Karien, author of A Yellow House, has spent the majority of her life as an expat. Nominally from The Netherlands, she has also lived in Oman, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, France and the United Kingdom. But where is home? And how has her experience bled into her writing? Join me to explore this and more. Continue reading Karien Van Ditzhuijzen on Expat Life, Writing and Migrant Domestic Workers
Lisa’s debut novel, Keep Me Posted, was conceived and written after she moved to Singapore as an expat. But landing a publishing deal was only half the battle and she later realized how much was required to market her book. Join me to find out what she learnt about expat life, writing and book promotions. Continue reading Lisa Beazley, From New York to Singapore, PR to Author
How does someone with a long-established career in international business switch to running a literary agency? I asked Michael about this, as well as what he has learnt in the book business, how New Authors Collective has grown, and more. Continue reading Michael Cybulski, Literary Agent, New Authors Collective
Amanda has a PhD in biology; she’s also a literary novelist. The Breeding Season, her debut novel was short-listed for The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award, and she’s been awarded a Queensland Writers Fellowship for her next novel, Relativity. Please join us for a chat about her transition from science to writing. Continue reading Amanda Niehaus on the Intersection Between Science and Art
Patti is a prolific author with a wealth of experience in teaching and mentoring authors. Her specialties are life writing and creative non-fiction, and she works for writing centres in Australia and around the world. Please join us for a chat about her books, her training courses and the joy she derives from working with … Continue reading Patti Miller on the Art of Life Writing
Yasmin is a talented editor, writer and English teacher who recently won the Sisters in Crime Eleanor Taylor Bland award for her unpublished novel. One of her areas of expertise is sensitivity reading, a field of growing importance as authors become more aware of their responsibilities when they write minority characters. Join us for a discussion about appropriation, agency and author intent. Continue reading Yasmin A. McClinton on Being a Sensitivity Reader
Journalist Nicole Webb worked her way up to become a newsreader at Sky News Australia, but then gave it all up on a whim to move overseas. After six years in Hong Kong and then Xi’an, China, she returned to Sydney a different person and completed her memoir, China Blonde. Read on for more about the transformative nature of her expat life and writing journey. Continue reading Nicole Webb From Newsreader to Author
An invitation to the Facebook group Expat Writers for bloggers, authors, editors, memoirists and anyone else who puts fingers to keyboard about their experiences living away from home, even if it’s simply write emails to their friends. Continue reading Calling Expat Writers
They say pictures speak louder than words, and this picture of a boat adrift sums up my mood today. With Covid-19 running rampant across the world, the outlook feels bleak. Continue reading Adrift
When I first decided to write a book, I didn’t give much thought to genre. In blissful ignorance, I rejected the idea of ‘writing to a formula’ and merrily scribed whatever took my fancy. Years later, I see this has been my biggest mistake on the road to traditional publication. Continue reading The Importance of Understanding Novel Genres
