This is for writers! The Spring Central West Writers' Centre Words Out West Newsletter is now available. It has all the latest news on upcoming workshops including our Crime Writing Workshop with Peter Doyle and Moment Behind The Photo Workshop with ABC Open producer Luke Wong as well as writing competitions, opportunities, and lots more....To read and subscribe, head to the Central West Writers' Centre Words Out West Home Page: www.wordsoutwest.com.au Enjoy!

Varuna - The Writers' House - Katoomba is Highlighting two new programs for 2011:

WRITING FOR STAGE AND SCREEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESIDENCY 2011 Spend a week in residence with acclaimed writer of stage Katherine Thomson. Katherine will be in residence with four selected writers to provide individual consultations and group sessions to assist writers in guiding the development of their work to the next stage. Katherine will also provide a Masterclass on Saturday May 28, which is an optional extra for those in residence, and will also be made available to a larger group. Who should apply: Experienced writers for stage or screen should apply. The residential week will work best for those who are either ready to redraft, or in the early stages, planning and outlining their script and working on issues of structure, narrative or character. Important dates: Expressions of Interest sought in January. Residency to take place Monday May 23 – Sunday May 29, 2011. Costs to applicant: There is no cost to make an Expression of Interest. Residency fee for successful applicants is $1500. Optional masterclass is $100. For full details go to the Varuna website: varuna.com.au

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CRIME WEEK with Marele Day 2011 Spend a week in residence with acclaimed crime writer Marele Day. Marele will be in residence for two separate weeks with eight selected writers - four writers for August 29 – September 4 and four writers for October 17-23. She will provide individual consultations and group sessions to assist crime writers in developing their manuscript to the next stage. Marele will also provide a Masterclass on Saturday October 22, which is an optional extra for those in residence, at a cost of $100 and will also be made available to a larger group. Who should apply: Crime writers with a work in progress are welcome to apply. The residential week will work best for those who have a crime project which is well underway. Marele will meet with you twice during the week for a one-hour consultation and will facilitate one group session while in residence. Important dates: Applications sought February 1 - 28. Successful applicants will be announced on the website 30 March. Residencies (four writers in each) to take place Monday August 29 – Sunday September 4, and Monday October 17 – Sunday October 23. Costs to applicant: Application fee is $55. Residency fee for successful applicants is $300. Masterclass is $100. For full details head ot the Varuna website: varuna.com.au

NOTE: Varuna will be closed between 20-31 December, re-opening 4 January

Crime writer, Four Corners producer and investigative journalist, Sandra Harvey is to be commemorated in an inaugural Ned Kelly Award for Australian crime writing. The award, entitled the SD Harvey Ned Kelly Award will be for short stories in the crime writing genre, either crime fiction or creative nonfiction (eg literary journalism). Sponsors for the award are ABC Four Corners, The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance and The Sydney Morning Herald. Lindsay Simpson and Sandra co-authored the continuing bestseller, Brothers in Arms (1989) about the Milperra bikie massacre, the acclaimed My Husband My Killer (1992) and The Killer Next Door (1994) about the Sydney Granny Killer. In 2000 Sandra went on to write The Ghost of Ludwig Gertsch and her last book, Done Like a Dinner with Jennifer Cooke was published in 2007. Lindsay is the Head of journalism and writing at James Cook University. "Crime writing was her first love especially telling the facts using literary techniques. Truman Capote was our mentor." Sandra and Lindsay were recognised in 2007 for their contribution to Australian crime writing by receiving the prestigious Ned Kelly award for Lifetime Achievement in Crime Writing. This was the last occasion Sandra appeared in public before her death in January 2008. The winning entry will be published in The Sydney Morning Herald. Open to all writers. Entries close May 31. See website www.nedkellyawards.com/SDHarvey_guide for entry guidelines and entry form and more about the life and work of Sandra Harvey. Each year we will have a particular word which must have significance to the story and the inaugural word is 'farewell'.

Borders are "pleased to say they received over 2,500 entries from aspiring writers out there who wanted to be part of the AirBorne Chain Thriller. The judges had to put together a special taskforce to plough through the entries to come up with the 28 winning authors! The winners were contacted by email yesterday and have been asked to respond to Random House to commit to writing their chapter. Here are the winning names along with their postcode; Lisa Chambers (3084); Mika Harrison (3141); Andrew Taylor (3192); Kylie Williams (2111); Vanessa Garbin (6164); Greg Ong (6009); Emma Ellis (3029); Amanda Clark (3766); Danelle Kenny (4510); Sarah Ward (5040); Sam Stephens (2261); Julie McGlone (4573); Grant Heymer (2134); Ivana Troselj (2905); Fleur Holyland (4068); Marina Pasika (3185); Scott Jacobs (3122); Tina Evans (2213); Christopher Cowan (2115); Lauren Finger (2120); Peta Greenfield (2077); Edward Palmer (5161); Kelly Armstrong (3218); Peter Stone (3128); Dallas Bland (2612); Jennifer White (3463); Alan Donaldson (2323); Christopher Green (3216). Congratulations to the winners - and to everyone who entered - it's been truly great so far and we hope you stay along for the next stage, when we have prize pack giveaways, and after that when the chapters are revealed! - The Borders Team . Stay tuned for the first exciting chapter on March 20. Check this out - they put the entries into Wordle to make a word cloud and here they all are so far... http://www.borders.com.au/chain-thriller/word-cloud.asp."

Borders has just announced this competition with 28 winners going on to write a chapter of a book started by Australia's biggest selling crime author James Patterson in a world- first online chain story that takes place over 30 days. To enter the competition you have to add 250 words to the following "The sky had turned grey as the four men walked nervously past the police car...." Read all the details at: http://www.borders.com.au/home.asp

Regional writers from around Australia present a program of workshops, readings & discussions in romance, crime, poetry, young adult fiction and short story writing. And if you have a writing project you are seeking advice on, you can book in for a one-on-one consultation (each event $15). This is a great opportunity for budding writers to learn and enjoy! To book for an event please contact Varuna via email and then complete a booking form available on the website. For full timetable details & booking form go to www.varuna.com.au and the Varuna Community Open Day is being held on Saturday, 11 October from 2 to 4pm with readings and afternoon tea in the garden at Varuna – this is a free event. LongLines Community Week brings writers from all round Australia to Varuna specially to work with the writers of the Blue Mountains community. Supported by the Blue Mountains City Council through the Cultural Partnerships Program, LongLines Community Week is a thank you from Australia's regional writers to the Blue Mountains community for the gift of Varuna – The Writers' House.

The Crime Writers Association of Australia was set up in the mid 1990s to promote and encourage Australian crimewriting through the establishment of the Ned Kelly Awards. The 'annual Neddies' have subsequently become an eagerly anticipated fixture on the Australian literary scene and the winners of the Ned Kelly Awards 2008 are:

Best First Fiction: The Low Road, Chris Womersley (Scribe) Best Fiction: Shatter, Michael Robotham (Hachette Livre) Best Non-Fiction: Red Centre, Dark Heart, Evan McHugh (Penguin) Lifetime Achievement Award Marele Day. It is fantastic recognition for Michael Robotham who visited Orange as Ambassador for Books Alive. Check out the image gallery for the awards event at www.nedkellyawards.com