Last year, on behalf of Elwood Writers, Barry Lee Thompson and I had the pleasure of judging submissions to the American Writers Review (AWR) annual literary contest. The editor of San Fedele Press, D Ferrara, themed the 2025 entries to both contest and anthology as ‘Buyers’ Remorse’. Writers these days are encouraged to be good literary citizens, … Continue reading Join the 2026 AWR Contest: ‘The Truth Will Set You Free’
Category: Announcement
A Change is Gonna Come*
"Live like a mighty river. Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change." This sentiment, attributed to the Buddha, becomes more relevant for me as I grow older. If I Iearned one thing during Lockdown, it's that everything changes all the time. And so it is with … Continue reading A Change is Gonna Come*
Radio Stars
UK author and media personality Richard Osmond recently announced on his own podcast that audio books are the fastest-growing format in the publishing industry. The reason being that you can listen to an audio book while driving, gardening, lulling yourself to sleep or even … ironing! In other words, you are free to multitask – … Continue reading Radio Stars
Buy Now, Regret Later – a literary contest
We've all done it. Experienced buyer's remorse, that is. That pair of '70s bell bottoms you thought you looked so good in, but rarely fitted into. The gifts you've stored for years for which you've never found a suitable recipient. A life - maybe - you've bought into, but since wondered about. What about when … Continue reading Buy Now, Regret Later – a literary contest
Books, Bans, and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation
Persimmon Tree is a US literary publication for women over the age of sixty. (I just qualify!) Recently the magazine called for subscribers to offer their thoughts on ‘The Assault on the Cultural and Intellectual Life of America’. As my country, Australia, has just emerged from a spirited national election, in which the vote shifted … Continue reading Books, Bans, and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation
Elwood Writers on the Radio
It's been an honour to read stories on Tim McQueen's literary radio program 'Cover to Cover'. Members of my group Elwood Writers loved recording in the Vision Australia studio. Barry Lee Thompson's story 'Haunting in Bandung' captures the former glory of an Indonesian hotel where the visiting narrator encounters more guests than he'd bargained on. … Continue reading Elwood Writers on the Radio
Reading for Radio
At Elwood Writers we are preparing our stories for Cover to Cover, a literary program broadcast on Vision Australia Radio. On this occasion Helen, Barry and I are choosing a selection of our pieces, including past favourites. 'The Writers' Choice', as we've named it, has no set theme, although one does inevitably emerge. A hint: … Continue reading Reading for Radio
Our Stories in 20 Artists
Early in 2023 (remember that year?) the Elwood Writers were invited to submit stories and poems to 20 Artists, a Port Phillip based magazine. The first literary edition of the visual arts/lit mag was published and launched in December and is now available on the 20 Artists' website. Read about 'Handwritten Issue One' in the … Continue reading Our Stories in 20 Artists
A Literary Soiree
It's summer in Melbourne, but you might not know it. Rain poured down during our Elwood Writers' summer soiree this December. If you can imagine, it was a bit like inviting our guests to a literary Key Largo. No Lauren Bacall or Humphrey Bogart to hand, but we battened down the hatches nevertheless, and enjoyed … Continue reading A Literary Soiree
Elwood Writers on the Radio
Elwood Writers ‘Adelaide’ stories will re-air in late December on Vision Australia Radio (VAR). While not definite, we believe they will feature on Thursday 29 December. VAR's Cover to Cover.(CTC) program is showcasing its 'best of ...' from Boxing Day 2022 until 6 January 2023. Elwood Writers feature-program has something for everybody: poetry, sci-fi, dream-fiction … Continue reading Elwood Writers on the Radio
WRITINGS AND MUSINGS OF MARGARET MCCAFFREY 