Marion Writers

Ready to navigate the publishing industry like a pro? Join us for LaunchPad, a two-day program packed with tools, insider insights, and guidance from leading experts!

Featuring sessions with Mary Cunnane, Siang Lu, and Melinda Smith, this special weekend at the National Archives is your chance to connect, learn, and grow.

🔗 For details, speaker bios, and to secure your place, visit: marion.ink/launchpad
Melinda Smith Poet

⌛ 30 Seconds with Sneha Lees, HARDCOPY '19 alumni and author of Good Indian Daughter (Affirm Press)! We caught up with Sneha to ask her what she's reading, her best writing tips, and more. You can read the rest off our chat on our website: https://marion.ink/30seconds/sneha-lees 💚

Ready to demystify the world of publishing? Join us for LaunchPad, a dynamic two-day program designed to give you the tools and insider knowledge you need to successfully navigate the publishing industry.

Held in person, at the National Archives of Australia on Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 November 2024, LaunchPad brings together three highly respected sector professionals:

• Melinda Smith on Grant-Writing

• Mary Cunnane on Pitching to Publishers

• Siang Lu on Navigating the Publishing Industry

Throughout the weekend, you’ll gain practical, actionable insights that can turn your publishing dreams into reality.

Don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity to kickstart your journey. Tickets are limited—secure your place today!

National Archives of Australia Melinda Smith Poet

This Saturday 12 October is Love Your Bookshop Day!

The theme of Love Your Bookshop Day (LYBD) 2024 is Giving the Gift of Imagination, celebrating the crucial role bookshops play in inspiring our imagination.

There are so many fabulous bookshops in Canberra and the surrounding region – why not take this opportunity to head out and support them ❤️

Book Passion Book Lore Paperchain Bookstore Pulp BookCafe Dymocks Canberra Harry Hartog Bookseller The Book Cow - Kingston BOOK FACE Gungahlin BookPeople

Our October Focus On is here! Each month we highlight a selection of books from in and around our region, new releases, as well as what our staff are reading.

You can find these, plus our archive of region writers which we are always updating on our website: marion.ink/focus-on

UQP Allen & Unwin Books Recent Work Press

Focus On — MARION A place to find great reads by ACT Region writers, our beloved expats, HARDCOPY Alumni + check out what's on the MARION team radar right now.

Thank you to everyone (longtime members and new ones!) who took part in our 2024 Member Drive!

Thanks also to our sponsors! We've been thrilled to work with some very special businesses and organisations during our Member Drive. You can still check them out on our website, just go to Member Drive -> All Sponsors!

Without further ado, we're delighted to announce the prize winners ...
Major prize: Lucy Ridge
Monday prize: Michelle Hyde
Tuesday prize: Megan Gilmore
Wednesday prize: Peter Wilson
Thursday prize: William Broughton
Friday prize: Simon Lewis
Weekend prize: Christine Cannon

Congrats to all our prize winners!

ICYMI: It's the final day of our MARION member drive, which means it's your last chance to win! 🏆

Until midnight tonight, become a member, or if you’re already a member donate $40 or more, to go into the draw to win a daily prize pack and a major prize pack!

For the final day of our member drive, we are putting the spotlight on our incredible major prize!

This very special package consists of:

A Slow Intro pass for Feel Better Pilates

A Big River Sampler Pack from Big River Distilling Co.

A 3-month pass for Keep Co CBR coworking space

A 12-month Scrivener software license

A double pass for the Canberra Writers Festival main event A Night With Tim Winton

A book pack from Canberra Writers Festival, including a signed copy of Lebanon Days by Theodore Ell

A collection of teas and camping mug from Waypoint Tea Co

Thank you so much to our generous sponsors for their support of the MARION member drive! ❤️

To be in the running, head to our website: https://marion.ink/prizes 🏃

It's the weekend, but also, sadly, the final days of our 2024 Member Drive! Thanks for coming along for the ride. 💜 🚲

Don't miss out on your chance to win this extra-special weekend prize pack:

A 12-month ArtSound FM 92.7 membership, plus a copy of Gertude’s Sweetheart (a selection of monologues presented on ArtSound Radio Theatre) and Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, adapted for radio and broadcast!

