"When I write, I go places. I'm my most me when it's just one-letter-after-another-letter-after-another... etching myself into my own skin. Writing is my idea of escape – but to the truth."
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DEBORAH HUFF-HORWOOD is a writer from Canberra, Australia who creates compelling stories around themes of creativity, resilience, hope and loss. Writing is her thing. A full-time thing, and she's never happier than when seated at her desk with the sound of silence and her laptop. She scoops ideas from her life and wrangles the words into smooth and slippery sentences, jostles the verbs and prods the nouns until they are the very best they can be. She teases and squeezes and tempts even the shy little words to come out to play, and loves telling people how thrilling that is. She's doing well. Remarkably well! Scroll down to read her 41 awards, short-listings and long-listings in writing competitions since April 2020. Deborah is published in 15 anthologies as a result of entering competitions. She writes novels (Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult), picture books, short stories, poetry and playscripts. She's actively involved. Memberships have included: SCBWI — Society of Children's Book Writers And Illustrators CBCA — Children's Book Council Of Australia ASA — Australian Society of Authors SCWC —South Coast Writers' Centre QWC — Queensland Writers' Centre NSW Writers MARION – Canberra Writers Centre Deborah made appearances reading at the South Coast Writer's Centre Poetry Awards in March '21, and in Broken Hill at the Under The Silver Tree Writing Awards in April '21. She is a passionate advocate of the Freefall writing technique. She has been a regular contributor to Writers' Reading Hour with Love Street Writers and member of SCBWI Picture Book critique groups. Deborah is also a Costume Designer:
Work In Progress:
Deborah was formerly:
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PUBLICATIONS since April 2020:
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Another short story is published online at https://www.underthesilvertree.com/store-policies.
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AWARDS & COMMENDATIONS
- Gained a coveted place in 'Between The Lines' – MARION's facilitated creative reading program for writers (Feb 2024)
- COSTUME DESIGN: Won Outstanding Costume Design for AMADEUS, in The Ovations (Canberra & Queanbeyan Performing Arts) Awards (Feb 2023)
- COSTUME DESIGN: Nominated for Best Costumes for a Play, for AMADEUS, in the CAT (Combined Area Theatre) Awards (Dec 2023)
- Assorted writings helped to reach shortlisted interview stage for MARION's Anne Edgeworth Emerging Writers Fellowship (June 2023)
- Short Story, It's Always The Sea longlisted for Furphy Literary Award (June 2023)
- Short Story, Bird's Eye View longlisted for Furphy Literary Award (June 2023)
- Short Story, No More Scratching At The Page won Commended in Under The Silver Tree Writing Competition (May 2023)
- Monologue Waiting For The Envelope shortlisted for Rep Theatre ACT's 'The Logues' competition (April 2023)
- Assorted writings helped gain a coveted place in 'Hidden Nerve' – MARION's year-long program on the art of writing prose (April 2023)
- Memoir A Finely Tortured Thing won First Prize in the FAWQ Gloria Anderlini Memoir Competition (Sep 2022)
- Won the South Coast Writers Centre Emerging Writers Mentorship Program – General Stream (Sep 2022)
- Short Story Heart Weeding won the Griefline Prize in the Grieve Project/anthology established by the Hunter Writers Centre (Aug 2022)
- Short story Mountainside won HC in Short Stories Unlimited, Winter Competition. (Aug 2022)
- Poem Our Writing Group won a prize in Writing NSW 30th Anniversary Writing Competition (Aug 2022)
- Short story Her Scented Walk published in the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) anthology ‘ACE 3' (Jul 2022)
- YA novel Jemima Is Stardust won a scholarship for Manuscript Mentorship with award-winning author Tabitha Bird (Jul 2022)
