Hunter Writers' Centre

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Hunter Writers' Centre

Hunter Writers' Centre
Hunter Writers' Centre
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Instructors

Dr Rachel Morley

Dr Rachel Morley is an award-winning educator and creative program designer with over 25 years’ experience supporting writers, artists and creative practitioners. Her work brings together learning, creativity and community, helping people deepen their practice and build meaningful connections.

Dr Rachel Morley

Dr Rachel Morley is an award-winning educator and creative program designer who has spent more than 25 years working across writing, creative industries and higher education. She has designed and taught creative programs, worked with writers, artists and other creative practitioners at all stages of practice, and led projects that bring learning, creativity and community together. 
Much of her work has centred on partnership and collaboration - bringing different disciplines, creative practices and organisations into conversation to make new things possible. She is particularly interested in what helps creative practitioners keep showing up, stretch their practice, connect with others and find new ways into their work.

Farz Edraki

Farz Edraki is a writer, editor and broadcaster. She has worked on TV and podcast productions for the ABC, SBS, and elsewhere. Her fiction and non-fiction has been published widely, and she was recently named the The Glynn Legacy's 2026 Media Disruptor.

Farz Edraki

Farz Edraki is an Iranian-Australian writer, editor and the host of the Queer Renegades podcast (SBS) and Days Like These (ABC). Her writing has been published in The Age, Debris Magazine, the Sydney Review of Books, The Guardian, Growing Up in Country Australia, and elsewhere. 
She's worked as a commissioning digital editor and TV producer at the ABC, on programs including The School That Tried to End Racism, The House with Annabel Crabb and Tonightly. 
She has appeared at the Sydney Writers' Festival, BBC Radio 3’s Contains Strong Language Festival, and is a PhD candidate in testimonial technique and fiction at Macquarie University. In 2026, she was a recipient of the Whitlam Essay Residency.

[Headshot photo by Teresa Tan]

Dr Felicity Castagna

Dr Felicity Castagna is an award-winning novelist, essayist and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Western Sydney University. She has extensive experience as a writing teacher, mentor and facilitator working across literary, educational and community settings.

Dr Felicity Castagna

Felicity Castagna’s next book, Peaches, will be released in 2027. She has previously published four novels for adults and young adults including her most recent book, Girls In Boys’ Cars which received The Victorian and Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards. Her previous novel, No More Boats was a finalist in the 2018 Miles Franklin Literary Awards and is published internationally by Europa. Her novel, The Incredible Here and Now received a Prime Minister’s Literary Award. She has worked with artists in many different fields to write big, wild, wonderful things for organisations such as The Sydney Opera House, The Sydney Festival, Powerhouse and The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. 
Her essays on books, art, suburbia, home and place are published both here and internationally on platforms such as The Sydney Review of Books, Electric Literature, LitHub, and ABC radio and television. She has helped to establish, promote and run many writing and storytelling programs, particularly in Western Sydney. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing with The Writing and Society Research Centre at Western Sydney University.

Dr Fiona Wright

Dr Fiona Wright is an award-winning writer, editor and critic working across poetry, essays and fiction. A former Giramondo editor, she holds a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing, teaches writing widely, and was awarded Creative Australia’s Keesing Studio residency in Paris for 2027.

Dr Fiona Wright

Dr Fiona Wright is a writer, editor and critic from Sydney. She has published collections of essays and poetry, and one novel.
 Fiona worked as an editor at Giramondo Publishing for five years. She holds a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing from Western Sydney University.
She tutors casually in creative writing, as well as journalism and literature at Western Sydney University, and has taught creative non-fiction at UTS and Sydney University. She also runs writing workshops in high schools, libraries and for writers' centres, and performs her work frequently at literary events and festivals.

Dr Katharine Pollock

Katharine Pollock (PhD) is a Sydney-based novelist, editor and creative writing educator. Author of Starry Eyed (2025) and Her Fidelity (2022), her work explores fandom, feminism and pop culture. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and is a frequent festival speaker.