Issue 4 of Aniko Press

Double-pass tickets to see Jack Maggs at the Canberra Theatre Centre

A Marion Writers (that’s us!) merch pack, including a tea towel, tote bag and “Famous Author” cap

A book pack of 2024 titles from Transit Lounge Publishing

A “debut authors” book pack from Text Publishing

A $20 voucher for Harry Hartog Bookseller (ANU)

And a $25 voucher for The Book Cow - Kingston

Thank you so much to all our generous sponsors for their support of the 2024 MARION Member Drive!

For the love of words, become a member or donate until midnight Sunday October 6 to win! Not only will you be supporting the important work we do, but you might score some prizes too 😉

Good morning writers, readers & literature-lovers! 🥰

Today's fabulous prize pack is packed full of:

A Big River Sampler Pack from Big River Distilling Co.

Issue 4 of Aniko Press

A $100 voucher for Book Lore

A book pack from Fremantle Press

A 1-year subscription to Griffith Review

A book pack from Pantera Press

A $20 Harry Hartog Bookseller (ANU) gift voucher

And a collection of poetry books from Upswell Publishing

For the love of words, join Marion Writers or, if you're already a member donate $40 or more, for your chance to win! 💫

https://marion.ink/prizes

How is it Thursday already? Our Member Drive is flying by ... there's just 4 days left to win! 🙈

Don't miss out on the draw for today's prize pack, which includes:

A Big River Sampler Pack from Big River Distilling Co.

A 12-month Kill Your Darlings membership bundle

A $50 voucher for Pulp BookCafe

A double pass for the Canberra Writers Festival session "Your Favourites: Michelle de Kretser in conversation with Bernadette Brennan"

A book pack from Magabala Books

A $20 voucher and a children’s books pack from Harry Hartog Bookseller (ANU)

A $30 voucher for Book Passion

And a book pack from Penguin Books Australia

For the love of words, join Marion Writers or, if you're already a member, donate $40 or more for your chance to win! https://marion.ink/prizes ❤️

Happy MARION Member Drive Wednesday! 🎉

Today's prizes are for the bookish and the bards! One lucky member will win:

A Big River Sampler Pack from Big River Distilling Co.

A 12-month Overland Literary Journal subscription

A 12-month Australian Poetry subscription

A $50 voucher for Pulp BookCafe

A double pass for the Canberra Writers Festival session "The Power of Quiet" with Charlotte Wood and Robbie Arnott

A book pack from Allen & Unwin Books

An ACT-authors book pack from UQP

And a $30 voucher for Book Passion

For the love of words, join Marion Writers or donate for your chance to win! 😍

Welcome to day 2 of the 2024 MARION member drive! 📚 😍

Day two's prize pack is full of literary goodies, including:

A Big River Sampler Pack from Big River Distilling Co.

A 12-month digital subscription to Australian Book Review

A 12-month Heat literary magazine subscription from Giramondo Publishing

A 12-month ArtSound FM 92.7 membership, plus a copy of Gertude’s Sweetheart (a selection of monologues presented on ArtSound Radio Theatre) and Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows

A double pass for the Canberra Writers Festival session "Black Witness" with Amy McQuire

A book pack from Hachette Australia Books

A membership and goodie pack (including a tote bag!) from Friends of the
National Library of Australia

And a book pack from Subbed In

What are you waiting for? There's never been a better time to join or donate to Marion Writers! https://marion.ink/prizes

For the love of words, join or donate for your chance to win! 🔥

🥁 Drumroll please ...

Today is the first day of the MARION 2024 member drive!! 🥰

The MARION membership drive is a week-long celebration of MARION's community of writers, artists, poets, storytellers, wordsmiths and literature-lovers!

From TODAY until this Sunday October 6, become a member - or if you're already a member, donate $40 or more - to go into the draw to win a daily prize pack and a major prize pack!

Today's daily prize pack includes:

- 2 free pizzas from Four Winds Vineyard
- A 12-month digital subscription to Australian Book Review
- Aniko Press Issue 4
- A 12-month 2XXfm membership
- A double pass for the upcoming Canberra Writers Festival session "Reading Praiseworthy"
- A set of recent editions from Going Down Swinging
- A book pack from National Library Bookshop bookshop
- And a book pack from Recent Work Press!

