News

Drawing by Sonya Hartnett

  • Due to coronavirus interruptions, the publication of The Door has moved to 28 September 2020.
  • As part of Writers Victoria’s lecture series about speculative fiction, I will give a talk about The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. The lecture will take place online at 6.30 PM on 10 June 2020. Please book here.

  • Excited to report I have signed a contract with U.S. based publisher NineStar Press for my new book, The Door and other Uncanny Tales, out early in 2020. More details to follow.
  • I am also appearing with the wonderful Lee Kofman in a session called The Museum of Broken Relationships at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival, 2 PM, 1 September, 2019. Session details here.

  • I’ve new work in three new publications. The first is my first ever science fiction short story ‘Doctor Were’s Son’ in War of the Worlds Battleground Australia. Followed by the personal essay ‘Divorce, Turkish Style’ in Split, edited by Lee Kofman. And the third is my essay ’Confessions of a Greek Androgyne’ in Archer magazine issue #12.

  • I’m part of Melbourne Writers’ Festival’s Gothic Horror soiree, 25 August 2018, 5.00 PM at the swanky Mayfair bar in Collins Street.

    I will talk about Halloween and how the pagan festivity entered the collective cultural darkness via the horror film.

  • I’m giving a two-hour workshop called The Architecture of Horror about gothic writing, as part of Melbourne University Bailieu Library’s amazing Dark Imaginings exhibition.

    The workshop is on 19 April 2018. It’s free and open to the public. But you have to book. Details here:

    In other news I have been invited to contribute a short story to a forthcoming sci-fi horror anthology called War of the World: Battleground Australia. Riffing on H G Wells’ famous novel, my story is called ‘Doctor Were’s Disease’. Can’t wait to get started.

  • I’m excited about writing a piece for a forthcoming essay collection called Split, edited by Lee Kofman. The topic is divorce, separation and parting of ways. My contribution is called ‘Divorce, Turkish Style’. The book will be out late 2018.

    In other news, from March 2018 I will continue to facilitate three writers’ groups a month at City Library in Flinders Street, Melbourne.

    Check the library’s website for details.

  • I am interviewing food writer and author of My Year Without Meat, Richard Cornish at the Williamstown Writers Festival on June 18, 2017 at 10.30 AM. You can book here.
  • I am interviewing poet Tina Giannoukos about her new book ‘Bull Days’.
    Date: 8 December 2016
    Time: 6.30 PM
    Venue: Docklands Library, Melbourne
    FREE event but bookings are essential.
    Register interest here.
  • In some rather exciting news, I have been commissioned to write an essay about my interest in horror from a political and cultural perspective.
    The monograph will be out late 2017, and it’s called The Body Horror Book, edited by Claire Fitzpatrick.
    I’ve wanted to write about this topic for some time, so it will be interesting to see what horrors emerge.
  • ‘Haunting Matilda’, the story published in Cthulhu: Deep Down Under, is shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards in the Best Fantasy Novella category.
    To me it’s a horror short story. But hey, I’m not complaining.
    Winners are announced 26 March, so tentacles crossed.
  • I’m facilitating 2 writers’ groups from February to September 2016.

    They are for beginners writers and advanced writers, respectively.

    They are free at the City Library.

    You can register interest here.

  • I am reading/performing a piece at this year’s Midsummer Spoken Word Event – The Invisibles
    The piece is called ‘The Frabjous Joy of Being Fat, an open letter to Divine.‘
    Date: 28 January 2016
    Time: 7 PM
    Venue: City Library, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
    Join us.
  • I am reading two poems at this year’s Melbourne Poets Union event, The Fractured Self.
    Date: 25 October 2015
    Time: 2-4pm
    Venue: Melbourne Immigration Museum
    Join us.
  • I’m looking forward to giving an eight-week course about self-editing and refining your written work at the wonderful Docklands Library.
    The course goes from 25 August until 12 October and it’s only open for students from Scopevic, disability support services.