Dr Katharine Pollock

Katharine Pollock (PhD) is the author of Starry Eyed (Wakefield Press, August 2025) and Her Fidelity (Penguin Random House, 2022). Her latest novel, Starry Eyed, is the comedic story of a woman making bad choices thanks to her obsession with a cult sci-fi film director. Her debut novel, Her Fidelity, is a coming-of-age story set in an indie record shop. Both novels examine the fraught intersections of fandom and feminism.
Her Fidelity was included in The Age’s Books That Made Their Mark list in 2022 and was a contender for the Australian Book Design Awards in 2023. Katharine has been a writer-in-residence at KSP and Varuna, and is a regular speaker at writing festivals and events.
Katharine has been contracted by Rockpool Publishing for her oracle deck Witchy Tales, a 36-card deck dedicated to iconic witches of film, TV, and literature, in collaboration with US-bided artist Heidi Phelps. Witchy Tales will be published nationally and internationally in 2028.
Katharine’s short stories and personal essays have been published online and in print, including in Fremantle Press’s Try Not to Think of a Pink Elephant anthology, The Guardian, Written Off, Folly Magazine and more. She lives in Sydney and is represented by Benython Oldfield at Zeitgeist Agency.
Katharine works as a nonfiction book editor and has variously worked as a program manager, proofreader, high school English teacher, creative writing tutor, and more. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from Western Sydney University.

Keighley Bradford

Keighley Bradford is the Awards & Publications Coordinator at Hunter Writers’ Centre. With a Master of Creative Industries from the University of Newcastle, Keighley’s expertise spans the writing and publishing industry, as well as marketing and arts administration.

Keighley Bradford

Keighley Bradford is an author and creative industries professional with a Master of Creative Industries from the University of Newcastle. She works across publishing, marketing, and arts administration, supporting writers and literary communities through her role at Hunter Writers' Centre. Her experience spans creative development, audience engagement, publishing, and project delivery, bringing a practical understanding of both the craft and business of writing. Passionate about storytelling and the writing community, she is committed to helping writers develop their skills, connect with readers, and build sustainable creative careers.

Tania Crivellenti

Tania Crivellenti is a writer, facilitator and PhD candidate whose research explores creativity, community and artistic practice. Holding two master's degrees, she creates reflective writing spaces that support creative momentum, insight and meaningful connection.

Tania Crivellenti

Tania Crivellenti is a writer, creative practitioner, and PhD candidate in Human Geography at the University of Newcastle. Originally from Brazil and based in Australia for more than twenty years, her work is shaped by migration, cross-cultural experience, dance, and questions of connection, belonging, and creativity.
Holding a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and a Master of Research in Dance Studies, Tania brings an interdisciplinary perspective that bridges storytelling, embodiment, reflection, and community engagement. Central to her work is a commitment to protecting creative practice and creating the conditions for creativity to flourish. Through her research, artwork, she explores how creative practices can foster deeper self-understanding, and meaningful connection. She also hosts the Creative Space Mastery podcast.

Will Kostakis

Will Kostakis is one of Australia’s most renowned authors for children and young adults. First published at nineteen, he writes whip-smart comedies that break (then mend) hearts. His novel We Could Be Something, a moving intergenerational story, won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Award.

Will Kostakis

Will Kostakis is one of Australia’s most acclaimed authors for children and young adults. First published at nineteen after securing a book deal while still in high school, he has become known for writing sharp, funny and emotionally resonant stories that explore family, identity, friendship and belonging. His award-winning novels include The First Third, The Sidekicks, Monuments and We Could Be Something, which won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Literature. 
A proud Greek-Australian writer, Kostakis is celebrated for combining humour with heartfelt storytelling, creating characters that resonate deeply with readers. Alongside his writing, he is a sought-after speaker and mentor who champions young voices and emerging writers.

Katherine McLean

Katherine McLean is Director of Hunter Writers' Centre and an experienced arts leader. With more than 20 years in the arts and non-profit sectors, she specialises in creative programs, storytelling, community engagement and supporting writers.

Katherine McLean

Katherine has spent more than 20 years supporting storytelling, creative practice, and artist development across Australia’s arts and cultural sectors. Working with writers, artists, and communities, she has led programs that nurture creativity, collaboration, and meaningful cultural engagement. 
Her experience spans creative leadership, program design, community arts, digital storytelling, and organisational development, with a strong focus on creating opportunities for artists and writers to thrive. A passionate advocate for the power of story, Katherine is a skilled communicator, facilitator, and mentor who enjoys bringing people together around shared creative goals. She is committed to fostering environments where creative ideas can grow, develop, and make a lasting impact.

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