I am so thrilled and honoured to be one of the recipients of the 2023 Australian Society of Authors Mentorship Award.

From hundreds of entries, I was one of five fiction writers chosen. After many years of writing and editing this novel, it’s great to get this acknowledgement from both judges, who are incredible writers themselves.

Here’s what they had to say:

“It was interesting that the winners all wrote acutely about the collision between their protagonists’ interior and exterior worlds. These writers showed great psychological insight to bring to life very different characters in vastly different ways…

These writers approached their subjects in highly original but distinct ways, and though their subject matter could be complex and sometimes dark, brought a lightness of touch to their work. The writing was fresh, original and confident.

I congratulate the winners for their outstanding writing and I am excited to see more of these five writers in the future.”

-Kate Ryan

“The five writers selected for mentorships in 2023 showed a clear and intriguing core idea, life and risk on the page, and plenty of room for refocussing, or refining, or opening out. All those who submitted work to the program are to be congratulated for their labour to date and their tenacity.

-Nigel Featherstone

Congratulations to my fellow award winners and the six other writers in various categories and one illustrator who also won a mentorship.

Thanks to the ASA for offering this amazing program, and to the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund for funding it.