Check out all the prizes to be won: https://marion.ink/prizes! Thanks so much to all our generous sponsors for their support of the MARION member drive!

For the love of words, join or donate today to win! 🎁

Announcement time! 🗣

The 2024 MARION member drive begins next week!

Our member drive is a week-long celebration of MARION's community of writers, artists, poets, storytellers, wordsmiths and literature-lovers ❤️📚

From Monday September 30–Sunday October 6, become a member, or if you’re already a member donate $40 or more, to go into the draw to win a daily prize pack and a major prize pack!

Prizes up for grabs include:

- double passes for Canberra Writers Festival, including to A Night With Tim Winton
- Big River Sampler Packs from Big River Distilling Co.
- subscriptions to your fav literary mags: Australian Book Review, Australian Poetry Griffith Review, HEAT literary magazine, Kill Your Darlings, and Overland Literary Journal
- a Slow Intro pass for Feel Better Pilates
- vouchers for your favourite bookshops: The Book Cow - Kingston, Book Lore Book Passion, Harry Hartog Bookseller ANU, and Pulp BookCafe
- a 3-month pass for Keep Co CBR coworking space & loads more!

For the love of words, become a member or donate from Monday September 30 to Sunday October 7 to win! Not only will you be supporting the important work we do, but you might score some prizes too! 🎁

Growing up in Canberra with a mother's undiagnosed schizophrenia, the ghost of a dead sister and an unspoken family secret ...

Biff Ward's The Stella Prize longlisted book 'In My Mother's Hands' is a fascinating, disturbing & beautifully raw story - will be part of our deep dive 'In Conversation' TODAY, SATURDAY 11am ... along with 'The Third Chopstick', a powerful and utterly beautiful journey of discovery for the anti-Vietnam war, peace-protestor who seeks understanding through the stories of Vietnam war vets. Powerful reading. And - we will also be discussing Biff's most controversial book 'Father Daughter R**e'

It's ON! Today - Saturday 21 Sept - in Canberra? Come join us for a session or the day... great chat & charm!

JOIN US .. ANU Harry Hartogs bookstore - just turn up! FREE
or book here ... https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/stella-day-out-canberra-in-conversation-with-biff-ward-tickets-980737090037
The Stella Prize Canberra Writers Festival NewSouth Publishing Allen & Unwin Books The Canberra Times HerCanberra ABC Canberra Australian Book Review Marion Writers National Library of Australia Vietnam Travelers Jan Cornall

This Saturday at Tuggeranong Arts Centre after Come Write! Stick around and check it out ❤️

After you have a life changing night at our September slam, the next day head to for an event hosted by us alongside .m_studio ! Something a little different in format to our slams but all the same heart ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 link in bio now with all info and submission form!!
some words from who will be hosting;

“We started this thing () to be a home for stories and spoken word. I love that hot pot stories is stripping things back to the purity of our experiences, and removing an emphasis on performance.
I wanted Canberra slam to be a safe space for my story and bipoc stories, but It doesn’t matter the colour of your skin, colonialism doesn’t spare any of us. We all have such rich histories and ancestry, colonialism has really diminished our individual connection to those histories, our individual truths diluted in the homogeneity of the colony. I want to hear your truth. I want to hear your story. I want to hear the ways it isn’t like mine, the way it is. I want to celebrate it all. It’s not about being homogeenised - embracing it all, that’s what true unity looks like. There is so much power with the defiance of proclaiming who you are. Doing that in a safe space, speaking it out, at Hot Pot Stories / Canberra Slam - that makes the power tangible. I can’t wait to feel it with all of you.”

Last week, MARION headed over to Latje Latje and Barkindji lands (Mildura) for the second stage of FIRST DRAFT! This time, Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello OAM, Nicole Godwin, Andrew Cox, and Zhi Cham returned for our second visit to Ranfurly Primary and Chaffey Secondary Schools. They were joined by Development Officer Natasha Seymour and CEO Katy Mutton.

