Congratulations to the ten playwrights who have been shortlisted for the Australian Writers’ Guild’s prestigious Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting. The prize was launched in 2021 to celebrate and reward outstanding achievements in new Australian playwriting. $10,000 is awarded to the winner of each category, with a further $40,000 to be shared evenly among shortlisted…
Continue readingThe tributes are flowing in and so they should, of course. But not many Australian writers would, on their passing, receive such a measure of respect as has been shown to Ray Kolle, not only here but in the English press as well. ‘Legendary’ is the word they are using. It’s hardly surprising. Ray Kolle,…
Continue readingFriday 9 October 2026 – The Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) invites emerging writers to apply to take part in the forthcoming two-day in-person masterclass entitled In the Writers’ Room facilitated by Terence McCarthy on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026 in Perth. Supported by Screenwest and the Western Australian Government the masterclass will give 20 participants a thorough understanding of how a professional writers’ room operates. From the basics of what…
Continue readingThursday 8 October 2026 – The Australian Writers’ Guild is pleased to celebrate the eight emerging writers selected as national finalists for The Next Brilliant Career, an initiative created by Netflix ANZ in partnership with the AWG and Australia’s eight State and Territory Screen Agencies. Congratulations to: Representing every state and territory across Australia, the…
Continue readingFriday 4 September – The Australian Writers’ Guild is pleased to announce the 12 screenwriters who have been selected to participate in First Break VIC in-person, a unique professional development workshop designed to give talented, aspiring screenwriters a leg up in the industry through practical training in note-taking and script coordinating. Delivered with support from VicScreen, the one-day in-person workshop…
Continue reading1 September 2026 – As part of your Guild’s effort to recoup historical unpaid superannuation, we ask that members who have been commissioned to write a television script by any of the following production companies please contact industrial@awg.com.au. The production companies are: The Australian Tax Office (ATO)and Creative Workplaces have recently published guidance confirming script writers’ entitlement to superannuation. A…
Continue reading18 August 2026 – The AWGIE Awards recognise and reward the outstanding achievements of Australian performance writers and their contribution to Australian culture and the arts. Entries are open for eligible screen, stage, interactive and audio works that finished principal photography or production or had a first performance between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025 (please check individual categories…
Continue reading11 August 2026 – The Australian Writers’ Guild is pleased to announce the 11 screenwriters who have been selected to participate in First Break VIC online, a unique professional development program designed to give talented, aspiring screenwriters a leg up in the industry through practical training in note-taking and script coordinating. Delivered with support from VicScreen, the three-day online…
Continue readingTo celebrate the upcoming release of My Brilliant Career and the legacy of pioneering author Miles Franklin, Netflix ANZ, in partnership with the Australian Writers’ Guild and Australia’s eight State and Territory Screen Agencies, is today launching ‘The Next Brilliant Career’. The initiative invites emerging Australian writers who identify as women or non-binary to submit original, authentically-Australian…
Continue reading‘I have always loved writers,’ said Angela on being appointed the Guild’s first Executive Director in 1983. ‘Well, who could imagine running an organisation that looked after producers. Ugh.’ It was no accident that Angela would become a great manager of writers’ organisations. With a love of books and the theatre and a degree in…
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