UTS Writers’ Anthology

Uhh, as far as I recall, I think we were talking about the the process and and the difficulties of getting published, and Drusilla Modjeska came up with the idea of an anthology because she thought it would also be good training in in editing and looking at other people's work critically.

They choose the content and that content is chosen without knowing the names of any of the any of the contributors from from a year's worth of work that students submit. They make all the editorial decisions, they come up with the title of the journal, they talk about covers with the designers, they edit the work and then they're responsible for the launch – or multiple launches sometimes. They're really responsible for the full process.

It was definitely more than I expected. It's not just being an editor in the committee, it's also taking on marketing, taking on social media, PR and working kind of throughout the whole year, throughout the publishing process.

It was it was so fascinating to see the breadth of talent that UTS has and that's available for UTS students, and it was just absolutely fantastic to be able to read all of that and see that.

It was so exciting to find out that the work was was accepted. I feel like with writing, a lot of the time you're kind of writing something by yourself in your room, often not that many people read what you've written so the fact that I'd written these stories that were going to be published in a book was very exciting. I can't wait to for it to come out.

I do remember one memorable launch. It was this one, actually. What you do and don't want. One of the students who published a piece, sam Twyford-Moore, had written a piece that referenced the author Frank Moorhouse, so I invited Frank Moorhouse to see if he'd come and launch it and thinking he absolutely wouldn't, but he did. 

Oh my god.

Oh! I thought this was only going to be electronic.

Oh my god! 

Oh! A present, thank you. 

Oh wow!

That's you, babes. That's us.

Amazing.

Look at that.

Look at this.

I ran writing workshops out at Eastwood Public School and a student enrolled in year four I think there and continued studying writing with me through to year 12, and then came here to UTS. And – where is she – in here, she's late for lunch.

What i'm seeing is that I am among friends in in this one. I feel connected with both of these, thank you.

The UTS Writers' Anthology continues to be one of the most exciting public displays of the outstanding student works that emerge from FASS's world-class writing program, and i'm immensely proud to be here to witness the celebration of its 40-year history.