Western Australia. His latest book, The Gift touches on loss and grief but also highlights the kindness of others through altruistic actions. The Gift was awarded a Notable Book for the CBCA awards in 2020.
Term 4 - Cath Moore
Dr Cath Moore is a multi-media writer, story developer and teacher. A published academic with a PhD in Danish screenwriting practices, she was a contributor to the anthology 'Growing up African in Australia' (black inc books). Her debut novel Metal Fish Falling Snow won the 2021 Victorian and Qld Premier's YA Literary Award and the Prime Minister's Literary award. She especially loves writing for and working with young people on their own storytelling adventures.
Young Writers Collective in the WA Regions
The WA Regions will not be missing out! The Young Writers Collective will be traveling to host schools in Albany, Busselton/Bunbury, and Geraldton. It's not too late, you can still enroll your student or child in the program for the regions.
Scroll down to read about our diverse range of presenters traveling to a host school near you.
Term 1 - HM Waugh
HM Waugh is a children’s author, educator and environmental scientist with a long-term love of wild places and outdoor adventures. She has been kidnapped twice, handles dragons for a job, and dreams of one day blasting into space. Her books mix humour, danger and friendship with a dash of science and imagination. Her sci-fi adventure Mars Awakens is the first in a gripping duology, which will be completed in May 2023.
Term 2 - Sally Murphy
Sally Murphy, OAM, loves everything book – reading them, writing them and sharing them with other readers. She writes poetry and fiction, including verse novels and historical fiction, and sometimes her books make people cry. When she isn’t focussed on books, Sally works as a lecturer at Curtin University, and also swims, walks on the beach with her dog, and spends time with her large family.
Term 3 - Mark Greenwood
Mark Greenwood is a history hunter and an author of more than twenty books. He enjoys exploring the past, searching for lost treasure and delving into baffling mysteries. His award-winning books have been published and honoured internationally. In 2023, Mark will celebrate his latest publication: Our Country – Where History Happened.
Term 4 - Sue Whiting
Sue Whiting is an award-winning children’s and YA author, editor and former primary school teacher, who writes for many age groups, from picture books through to YA. She is passionate about the power of story and the importance of books and reading, and is an advocate for reading and writing for pleasure. Her latest book is Tilda, a historical novel for readers 10+.
Term 1 - Sally Murphy
Sally Murphy, OAM, loves everything book – reading them, writing them and sharing them with other readers. She writes poetry and fiction, including verse novels and historical fiction, and sometimes her books make people cry. When she isn’t focussed on books, Sally works as a lecturer at Curtin University, and also swims, walks on the beach with her dog, and spends time with her large family.
Term 2 - HM Waugh
HM Waugh is a children’s author, educator and environmental scientist with a long-term love of wild places and outdoor adventures. She has been kidnapped twice, handles dragons for a job, and dreams of one day blasting into space. Her books mix humour, danger and friendship with a dash of science and imagination. Her sci-fi adventure Mars Awakens is the first in a gripping duology, which will be completed in May 2023.
Term 3 - Deb Fitzpatrick
Deb Fitzpatrick writes fiction and narrative non-fiction for children, young adults and adults. Her books have received awards in Australia, been published in the US and optioned for film. Deb’s
latest book, Ajay Rane: Global Crusader for Women’s Health, is an Aussie STEM Stars title for middle-grade readers tracing the incredible career of Australian doctor, Ajay Rane. Deb loves incorporating stories from real life into her books and regularly teaches creative writing to people of all ages.
Term 4 - Mark Greenwood
Mark Greenwood is a history hunter and an author of more than twenty books. He enjoys exploring the past, searching for lost treasure and delving into baffling mysteries. His award-winning books have been published and honoured internationally. In 2023, Mark will celebrate his latest publication: Our Country – Where History Happened.
Term 1 - Julia Lawrinson
Julia Lawrinson has written more than a dozen books for children and teenagers, many of them award-winning. She grew up in the outer suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, not long after the first moon landing. She loves dogs, oceans, and sunsets, and still likes to gaze at the night sky, just in case.
Term 2 - Aśka
Aśka is creative dynamite. A comics maker, a visual storyteller, an ex-quantum physicist, and a hugely engaging presenter, Aśka is passionate about visual literacy and has published more than ten books, comics and graphic novels. Her most recent title is the CBCA Notable, ALIA Notable and Comic Arts Awards Australia Shortlisted YA graphic novel STARS IN THEIR EYES, (with Jessica Walton), which will be published in the United States in 2023.
Term 3 - Sally Murphy
Sally Murphy, OAM, loves everything book – reading them, writing them and sharing them with other readers. She writes poetry and fiction, including verse novels and historical fiction, and sometimes her books make people cry. When she isn’t focussed on books, Sally works as a lecturer at Curtin University, and also swims, walks on the beach with her dog, and spends time with her large family.
Term 4 - Cristy Burne
Cristy Burne is an award-winning internationally published children’s author working on the intersection of story, science, technology and creativity. Cristy has published serval books, her most recent Wednesday Weeks and the Dungeon of Fire is the third installment in the three-book series.
Find out more about Young Writers Collective timetables, the fee and what to expect HERE