Bravewords

When Jay's gardener needed a favour, it changed her life. Jay says that in regards to her age, she’s ‘abovethe upper age limit for just about everything.’  I live locally with my cat ‘The Gorgeous One’ I’ve lived in Australia for 40 years; emigratedfrom England but am an ex-South African I’m a retired business-owner. Her work has been publishedin NSW Seniors’ Stories Anthology Volume 11. I’m lovin...

What happens when a boy knows something to be true. Chris Fleming is an award-winning Australian writer and translator and was recently shortlisted for the CalibreEssay Prize, the Island Nonfiction Prize, and the Peter Cowan Short Story Prize. His writing spans theory, journalism, fiction, and translation, and has appeared in venues including  HEAT ,  The Guardian ,  The Chronicle of Higher Educat...

Amy Anshaw-Nye is a writer, zinester and essayist living in Western Sydney. Her works explore themes of love, transformation, madness, redemption, and queer identity. She is a WestWords Academy alum and was a recipient of the 2023 WestWords-Varuna Emerging Writers’ Residency. She is also founder of a zine press, where she publishes zines about life, pop culture, and queer love. Amy’s has been publ...

Exploring big issues of the heart through inanimate objects! In this case, doors! Nicole Matthews lives in Garigal country south of Dyarubbin/The Hawkesbury. She teaches media and cultural studies at Macquarie University and is currently writing a memoir entitled "Hoarding: an amateur's guide". A chapter from the memoir, “Standing Wood”, was recently published in Text. Music Courtesy...

A beautiful behind the scenes story from the world of musical theatre. Guy Noble has conducted the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Western Australian, Tasmanian, Queensland and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, the Auckland Philharmonia, Hong Kong Symphony and Malaysian and Bergen Philharmonic orchestras. He is the host and accompanist each year for  Great Opera Hits  (Opera Australia) in the Joan Suther...

The power of a young girls imagination when it's driven by a CRUSH! Adrienne is an author and writing coach and co-host of Bravewords Live. Her writing studio, Bravewords, is based on the Central Coast of NSW. Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

What's driving this young mans obsession with his idol, Robbie Williams? Andrew Henry is a Sydney theatre producer. His company, Andrew Henry Presents headlined the Sydney Opera House with Michael Sheen in Amadeus .He reimagined Death of a Salesman  with Anthony LaPaglia in a national smash-hit. the landmark stage adaptation of Max Porter’s Grief is the Thing with Feathers, in collaboration wi...

In her late 70's, Ingrid began dating again. Ingrid Haydon began life as a textile designer then became an exhibiting artist nearly fourty years ago with solo exhibitions in Sydney, Canberra and the Blue Mountains.   She's won a fewprizes in the past and my work has been selected for the Dobell and Sulman art prizes in the Art Gallery of NSW. Ingrid taught painting and drawing for many yea...

Weddings are beautiful... but we're also just humans trying to get along! Jelena Curic is a writer of literary fiction, crime, and comedy. She is also the resident Diva in the Croatian community, singing most weekends. A 2023 Westwords Alumni, her stories can be found in Westwords Bad Western Sydney, Bad Western Sydney. The Second Case, Living Stories the Other City, Short Stories Unlimited  Leavi...

Emergency Departments - Egg Sacks anyone? Michael Hayes recently retired from 30 years working as a respiratory physician on the Central Coast of NSW. He then "stumbled into one of Ado’s writing courses and here I am." Plenty of academic publications  (In vivo quantification of pulmonary beta receptors using positron emission tomography etc etc)  but this is my first attempt at writing anything cr...

Oh, the wild history in every playground interaction! Born in Singapore,  KT Major  writes literary fiction, essays and poetry. KT’s stories have won several awards, including most recently the 2025 Louie Award for crime writing. She has been published in lots anthologies and journals, including  The Big Issue ,  Splinter ,  Verandah ,  Grieve , and  BAD Western Sydney,  among others. 

Theatre in Education! Someone's got to do it! Duncan is an actor living on Darkinjung land on the coast. He has worked in Australian TV, theatre and voice-over for the last 20 years (and then some).  Credits include Reckless (SBS), He Had it Coming (Stan), Deadloch, The Letdown, We Interrupt This Broadcast, The Messenger, At Home with Julia, Laid, Comedy Inc, Life Support, All Saints and Home...

This story is called WALLY. Hold on to your paddles, it’s the swinging 70’s!  Michael Kilp was born and bred on the central coast.  He and his wife ran the paddleboat business, Aquafun, on Avoca Beach Lagoon for 26 years, hence his nickname, Paddleboat Mick.  Mick never dreamed he could write a great story but he had a lot locked in him. Bravewords writing courses have drawn them out and our commu...

Linda is a medical practitioner and writer. She works across essay, memoir and fiction. She has been widely published, featuring in Australian Book review, Kill Your Darlings, Westwords Living Stories, Zinewest, Grieve 2024 and Persephone Literary Journal, amongst others. Her debut novel will be published in February 2027 by Summit Simon and Schuster, and she is currently featuring in Parramatta&#...

Rob is co-host of Bravewords Live, alongside his wife Adrienne Ferreira. Rob is an actor, writer and director. His current story telling show, VIRGIN IN A KNIFE FIGHT, is touring nationally in 2026. For more information follow @robbyjcarlton on insta. Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

Luke Carman’s debut work of fiction,  An Elegant Young Man , won the 2014 NSW Premier’s New Writing Award and was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal, the Steele Rudd Short Story Prize and the Readings New Writing Award. His essay collection,  Intimate Antipathies , was published in June 2019. His collection of stories,  An Ordinary Ecstasy , was published in July 2022. Luke is the 2025 Judy Harris...

Donne Restom is a singer, writer and storyteller. She is the founder of sell-out storytelling event,  Kink in the Tale: Storytelling for Grownups  and her debut one woman show,  Everyone in my Family is Dead or About to be  was nominated for Sydney Fringe 2024’s Best in Theatre Award. Donné has written and released three albums, and her fourth is scheduled for release next year. Tix for Donne'...

Stephanie was brought up in Penrith – when it was still a semi-rural town, rather than an outer suburb of Sydney. Stephanie left school at 15, doing a variety of jobs while trying to complete my education: cleaning, nursing aide, process worker. Most of Steph's working life was spent in Sydney courts andtribunals, as a transcription typist, then training court typists and recording monitors. Steph...

Bravewords - true stories told well. The first story in this podcast series is DUBROVNIK, written and told by Bravewords founder, Adrienne Ferreira. Adrienne is an author and writing coach and co-host of Bravewords Live. Her writing studio, Bravewords, is based on the Central Coast of NSW. Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

Rob is co-host of Bravewords Live, alongside his wife Adrienne Ferreira. Rob is an actor, writer and director. His current story telling show, VIRGIN IN A KNIFE FIGHT, is touring nationally in 2026. For more information follow @robbyjcarlton on insta. Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

Ross Markey is a Central Coast writer. Music Courtesy of Sean Peter.

Nadia Townsend is a writer, director, dramaturg and actor whose work has taken her from the sands of Namibia on  Mad Max  to the heart of Darra in Queensland on  Boy Swallows Universe . This year she has contributed to script development with Goalpost Pictures, directed two new theatre works, completed a short film ( The Great Divide ), and begun writing a new play with Luke Carman, supported by W...