Dr Amanda Curtin is the author of two novels, Elemental and The Sinkings; a collection of short fiction, Inherited; and a work of narrative non-fiction, Kathleen O’Connor of Paris. She is currently working on a new novel, a work of historical fiction set in Ireland and gold-rush Perth and Coolgardie in the 1890s.
Aside from writing, she has been a freelance book editor for more than 30 years, and she occasionally works as a mentor and workshop presenter.
She lives in suburban Perth, Western Australia—traditional lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation—and works in a backyard studio among magpies, doves and old trees.
More about Amanda here. Interviews here and here, and also see the Media section.
Recipient of a Varuna Residential Fellowship for 2022
Nominated for the Alice Award (awarded biennially to an Australian woman who has made a long-term contribution to Australian literature), 2022, 2018
Recipient of the Western Australian Writer’s Fellowship, awarded 2020 (part of the WA Premier’s Book Awards)
Shortlisted for the inaugural Western Australian Writer’s Fellowship, 2019
Shortlisted for the 2014 WA Premier’s Book Awards (Fiction and People’s Choice categories) for Elemental
Short fiction awards: winner, University of Canberra National Short Story Award (joint winner), Katharine Susannah Prichard Short Fiction Award, Patricia Hackett Prize, Golden Key Award for Excellence in Fiction (Asia-Pacific); placed, International Short Story Conference Award; longlisted, Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Other: Wildcare Tasmania International Nature Writing Prize (runner-up); Lee Steere Western Australian History Prize; Special Commendation, Margaret Medcalf Award for outstanding achievement in the use of the State Archives collection
Funded residencies/fellowships: Varuna, the National Writers’ House (Australia); Sun Yat-sen University Writers Residency (China); Writers OMI (US); Tyrone Guthrie Centre (Ireland); Hawthornden (Scotland); Tasmanian Writers Centre (Australia)
Short fiction and essays in Griffith Review, Southerly, Island, Indigo, Westerly, Review of Australian Fiction, Early Days and anthologies
PhD in Writing
You can contact Amanda via the following form:
COPYRIGHT
Text and images on this site (unless otherwise attributed) © Amanda Curtin
‘Talking (new) fiction’, ‘2, 2 and 2’ and ‘3, 3 and 3’ series: interview responses © interviewees
looking up/looking down 
Dear Amanda,
Thanks for the fantastic writing workshop held at UWA on Tuesday. I really enjoyed the wild writing exercises and look forward to employing them as I start the sequel to my first novel, The Magpie’s Nest (the manuscript I submitted to UWAP on Tuesday. It’s set in a costume hire shop and is about an enchanted gown called Esmeralda).
I include for you the link to the blog post I wrote for the City of Perth regarding your seminar, which Kiri has put on the UWAP Facebook page. http://www.perthwinterarts.com.au/blog/pens-ready-uwa
I have bought your novel, Inherited, and look forward to consuming it on the plane to Melbourne this weekend.
Cordial regards,
Jacqueline Perry-Strickland
Hi Jacqueline. I’m so pleased to know you left the workshop feeling inspired. Your novel sounds intriguing—good luck with the submission. And what a great blog post for WinterArts! Thanks for the message, and I hope to see you again sometime. 🙂
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Amanda: if you wish to see by VERY brief review of “Elemental”,have a look at “Queenscliffe Herald”,August edition. You may recall I host “The Blurb”, a 2-hr weekly books program on Geelong community radio 94.7fm THE PULSE…streaming at http://www.947thepulse.com 2-4pm Tuesdays AEST.
I loved the book – as i told you – and i hope it gets the attentionb it deserves!
Bernard [ bpryan19945@bigpond.com]
Hi there Bernard! I certainly do recall—it was a great pleasure to talk to you on 94.7fm—and thank you so much for your wonderful support for Elemental. I’ll email you about the review 🙂
Amanda, I was born and raised in Orkney and then the Scottish Highlands in a small fishing village. Elemental awoke memories that had been resting for 40 years. It is hard to conceive that so many of the ideals and beliefs of the fisher folk survived to influence my childhood in the 60’s. Thank you for capturing the essence of the folk from the boatie shore.
Hello there (so sorry I don’t know your name!) and thank you very much for taking the trouble to write. It’s wonderful to know that you felt that kind of personal affinity with, and recognition of, Meggie’s world. Lovely to get feedback like this. Thanks again—I do appreciate it. 🙂
Amanda
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Hello Amanda, I have just started reading Elemental and can’t put it down. My great-great aunt Charlotte Walker was one of the Collieston wifies who carried their men out to the boat, so that wonderfully haunting description had me almost in tears. All the best, Heather
Thank you so much, Heather! What a rich history you have in your family. I passed through Collieston during my research, and I remember reading a lot about it, as they have done a wonderful job of recording and honouring their history. Best wishes to you.