Faber Writing Academy is delighted to announce the winners of the first round of the 2025 FWA Alumni Award, Rachel Bonnar and Lawrence Parmenter.
Rachel’s work, Burning Down the House, is a gripping novel about a freebirth that goes very wrong. She describes it as “a feminist The Slap”. It’s set in the Blue Mountains during the bushfires of 2019-20, and the stakes are high from page one.
Head judge and Faber Writing Academy Manager, Pip Smith, described Rachel’s novel as ‘fascinating and timely’ and said: ‘Her background in midwifery, and her lived experience of the bushfires made me confident that this was a story she is knowledgeable about, and feels deeply. Reading her opening chapters made me want to put off work for the day!’
Lawrence’s ‘comic-literary’ novel There He Goes, Again, explores the stories we tell ourselves about friendship, identity, and masculinity. Henry’s best friend, Richard, disappeared years ago—presumed dead. Now, suddenly, he’s back, interrupting one of those Ottolenghi-inspired dinner parties, and forcing Henry to question every beige choice he’s ever made in his small English life.
Pip said: ‘Lawrence’s lucid prose, gift for interiority, and polished, precise submission package made me confident that he’s more than ready for the UK industry day in coming weeks.’
The FWA Alumni Award is a new merit award for graduates of our 2023 – 2025 Stay the Course, Edit & Submit Your Novel, Advanced Novel Workshop and Writing a Novel programs.
The inaugural award will offer six outstanding submission-ready graduates the opportunity to pitch their novels to UK literary agents at one of three industry days organised by the Faber Academy, UK, in April, July and October 2025, as well as the opportunity to have their work read by an Australian literary agent and an Allen & Unwin publisher.
Pip said: ‘We at the Faber Writing Academy were excited to see a healthy number of submissions for our first round of the Faber Alumni Award. While a number of the extracts submitted were beautifully written, what made Rachel and Lawrence’s submissions stand out were the clear hooks at the heart of their projects. Theirs are stories that snag their readers with a beguiling idea, and carry them, effortlessly, forwards.’
Applications for Round Two of the Award open 4 June, with Round Three opening on 3 September. Mid-year scholarship applications for our flagship Writing a Novel and Writing a Creative Nonfiction Book are now open.
Rachel Bonnar is a Narrm based writer who has lived in lots of parts of Australia including Colomatta (the Blue Mountains). She has experienced bushfires there, whilst working as a midwife. Rachel works managing Women and Children’s health services and has had a long and varied career in health as a nurse, manager and midwife. She has birthed five children of her own, including one born at home in front of the fire In Katoomba. Rachel draws on all these experiences in her first novel. Rachel graduated from the Melbourne Writing a Novel course in 2024.
Lawrence Parmenter
Moving to Australia made it easier for Lawrence to write about his home, England. By day he works as an advertising creative director, finding authentic places for international brands to play in culture. At night he writes stories that focus on modern masculinity, social class, and identity. Lawrence graduated from the Sydney Writing a Novel course in 2024.