- Short Story The End Is Round won Highly Commended (Open Section) in the Under The Silver Tree Short Story Competition and published online at https://www.underthesilvertree.com/store-policies (Jun 2022)
- Synopsis for YA novel Jemima Is Stardust shortlisted for The Darling Axe, Synopsis Skirmish Competition (Canada) (Jun 2022)
- Rhyming children's story Annie The Wonder-Witch published in Anthology Angels, 'It's A Kind Of Magic' (May 2022)
- Poem Sheets Creak longlisted for South Coast Writers' Centre 2022 Poetry Awards (Apr 2022)
- Flash fiction Penny, On Pillows published in South Coast Writers' Centre anthology 'Legacies' (Mar 2022)
- Short Story In Her Eyes published in ACT Family History 2021 Anthology (after entering E M Fletcher Prize) (Jan 2022)
- Adult fiction novel (80,000 words) Katie's Road Trip selected for Subsidised Manuscript Development through Queensland Writers' Centre (Nov 2021)
- Pitch for Middle grade novel (55,000 words) The Cumulus Island Challenge longlisted for Just Write For Kids Australia, Pitch It! Competition (Oct 2021)
- Short story Greenthing longlisted for the Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Competition (Oct 2021). In April 2022 it was published in Hawkeye Books’ 2021 Anthology ‘Jump’
- Short story Just Don't Stop shortlisted for the Growlife Medical Essay Competition (Aug 2021)
- Short story Waiting For The Envelope received Honourable Mention in Word Periscope Flash 1500 Competition (UK) (Jun 2021)
- Short story The Suitcase shortlisted for Rhiza Edge Short Story Competition (May 2021). In July 2021 it was published in the Rhiza Edge anthology, The Opposite Of Disappearing
- Rhyming children's story The Nurgle Of The Elms published in Anthology Angels, Once Upon A Whoops! (Aug 2021)
- Short story Our Trip To The Blowhole won 1st Prize (Memoir Category) in the Under The Silver Tree Writing Competition (Apr 2021) and read aloud at UTST Awards ceremony at Broken Hill Art Collective by the author
- Micro-fiction Pressing Herself' shortlisted for Geminga competition run by Sunspot Literary Journal (USA) (Apr 2021)
- Short story The Camellia Garden won Highly Commended in the Stringybark Open Short Story Award (Apr 2021). In July 2021 it was published in the Stringybark Anthology 'The Mirror'
- Short storiy Within and Without longlisted for the second edition of Aniko Press magazine (Mar 2021)
- Short story Fracture longlisted for the second edition of Aniko Press magazine (Mar 2021)
- Prose-poem Let Me Sing You The Sea shortlisted for the South Coast Writers Centre Poetry Award (Mar 2021) and read aloud at SCWC Awards ceremony at Wollongong Art Gallery by the author
- Short story The Suitcase won 3rd Prize in the Port Stephens Literature Award 2020 (Dec 2020)
- Short story The Suitcase won Highly Commended by the judges of the Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award with ACT Writers Centre (Dec 2020)
- Children's picture book Lily McGileagh's Colourful Ways won 3rd prize in Jackie Hoskings' Spring Competition for Writers of Metre and Rhyme (Nov 2020)
- Short story The Suitcase shortlisted for the Better Read Than Dead Short Story Competition (Oct 2020). In Feb 2021 it was published in the Better Read Than Dead 2020 anthology.
- Short story The Disc Slides In...click longlisted for the Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Competition (Oct 2020). In Feb 2021 it was published by Hawkeye Press in their anthology 'Reset'.
- Short story I Need To Believe longlisted by Exile Academy Non-Fiction Competition (Sept 2020). In July 2021 it was published by Exile Publishing in their anthology 'Turning Point'
- Short story The Suitcase won Highly Commended by the judges of the AAWP-Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Emerging Writers’ Prize (Sept 2020)
- Short story Let Me Sing You The Sea longlisted for the first edition of Aniko Press magazine (Jul 2020)
- Short story Oval Walk won Highly Commended (and cash prize) in Under The Silver Tree Writing Competition (Apr 2020)
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Kingston Foreshore, Kingston, Canberra ACT 2604 |
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