Karen Andrews: BA (Cultural Studies and Cultural Policy), Grad Dip (Information Studies), MA (Literature)
Author and Publisher at Miscellaneous Press
Former Program Manager at the Emerging Writers’ Festival and Projects Officer at the Centre for Youth Literature (CYL) at the State Library of Victoria
Mentor for Writers Victoria
Twitter and Instagram: @KarenAndrewsAU
Publications
‘Halloween’ (poem), FourW, 2020
‘The year has moulded our hearts into mystifying new shapes’ and ‘Never call yourself lazy’ (poems), These Tiny Threads Remind Me: The Written in the Time of COVID-19 anthology, 2020
‘Christmas Day’ (poem), FourW, 2019
‘Rehabilitation’ (poem), Verandah 34, 2019
Trust the Process: 101 Tips on Writing and Creativity, Miscellaneous Press, 2017
On The Many Shapes Bodies Will Take, Miscellaneous Press, 2017
‘The Defiant Night’ (poem), Tincture, ed. 12, 2015
‘Where are all the Bookshops?’ (essay), Island 131, 2012
Crying in the Car: Reflections on Life and Motherhood, Miscellaneous Press, 2012
‘After the Fact’, The Emerging Writer, 2012
‘An Existence in Heat’ (short story), dotdotdash, ed.8, 2011
‘Fashion Faux Pas’ (poem), page seventeen, 2011
‘If the Blood Had Come’ (essay), Sound of Silence: Journeys Through Miscarriage, 2011
‘Blessed be the Fish’ (poem), Verandah 26, 2011
Miscellaneous Voices: Australian Blog Writing #1 (editor and publisher) (Miscellaneous Press, 2010)
Surprise! (Miscellaneous Press, 2008)
Awards
Winner, 2022 – ‘First Taste’ in the poetry section of the Nillumbik Prize Contemporary Writing 2022 (local division)
Shortlisted, 2021 – ‘Changing the Sheets Before Lockdown’ in the 2021 Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize
Shortlisted, 2020 – ‘The Vegetable Garden’ for creative non-fiction (local division) and ‘The Playground’ for short story (local division) in the Nillumbik Prize Contemporary Writing 2020
Winner, 2018 – ‘Bodies are always made of light’ in the Nillumbik Ekphrasis Poetry Award (local division)
Winner, 2017 – ‘Miriam and Mildred’ in the Alan Marshall Short Story Award (local division)
Highly Commended, 2017 – ‘A Writers’ Strength’ in the Nillumbik Ekphrasis Poetry Award (local division)
Highly Commended, 2015 – ‘A Brother’s Funeral’ in the Write Now! Short Story Competition
Highly Commended, 2013 – ‘On the Many Shapes Bodies Will Take’ in the Nillumbik Ekphrasis Poetry Award
Winner, 2009 – ‘At The Park‘ in the Ellen Gudrun Kastan Literary Awards (poetry division)
“(This poem) lightly though pointedly…observes three generations at the park, and comments on the human comedy of their inter-connected cross-generational fate.” Judge, John Jenkins.
Winner, 2008 – ‘The Appointment‘ the Alan Marshall Short Story Award (local division)
“Moving and tautly-written, every detail rings true in this piece.” Judge, Cate Kennedy.
Selected Press
Media mentions include Sunday Life magazine, Australia Today magazine, and Mamamia and multiple metropolitan and regional newspapers articles and radio appearances.
Finalist in the 2012 Best Australian Blogs Competition (Parenting category)
Finalist in the 2011 Best Australian Blogs Competition (Personal/Lifestyle category)
YouTube and the Indulgence of Memory, July 2013, The Wheeler Centre
The Wheeler Centre Working with Words, November 2012
Kill Your Darlings Podcast with Estelle Tang on Miscellaneous Voices
‘From Blog to Brand: An Interview with the Miscellaneous Mum‘ (PR Warrior)
‘Writing Mothers: Karen Andrews’ by Kirsten Krauth (wild colonial blog)
Selected Articles
Book review of Claustrophobia by Tracy Ryan in The Big Issue, Aug 2014 and The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters in The Big Issue, Sept 2014
‘5 new apps for primary school children‘ Essential Kids
‘Taming the tresses‘ Kidspot
‘Seventeen Inches‘ The Hoopla
‘Birth according to plan – or not!’ Melbourne’s Child Website
‘Beyond Twelve Months: What are the issues of breastfeeding the older infant?’ in Coles Baby Magazine
‘Climate Control’ in Coles Baby Magazine
Academia
Browne, K (2000) A post-Freudian interpretation of Matthew Lewis’ The Monk. Masters Thesis: Macquarie University.
Areas of Writing Interest
Children’s Health; Literature and Wider (Pop) Culture; Blogging, Personal Narrative and Memoir.
