Writing a Novel scholarship information session FREE

For one night only, join authors and tutors Emily Bitto, Carrie Tiffany, Pip Smith, Kristina Olsson, Gretchen Shirm and Bec Kavanagh as they talk about the types of topics covered in our Writing A Novel course, exploring the guest speakers you might encounter, how the Faber Writing Anthology leads students to success, and how they will help you get as close as possible to finishing a draft of your manuscript across the year.

They will also talk you through putting together a compelling application for the upcoming scholarship round – how to grab their attention and make your project sing. What should you focus on in telling us why this is a story only you can tell? Emily, Carrie, Kristina, Bec, Gretchen and Pip will talk about how much time you might need to put aside to write outside of class and the bonds that develop between students, often leading to the formation of lifelong writing groups.

This is an extremely rare opportunity to spend an hour with five of Australia’s most exciting novelists and brilliant teachers. Come prepared with questions you’ve long wanted to ask about studying writing! Places are free.

Find out more about 2025 Faber Writing Scholarships.

Find out more about Writing a Novel.

Writers you'll be working with:

Emily Bitto

Emily Bitto is an award-winning writer of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Her debut novel, The Strays, was the winner of the Stella Prize in 2015. Her second novel, Wild Abandon, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2021. She has a Masters in Literary Studies and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne and has…

Kristina Olsson

Kristina Olsson is an award-winning writer of fiction, non-fiction and journalism. Her 2013 memoir, Boy, Lost, garnered multiple national awards. Her most recent novel, Shell, is set in Sydney against the backdrop of the building of Sydney Opera House and Australia’s entry into the Vietnam War. It launched the legendary Scribner Australia literary imprint and was shortlisted…

Carrie Tiffany

Carrie Tiffany was born in West Yorkshire and grew up in Western Australia. She spent her early twenties working as a park ranger in Central Australia and now lives and works in Melbourne. Her first novel, Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Miles Franklin Literary Award, the Guardian First Book…

Pip Smith

Pip Smith is a writer of poetry, fiction, literary criticism and punk songs. She was named an SMH Best Young Novelist of 2018 for her debut novel, Half Wild, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Voss Literary award, the Davitt Award, and longlisted for an ABIA Best Debut Fiction award. Her first collection of poetry, Too Close…

Bec Kavanagh

Bec Kavanagh is a PhD candidate at La Trobe University. Her research explores the homogenisation of the adolescent female body in coming of age narratives. Bec is a recognised expert in youth literature and has worked extensively in feminist literary spaces. She was the inaugural chair of #LoveOzYA and currently manages the Schools Program at…

@BecKavanagh

Gretchen Shirm

Gretchen Shirm is the author of a collection of short stories Having Cried Wolf, for which she was named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist. Her first novel Where the Light Falls, was shortlisted for the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Her fiction has been published in…