Emerging Writers Festival

Writers! The Emerging Writers' Festival is always terrific (whether you’re an emerging writer or not). Most writers' festivals are actually readers' festivals - they focus on the content of the books under discussion. But the Emerging Writers' Festival focuses in the loveliest way on the act of writing, and on being a writer. And yes, all writers' festivals struggle with where to put the apostrophe! From Wednesday 14 - Saturday 24 June, EWF invites you to discover new stories, new voices, and new worlds. Over eleven days, dive into performances, [...]

2023-05-25T20:20:39+10:00May 25th, 2023|Aaron Fa'Aoso, Author Talk, Writing|3 Comments
Read More

‘Conversations’ on ABC Radio

Truly, one of the best podcasts in the world has to be ABC Radio's 'Conversations'. Such a simple concept - an hour long chat with one person, about their life, or an aspect of it. I must have listened to hundreds of episodes and each one is surprising in different ways. Often the most interesting episodes are with people I've never heard of, simply because their stories are so fascinating. Don't take my word for it though - the podcast has been downloaded over a million times, by listeners all [...]

2022-10-27T16:24:45+11:00October 27th, 2022|Aaron Fa'Aoso, Author Interviews|0 Comments
Read More

Unusual publication deal includes $20,000 in donations

Our  publishing deal for So Far, So Good was a bit unusual - it included substantial donations to Indigenous-led charities. Pantera Press have issued a media release about it, which I've included in full below. Do you have thoughts? I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment, below, and let me know. Pantera Foundation donates $10,000 each to Seed Mob and the Indigenous Literacy Foundation on release of So Far, So Good by Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker In February 2021 Pantera Press acquired world rights for So Far, So [...]

2022-09-08T18:30:41+10:00September 8th, 2022|Aaron Fa'Aoso, Writing|4 Comments
Read More

So Far, So Good – Publication Day!

Today our book is officially out in the world. Three years ago today (yes, exactly today - I checked!) Aaron and I started talking about working together on this project.  I can’t tell you if this book is any good – that’s for others to say – but I can tell you that I gave it everything I had. We were introduced by the literary agents who represent us both – Jacinta Di Mase and Danielle Binks, from JDM Management. Aaron had some really powerful things he wanted to say; [...]

2022-08-30T14:46:33+10:00August 30th, 2022|Aaron Fa'Aoso, Writing|10 Comments
Read More

Cover Reveal!

So here it is, our beautiful cover. Aaron and I are very moved by the support we've received for the book already. ‘Honest and deeply affecting … a love letter to family, community and culture full of laugh-out-loud moments, heartbreaking lessons and the importance of what really matters in this life.’ DEBORAH MAILMAN ‘A compelling read. Of a man who’s endured so much so early. Of a man connected to his people … a pure storyteller who, because of his trials, has found a compassionate voice full of dignity.’ MATT [...]

2022-07-01T13:46:07+10:00July 1st, 2022|Aaron Fa'Aoso|3 Comments
Read More

And what does an editor do, exactly?

This isn't, of course, a question I can answer. I'm not an editor. But I can tell you something about what it is like to be edited. And the short answer is: it's wonderful. For my next book, So Far So Good, I've been working closely with Pantera Publishing's Senior Editor Anne Reilly and she has been an absolute delight. Her editorial (and, later, her author emotional support) comments were invariably insightful, always practical and often hilarious. The draft manuscript was submitted just before Christmas. At about 80,000 words it [...]

2022-06-10T16:43:14+10:00June 10th, 2022|Aaron Fa'Aoso, Work in Progress, Writing|4 Comments
Read More

Lost at Sandy Gallop Asylum

Sandy Gallop Asylum Source: ABC News     I've been trying to source information about the great-grandfather of my memoir subject (my subject is Aaron Fa'Aoso, his great-grandfather was Guy Townson). Aaron remains very close to his Nan, was essentially raised by her, and Guy was her father. The following excerpt from the draft manuscript is Aaron's recollection of Guy's heartbreaking story. Guy Townson was the skipper of a pearling ketch, and he spent the last years of his life in a mental hospital in Ipswich, in southern [...]

2022-02-12T12:50:12+11:00February 12th, 2022|Aaron Fa'Aoso, Work in Progress|2 Comments
Read More

So I’ve had some interesting news…

I've been working on my next book, now, for over a year. For most of that time I wasn't entirely sure if it would go ahead. But I knew there was a terrific story there, and I knew it was an important one, and I knew that the time was right to be telling it. I just wasn't sure whether there was a publisher out there who might agree. Reader, there was. MEDIA RELEASE PANTERA PRESS ACQUIRES DEBUT MEMOIR BY AARON FA’AOSO IN SIX FIGURE DEAL Pantera Press has bought [...]

2021-05-14T19:58:19+10:00February 22nd, 2021|Aaron Fa'Aoso, Writing|2 Comments
Read More

Shortlisted! Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship

In exciting news, I've been shortlisted for the 2021 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship, worth $15,000. The shortlisting is for a project I've been quietly working on for a while - I'm (ghost) writing a memoir for Aaron Fa’Aoso, Torres Strait Islander actor, film and television writer, director and producer. You can read more about my newest project here. And stay tuned, there is even more exciting news to come! The Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship was established by the family and friends of Hazel Rowley, one of the world’s leading biographers, to [...]

2021-01-14T11:24:19+11:00January 14th, 2021|Aaron Fa'Aoso, Work in Progress, Writing|4 Comments
Read More
Go to Top