Marion Writers

27/08/2026

Wondering what you can expect from our Stories with Spice writing workshop with Anne Freeman? We've got you covered! 🔥

Trust us, you won't want to miss this one. Secure your spot here: https://events.humanitix.com/anne-freeman-stories-with-spice

Smith's Alternative

26/08/2026

Happy 2026 Children's Book Week! This year's theme is Symphony of Stories.

We asked our team to share a photo from their childhood, along with one of their favourite Children's books.

MARION's CEO, Katy, picked One Dragon's Dream by Peter Pavey, published in 1978. Operations and Communications Manager Miriam chose Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Kerry Argent, published in 1998.
Program Coordinator Peter selected The Watchtower by Gary Crew and illustrated by Steven Woolman, published in 1994.

Thank you so much to all of the incredibly talented Children's book authors and illustrators who create the Symphony of Stories!

We'd love to hear, what was one of your favourite books as a child?

Frame credit: Children's Book Council of Australia, illustration by Briony Stewart

The Children's Book Council of Australia Children's Book Council of Australia ACT Branch National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature Inc.

25/08/2026

NEW EP!

Irma and Karen talk about the importance of the major dramatic question in writing fiction, and what they’ve been reading lately in Book Chat.

Then Karen talks to Alice Pung about Alice’s unusual process of writing her first book in close contact with a publisher, how writing as a young person with no filters contributed to her early success, how she writes non-fiction with fiction techniques and vice versa, why she finds writing non-fiction harder than fiction, how giving talks to bored 14-year old boys enhanced her public speaking skills, why she has never wanted to be a fulltime writer, how she became penfriends with John Marsden, and how she thought she’d received spam when an email came through saying she’d been awarded an OAM.

Writers Victoria Marion Writers Karen Viggers Books Irma Gold Creative Australia

25/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who applied to PROOF!

We are delighted to announce the 2026 cohort of PROOF:
Mehreen Arshi, John Baker, Kate Cramond, Conan Elphicke, Samia Goudie, Tiffany Hambley, Ian Hart, Jeannie Higgins, Madeleine Johns, Rob Kennedy, Sarah Liddle, Angharad Lodwick, Maddy Marsland, Ronja Moss, Billie Rooney, Anastasia Simpson, Christine Talbot, Helen Topor, and Gillian Worrall. Congratulations all!

The PROOF cohort will get to learn all about publishing from literary agents Alex Adsett and Lisa Fuller, bestselling author Dan O'Malley, and publisher Kate Cuthbert over two in-person days in Canberra and an online masterclass.

We can't wait to kick off with our in-person sessions this weekend!

Alex Adsett Literary Lisa Fuller Daniel O'Malley

25/08/2026

Literature is not a marginal activity.
It deserves investment that reflects its value in Australian life.

The Conversation Australia + NZ

Governments at all levels often assume arts funding is not electorally popular. New data shows they are wrong.

24/08/2026

Congratulations Sandy!

So excited to share this news as we head into Children’s Book Week!

New Book coming in 2027.
Thanks to my dream publisher UQP and agents Danielle Binks Jacinta di Mase Management

Get Repost App • UQP 💫ACQUISITION NEWS💫⁠
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UQP is thrilled to announce that we’ve acquired ‘Searching for Starwings’, the second verse novel by Sandy Bigna, author of the multi-award-winning book ‘Little Bones’. ⁠
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‘Searching for Starwings’ follows an eleven-year-old boy called Spitfire as he tracks down an elusive moth species to save a beloved snow gum. This follow-up novel promises the same exquisite writing and atmospheric magic as ‘Little Bones’.⁠
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UQP has acquired World rights in a deal brokered by Danielle Binks of Jacinta Dimase Management and will publish in June 2027.⁠
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To read quotes from Sandy and publisher Cathy Vallance on this acquisition, head to the link in our bio. 🔗⁠
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Photo by Kannika Afonso.⁠
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Sandy Bigna⁠
Danielle Binks⁠
Jacinta di Mase Management

20/08/2026

Here is a taste of our Monday August 24 featured poet's haiku - responding to colour - and apt for this time of year in Kamberri/Canberra. Welcome Morgan Bell!

18/08/2026

Meet the Presenters for PROOF!

Alex Adsett is a literary agent and publishing consultant with 30 years’ experience working in the publishing and bookselling industry. She launched her own agency in 2008, and Alex Adsett Literary now includes four literary agents, and represents over 50 authors and illustrators, including Melissa Lucashenko, Dinuka McKenzie, Amy Doak, Jodi McAlister, Isobelle Carmody, and many more. As a consultant, Alex has helped thousands of authors negotiate their publishing deals and advocate for their rights. She regularly speaks on copyright and contracts around Australia, and is an alumni of the Australia Council Arts Leaders Program.

Dr Kate Cuthbert is a publishing industry consultant with 20 years experience across the sector. She has held senior roles at Books+Publishing, Pantera Press, Writers Victoria and she launched the Escape Publishing imprint at Harlequin Australia. Her book on the creation, impact, and language of book covers and titles, How to Judge a Book by its Cover, was released in 2025. She is the founder and director of Enough Trope and co-hosts the popular Bridgerton podcast What Would Danbury Do?

Lisa Fuller is an award-winning Murri writer living on Ngunnawal and Ngambri lands since 2006. She completed her PhD at the University of Canberra where she is a sessional academic. Lisa is also a freelance writer, editor and publishing consultant.
She is a lecturer at the University of Canberra, editor and literary agent. She loves to play and finds herself creating and publishing across varied forms, genres and spaces.
​In 2024, Lisa joined Alex Adsett Literary as the first Australian First Nations literary agent. She spends her days trying to balance family, work and writing.

Daniel O’Malley was born and raised in Canberra, Australia. He graduated from Michigan State University and earned a master’s degree in medieval history from Ohio State University. He then returned to his childhood home, where he now works full-time as a writer. He is the author of the Checquy novels, The Rook, Stiletto, and Blitz, the first of which won an Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and became a television miniseries.

EOIs for PROOF close tomorrow, Wednesday 19 August.

https://marion.ink/proof-publishing-program

17/08/2026

Huzzah! 🎉

Huge congratulations to author, Stephanie Owen Reeder and illustrator, Ingrid Bartkowiak on winning the ACT Literary Award for Peculiar Parents a hardback PB, for readers aged 6-12 years, published by NLA Publishing Peculiar Parents explores the weirdly wonderful mating and parenti

16/08/2026

🌶️ Bypass the cringe, and bring the smoulder...

We're excited to have award-winning author Anne Freeman joining us to present Stories with Spice at Smith's Alternative on 20 September!

During this ninety-minute, interactive workshop, participants will gain an increased understanding of their ideal reader and how to cater to their desires using the fundamentals of good writing.

In this workshop, we'll establish and understand your ideal reader, explore what a spicy scene can add to your narrative, cover ethical considerations of sex-scene writing, embrace the power of Show Don't Tell and discover the antidote to cringey cliche.

Find out more, and secure your spot: https://events.humanitix.com/anne-freeman-stories-with-spice

Smith's Alternative