Leah Ginnivan takes next step to becoming published Darwin author

The chance to practice a hobby uninterrupted by day-to-day life is rare, but that’s just what one Territorian did. Here’s how she benefited from the experience.

Leah Ginnivan is one of three Territory writers who was awarded a two-week writers’ residency at Varuna in the Blue Mountains. She is working on her manuscript, Delicate Tropical Flower.

Few hobbyists get the chance to spend uninterrupted time honing their craft, but emerging author Leah Ginnivan was lucky enough to be granted just that.

After spending two weeks in the Blue Mountains at an immersive writers’ residency, Ms Ginnivan is optimistic about the chance to publish her first manuscript, Delicate Tropical Flower.

She said the highlight of her trip was being able to workshop her ideas with “the more established writers”.

“I was able to start a few new pieces as well as develop my old work,” she said.

Ms Ginnivan’s manuscript is a series of nonfiction essays about the Darwin lifestyle and community, and she hopes it will serve as a “reflection of a place and time”.

Leah Ginnivan (third from the right) is one of three Territory writers who was awarded a two-week writers’ residency at Varuna in the Blue Mountains. She is working on her manuscript, Delicate Tropical Flower.

Alice Springs author Dani Powell, who was also awarded a residency, will head to Varuna in May.

Ms Powell’s manuscript, The Weight of Birds, tells the story of a boy and his mother, and follows her characters’ journey through grief.

She said she looked forward to the chance to “immerse” herself in her work, which can be difficult to achieve in an everyday context.

“It’s an incredibly supportive environment,” Ms Powell said, noting she would be joined by five other writers during her residency.

“You do feel a great deal of support in that, knowing that everyone else is struggling with the same thing.”

Varuna writers’ house is in the Blue Mountains. It offers a supportive environment for emerging and established authors, including many one-on-one consultations with mentors.

The NT government partners with Varuna to support three Territorian writers each year, with funding of $16,600 covering travel, accommodation, and consultation fees at Varuna.

Arts, Culture, and Heritage Minister Chansey Paech said the Territory was home to a “vibrant community of writers”.

“The in-house and virtual residencies at Varuna have already demonstrated value with a number of works published as a result of these fellowships.”

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