About

Brightside Story Studio helps writers craft fiction or memoir. We love working closely with our clients to achieve their writing goals.

Andrea Barton, Founder

Besides running Brightside Story Studio, Andrea is Editorial Head – Adult Nonfiction/Fiction at the literary agency NAC (New Authors Collective). She also writes The Winding Narrative blog. 

Her novel, LOST IN LAGOS, was longlisted in the 2021 Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize. She’s been shortlisted twice in AWC’s Furious Fiction – Oct 2021 and Nov 2021. She wrote the Sam and Sue Adventure Series, illustrated by Whitney Van Nuis. With Gail Collins, she compiled, edited and wrote two anthologies about expat adventures Nigerian Gems and Papua New Guinea Pearls. Eight of her stage productions have been produced in Lagos, Nigeria and two were performed at Woodlands Preparatory School in Houston, Texas. She is a member of Writers Victoria and the Institute of Professional Editors.

An electrical engineer turned career consultant, Andrea spent 12 years enjoying the exhilaration and dislocation of life as an expat spouse. With her husband and two sons, she lived in Nigeria, USA and Qatar before repatriating to Australia, where she commutes between Melbourne, Brisbane and Mansfield. Along the way, she developed a passion for ballroom and Latin dance, helped to build a school, got stuck in the sand (in a 4WD) in both the Doha and Australian deserts (not at the same time) and had a hallucinogenic experience in Peru.

Sarah Hawthorn, Editor

Sarah Hawthorn is a former journalist and magazine editor who now writes and edits fiction full-time.

She is the author of psychological thriller, A Voice In The Night: ‘A sexy, seductive slow burn of psychological suspense’ – Readings Monthly; ‘Brilliant one-two punch at the end’ – Sydney Morning Herald, The Age; “An emotionally resonant debut … the mystery doesn’t let up” – The Australian. See her interview: Sarah Hawthorn on Writing a Thriller.

Her second novel, The Dilemma, will be published in late 2022, and was shortlisted for 2019 Grindstone Novel of the Year Award.

Tong (Firmiana) Wu, Graphic Designer

Tong is an accomplished freelance Graphic Designer, who can translate a company’s vision into a suite of useful graphics, including logos, letterheads, signage and other business-specific materials. She’s also proficient in film-making, editing and animation. For Brightside, besides creating our gorgeous logo, she works on cover design, book layout and illustration.