Writing a novel can be an isolating and uncertain process, but this program provided the structure, insight, and community I needed to push my draft to the next stage. I’m incredibly grateful for the scholarship opportunity to attend the Faber Writing Academy’s Writing a Novel program in Sydney at Allen and Unwin.
Led by Eleanor Limprecht and Fiona Kelly McGregor, the program delivered what it promised—a tailored, craft-focused series of lessons, exercises, and workshops in a supportive group setting—but it also offered something rarer: the chance to work in a context that deeply understands how novels are written and published.
Having studied literature and creative writing and worked in the arts for many years, I found the program rigorous and demanding in all the right ways. The well-paced structure allowed time for committed practice between sessions, enabling significant progress on my draft. The feedback from both mentors and participants was invaluable—particularly in building the discipline to generate abundant new material, in developing the confidence to let go of words and ideas I’d been clinging to, and in the editing process.
The mentors’ approaches were complementary—one encouraging risk and experimentation, the other unflinching on structure and prose, both deeply engaged. Guest lectures from novelists, editors, and agents—including Inga Simpson and Jane Novak—were insightful and often revelatory. The workshopping—both in small groups and whole-class settings—was well handled and stimulating. No one needs validation, but all writers benefit from having their work read attentively by peers and from reading the work of others. This program creates space for both.
For any writer committed to deepening and strengthening their draft with expert guidance and a community of serious peers, Writing a Novel is invaluable.
2025 Scholarship applications are now open for Writing a Novel courses commencing midyear in Sydney, Melbourne and Online, as well as for the intensive program Writing the Speculative Fiction Novel.