Bravewords

A family gets the train to Sydney to collect their new son. CAROLINE ANNE BUTT was born in North Sydney. She grew up on Sydney's Lower North Shore, in a non-affluent, stable and loving home. She was a highly religious, innocent and nerdy girl. She's been a Share Clerk, school teacher, tutor, painter, researcher and writer.  Her published works have been an eclectic mix: writing for children, magaz...

When Toby needed to become the primary carer of his first born child, he needed help. Toby’s childhood memoir ‘Two Mums & a Dad’ was published in 2021. The promotional rounds for that book included interviews on TV and radio, coverage in newspapers, and talks at writers festivals and libraries. A number of Toby’s short stories have been published in magazines, converted into podcasts and broad...

Susan's 96 year old mum met Stan. This is their story. Susan Hampton  is a writer and a poet. She’s taught writing at manyAustralian universities.  She Co-edited  The Penguin Book of AustralianWomen Poets .  Surly Girls , performance pieces and short stories, won the Steele Rudd Award in 1990. The  Kindly Ones , a long narrative poem, won the 2006 Judith Wright Award. Last year, her memoir  An...

A recently separated man 'enjoys' his new found freedom at a friend's wedding in Koh Samui, Thailand. DARREN GILSHENAN. After graduating from NIDA in 1988, Darren began his career in musical theatre before spending 10 years with The Bell Shakespeare Company. He followed this up with three years on the sketch comedy Full Frontal , and along with starring in high-profile roles on Austral...

To Be Or Not to Be, will he love me? Anna Downes is invited to an acting school reunion. Anna Downes is the internationally bestselling author of The Safe Place, The Shadow House, and Red River Road ( shortlisted for the 2025 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year), as well as the Penguin Voices audio exclusive Break Me Down. Born and raised in Sheffield, UK, she studied Drama at the University of...

Lesley remembers a time when, with 3 kids under three, life got tough. Some notes from Lesley: Being the end of mental health month, I thought my story would be relevant.    After a long admission to a mental health unit and a lot of work on myself.  I became a volunteer then was employed by Gosford Mental health Centre, at the time it was Mandala,  I worked for seventeen years at both Gosford and...

One hand, one jar, one job! Brenton Johnson is a local to the central coast. This is his first time writing, and reading a story. Brenton discovered Bravewords through an introductory course with Adrienne that his wife recommended. He's now hoping to one day complete a memoir. We think he should! Music courtesy of Sean Peter

A young actor and their side hustle - playing fairies at parties isn't always magic! Nadia Townsend is a director, writer, and dramaturg with over 20 years experience across film and theatre. She began her career as an actor, training through a run of independent theatre productions before moving into screen work, where she became part of the main cast of  Head Start ,  City Homicide , and  Fi...

Luke's great mate helps him with a break up... 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 p...

Sometimes straight A students have to skip school. 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, th...

What happens when a 17 year old policeman is given guns... lots of guns. Ross Markey is a Central Coast write. His work has been published in Island Magazine. Ross was in the youngest squad of the last intake of 16 year olds into the Victoria Police Force. Music courtesy of Sean Peter

A young girl and her new family travel to a magical India! Kate Ayrton is a transmedia producer, screenwriter and travel writer. She has had stories published in the US and Australia, and is currently working on her first novel. Born in Australia but schooled abroad, she now lives on the Central Coast. Music courtesy of Sean Peter

A new dad takes on the role of primary carer to follow his wife to Singapore for her career opportunities. Toby’s childhood memoir ‘Two Mums & a Dad’ was published in 2021. The promotional rounds for that book included interviews on TV and radio, coverage in newspapers, and talks at writers festivals and libraries. A number of Toby’s short stories have been published in magazines, converted in...

Just one suburban day decades ago, a 6 year old boy begins his journey towards being a dad! Jeremy Gilroy is a TV editor and producer, a father of four, and a sporting tragic who lives in Avoca Beach on the NSW Central Coast. Despite their limited education, Jeremy’s parents were both avid readers whose love language was language itself; playing with it, teaching it, and finding the right turn of...

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.