Read, Write, Publish... Writing Life 2026

Lineup

• More details about Masterclass: Adam Sharp, “Writing the People in Your Life (Including You)”

  Masterclass: Adam Sharp, “Writing the People in Your Life (Including You)”

  This masterclass explores the ethics and craft of writing about real people (and yourself) in memoir. Through writing exercises, short readings, and discussion, we’ll look at how to portray people fairly when your own memory is biased, how to resist the temptation to simplify yourself on the page, and why almost nobody gets any of this right in the first draft. Bring something to write with. Adam Sharp – author, academic, and alliteration appreciator – is the 2026 Hedberg Writer-in-Residence at the University of Tasmania, where he is working on a memoir. He has a PhD in Creative Writing (on memoir, punk, and childhood trauma) and is a Leverhulme Fellow. His short piece of memoir Play appeared in Kit de Waal’s Common People: An Anthology of Working-Class Writers, and his books on language and lists, The Correct Order of Biscuits and The Wheel Is Spinning But the Hamster Is Dead, are published by Hachette. He also writes a column on international idioms for the Swiss paper Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

• More details about Workshop: Jonathan Butler, “Writing Hidden History”

  Workshop: Jonathan Butler, “Writing Hidden History”

  Many people and cultures throughout history have been pushed to the margins. How can we include these untold stories in our writing? In this workshop, queer history researcher and author of The Boy in the Dress, Jonathan Butler, will share techniques and inspiration to help you uncover hidden histories and turn them into compelling writing that others will want to read.   Drawing on his own experience, Jonathan will guide you through the process of locating hard-to-find stories, choosing which narratives to pursue, capturing the world of the past, and shaping your research into a publishable piece of writing. No prior research experience is needed.  Jonathan Butler is a queer writer, broadcaster and community educator living in Naarm/Melbourne. His debut book, The Boy in the Dress (Affirm Press, 2022), was shortlisted for The Age Book of the Year 2022 (non-fiction) and was the winner of Best True Crime in the 2023 Danger Awards. Researching his ancestor’s story ignited a passion for queer history. His work has appeared in The Guardian, ArtsHub, Meanjin, and Griffith Review, and he is a presenter on Triple R’s “Queer View Mirror.”

• More details about Workshop: Rebecca Armitage, “How to Stop Overthinking it and Get Your Draft Done” 

  Workshop: Rebecca Armitage, “How to Stop Overthinking it and Get Your Draft Done” 

  Have you been working on your first draft for months or even years? Are you crippled by writer's block? Do you struggle to fit writing into your day? Rebecca Armitage will share some practical tips (and some tough love!) to inspire you to get it done. Never forget - you can't fix what doesn't exist.    Rebecca Armitage is an author and journalist. Her debut novel, The Heir Apparent was an Australian best seller and a Reese's Book Club pick. She lives in Hobart with her husband and dog.

• More details about In Conversation: Ruby Ashby Orr and Jane Rawson: “How Does Publishing Work?”

  In Conversation: Ruby Ashby Orr and Jane Rawson: “How Does Publishing Work?”

  Ruby Ashby-Orr is a publisher at Simon & Schuster Australia, working across fiction and non-fiction titles, with a particular focus on book club fiction, historical fiction, sport, and politics. She worked at indie publisher Affirm Press for 11 years before its acquisition by Simon & Schuster Australia. As an editor and publisher, she has worked with a wide range of authors including Pip Williams, Christian White, Madeleine Cleary, Dennis Lillee, Shaun Micallef, Kevin Sheedy and many more. Jane Rawson is the author of four novels and two books of non-fiction. Her most recent book is Human/Nature: On life in a wild world, a collection of essays published by NewSouth in 2025 and described by reviewers as ‘a playfully serious unsettling of assumptions’ and ‘a significant contribution towards a better world’. Her most recent novel, A History of Dreams (Brio, 2022), was longlisted for the Tasmanian Literary Awards. Jane is a Creative Writing PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania and the editor of the literary magazine Island.