Overview
The School of Communication and Arts is home to some of Australia's most celebrated writers, such as award-winning authors Dr Venero Armanno, Assoc. Prof. Kim Wilkins, and Dr Richard Newsome, poet Prof. Bronwyn Lea, and playwright Assoc. Prof. Stephen Carleton.
Dr Beck Wise provides expertise in professional, technical and academic writing; and Canadian author Dr Helen Marshall joins us as the Centre's deputy director. We also house internationally-reputed literary scholars and critics, such as Professors David Carter, Peter Holbrook and Gillian Whitlock.
Writers from UQ
Many of Australia’s most awarded and respected writers are alumni of UQ literary studies: Thea Astley (four-time winner of the Miles Franklin Award); Rodney Hall (two-time winner of the Miles Franklin and the Victorian Premier’s Award for Fiction); and David Malouf (winner of the Miles Franklin and the International IMPAC Dublin Prize and shortlisted for the Booker Prize). Kate Morton, whose four novels have collectively sold more than ten million copies to make her one of Australia’s biggest publishing exports, was also awarded Honours and Masters degrees in English Literature from UQ.
Kate Morton
Kate is an international bestselling, award-winning Australian author has written six novelsand has sold more than 10 million books in 42 countries, making her one of Australia's "biggest publishing exports".
Kim Wilkins
Kim is an Australian writer of popular fiction and author of more than 25 mass-market novels, including her debut horror novel, The Infernal, which won Aurealis Awards for both horror and fantasy.
Visitors to UQ
The School of Communication and Arts hosts a number of visiting and honorary writers and literary academics. As part of the UQ Drama Creative Fellowship, leading national and international playwrights who have visited the School and provided masterclasses, lectures, student mentorship and interviews with us include: Noelle Janacewska, Alfian bin Sa'at, Angela Betzien, Tommy Murphy, and Suzie Miller. Novelist Janette Turner Hospital has been an Honorary visitor to the School for many years, and David Malouf is a cherished alumnus who has engaged with us regularly over the years. UQ Book Club - our collaboration with industry partner the University of Queensland Press - has seen us welcome illustrious novelists in conversation with Centre director Stephen Carleton and UQ alumni. These writers include Kate Grenville, Tara June Winch, Tony Birch, Miranda Riwoe and Laura Elvery. We look forward to inaugurating an annual writer in residence very soon, an initiative that will see a leading Australian writer domiciled in our Writers Studio, and provided access to world-class research archives with our industry partners the Fryer Library and AustLit.
It is the Centre's aim to put these astonishing writers in direct contact with our writing, literature and drama students via workshops and mentoring sessions, and embedding their work in our teaching and learning curricula. Stay tuned for news about who our first CCCW Writer in Residence will be!