We've just published a blog post about FIRST DRAFT on our website full to the brim with more details and snaps taken over the week on our website: https://marion.ink/news/first-draft-returns

Andrew Cox Poetry Nicole Godwin author Arts Mildura VicHealth Creative Victoria

We've had an amazing time in Mildura for our second visit with our First Draft team!! 🤗

We'll be sharing more photos from the week soon, but for now here's a glimpse into all the fun we've been having with Ranfurly Primary and Chaffey Secondary students!

The Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship is now open to applications for 2025!

This mentorship is awarded annually to an unpublished Indigenous writer who has made substantial progress on a work of fiction or non-fiction. Over the course of 2025, the successful applicant will be supported by a mentor and Writing NSW to develop their manuscript and facilitate a pathway to publication.

Now in its seventh year, the Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship is presented by Writing NSW and Text Publishing, with support from the First Nations Australia Writers Network (FNAWN).

Visit our website for more information: https://buff.ly/3ZhpgqJ

The Richell Prize Longlist 2024 has been announced and we are delighted to see that MARION member Michelle Hyde has been longlisted!

The Prize shortlist will be announced on 17 October, with the winner announced on 27 November.

Congratulations Michelle, and all those longlisted for the Richell Prize! 🌟

Hachette Australia Books Emerging Writers' Festival

ICYMI: The Canberra Stella Day Out is happening on Saturday 21 September!

Stella Day Out is a free one-day literary festival that celebrates and promotes the outstanding contributions of women and non-binary writers to Australian literature. Hosted at Harry Hartog ANU, Stella Day Out Canberra features Biff Ward in conversation with Virginia Haussegger, The Rhythm of Writing with Pitaya Chin moderated by Zoya Patel, and Writing Across Different Genres with Mirandi Riwoe moderated by Beejay Silcox.

More information and (free) tickets are available via https://stella.org.au/stella-day-out/

The Stella Prize Harry Hartog Bookseller Biff Ward Virginia Haussegger Zoya Patel - Writer & Editor r

TICKET GIVEAWAY

Thanks to our friends at Canberra REP, we have two tickets to their production of 'AWAY' to give away!

For your chance to win, like this post and tag the friend you'd take to see 'Away'!

'Away' is on from 5-21 September at Canberra REP. One of the most popular Australian plays of all time, ‘Away’ by Michael Gow is a beloved Australian modern classic, described as uplifting and hopeful. Set against a complex backdrop of the Vietnam War and the social upheavals of the 1960s, this new production of one of Australia's greatest classics pits the conflict of family life against the struggle of a country shaping its unclear future.

For more information about 'Away' head over to Canberra Repertory Society!

The incredible Anita Heiss was the first person in Australia to create the new genre of First Nations chick lit (how amazing is that?) and in our latest ep she talks about how she wants to encourage others to join her, through her new role as publisher at Simon & Schuster. Anita has also written in a wide range of other genres and is generally just an inspiring person to listen to. Perfect to fill a half hour while you’re cleaning or watching kids’ sport or walking the dog or doing anything really!

Listen on Apple here (or wherever you get your pods): https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/secrets-from-the-green-room/id1540540062?i=1000631711792

Anita Heiss Simon & Schuster Karen Viggers Books Irma Gold The Book Cow - Kingston Marion Writers

ONLINE 📣
Join us in our DEEP DIVES into Sense of Place and Voice with award-winning author Claire G. Coleman!

These 90-minute online interactive sessions will help you nail down the specifics: in Sense of Place, we will learn how Claire G. Coleman creates a vivid sense of place, and in Voice, we will learn to shape believable and engaging characters through their voice.

Claire G. Coleman is a Noongar woman whose family have belonged to the south coast of Western Australia since long before history started being recorded. She writes fiction, essays, poetry and art criticism while either living in Naarm (Melbourne) or on the road.

You can find out more and sign up for one or both of these sessions on our website: https://marion.ink/hidden-nerve-deep-dives

Hachette Australia Books

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Belco Arts - Workshops - Poetry and Prose Explore ideas, emotions and memories about home in short poetry and prose with Sarah St Vincent Welch.