Omnibus!

Inspired by social observations, ‘Selfie Swipe’ is a short story that chronicles a morning in the life of Maddy, a younger-millennial internet dating addict. The story was selected for Omnibus!, Cagibi’s 2020 print issue anthology, that celebrates short fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Thank you to Sylvie Bertrand and Christopher X. Shade — the journal’s generous and brilliant co-founders.

omnibus! was published in october 2020 and launched via crowdcast from New York City in december 2020.

Achill

Along Ireland’s scenic, rustic and aptly-named Wild Atlantic Way, west of Westport, is Achill: Ireland’s largest island. There, among the ancient mountains and boglands, is the remnants of Slievemore Village. This community was devastated in the 1850s during the Irish Famine. ‘Achill’ is a travel essay that observes place, tourism and Ireland’s ‘holocaust’.

Wanderlust Journal, a New Mexico-based literary travel journal, selected this piece for their March 2020 issue. It sits alongside reportage from Costa Rica, England, Canada, Laos and Spain. Readers have said it is charming and haunting, engaging and evocative.

‘Achill’ was published by Wanderlust on 1 March 2020.

Jungles

'Jungles' is a memoir essay about a journey into the Bolivian Amazon Basin in 2009. A week with a Yuracaré family living a primarily traditional lifestyle in the depths of the jungle.

Alexander Rigby, Director of Publishing for literary magazine Allegory Ridge, says, “Jungles does a great job of exploring how we interact with nature in our current world, and how we need to strive better to protect our environment as climate change and wildfires become an even more serious problem”.

‘Jungles’ was published by Allegory Ridge on 11 March 2020.

Brabham: The Untold Story of Formula One

It was a wild ride to copyedit this biography of Sir Jack Brabham, an Australian motorsports pioneer and Formula One legend, written by Tony Davis with Akos Armont for HarperCollins Publishers.

I felt I was strapped into a boxcar and hurtling down the highway while vicariously on the journey of this man’s life. His free spirit was as abundant as his achievements. Davis and Armont comprehensively honour a complex man’s career and family life with great verve, insight and dry humour.

This book accompanies Brabham (2019), a documentary produced by Aurora Films.

harpercollins publishers released ‘brabham: the untold story of formula one’ in june 2019.

Selfie Swipe

‘Selfie Swipe’ is a short story about internet dating culture, with its endless possibilities, temptations and the strive for perfection. It is a commentary about the now.

Amy Dupcak, a New York-based editor, praises it as a “contemporary, of-the-moment piece with beautiful language and well-chosen details”. She enjoys how the reader is “effortlessly steered through Maddy’s Tinder addiction”.

My words are at home with Cagibi.

‘selfie swipe’ was nominated for a 2020 PEN america/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers.

Behind Each Selfie…

A profile essay about Michael Simms, an award-winning visual artist. This story intertwines two portraits — one written, the other on a canvas. In his Sydney-based studio, Michael invited me behind the scenes of his creative processes. I explore his reflective practices and consider the place of classical portraiture in our contemporary society selfie culture.

‘Behind Each Selfie…’ was selected for The Quotidian, the University of Sydney’s 2017 postgraduate anthology showcasing student writers.

Michael is an incredible talent, represented by Flinders Lane Gallery in Melbourne and a 2023 Archibald finalist.

‘behind each selfie is a self’ was published by Sydney University Press on 1 march 2018.

Rebel Spirit

A creative non-fiction blending travel writing — in the spirit of Paul Theroux and Robyn Davidson — with memoir to consider my place in the sweeping Irish diaspora.

Rebel Spirit is the product of three months of travelling and researching in Ireland and Northern Ireland to explore the legacy of political and literary rebellion.

‘Rebel Spirit’ is an unpublished 15,000-word dissertation that was awarded a high distinction by the University of Sydney’s English Department in 2018.

Texts and Human Experiences

My profile essay on Michael Simms — ‘Behind Each Selfie is a Self’ — was requested by educational publisher Qwiller for their 2019 edition of HSC English Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences. The anthology, including work by various authors including Stan Grant and Tim Winton, is available through Qwiller’s website.

This textured exploration of Michael’s artistic practices, and a layered critique of selfie culture, is a resource for senior English students across New South Wales to analyse human experiences, culture, language and creative non-fiction writing techniques.

‘behind each selfie is a self’ was modified and republished by qwiller (byron bay) in texts and human experiences in february 2019.

Technical copywriting and editing

I have worked with leading architects, interior designers and urban planners in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth to write compelling content of varying lengths for websites, social media platforms, industry award submissions and bid submissions.

I have advised on grammar, tone and style to encourage brand consistency, developed ideas into engaging content, and transformed heavy, technical details into engaging and readable content.

Samples are available on my LinkedIn portfolio.

Brain drip

New voices are important and exciting. In a vast and diverse country, there are endless stories to be told. To help celebrate emerging authors, I was a voluntary short story editor for Brain Drip. This online literary magazine was launched in Melbourne in 2018 and ran until 2020.

I Love Lucy

In February 2019, I enjoyed playing Desiree in ‘I Love Lucy’, a short play by Bara Swain, in Short+Sweet, the world’s “biggest little play festival”.

Swain is a highly talented writer with a deep interest in the human condition. She masters clever twists to drive up the drama, which leaves the audience with a complex moral dilemma.

Affirmation Cards

Artist Chanelle Elana approached me for help to proofread and refine the sentiments on her deck of 33 beautifully illustrated Affirmation Cards, a spiritual tool to help people rebalance, reconnect with their creativity, feel more energised and positive about themselves and life.