Melissa Manning
30 Seconds with
Who are you?
A writer trying to understand the world through words, and wishing I could tip the balance to spend more time on my creative work.
What do you write?
Literary fiction, both short and long form; and narrative non-fiction.
Why do you write?
To unpick what I think and how I feel about the world, and to connect with readers and writers through a shared loved of words and story.
Best writing advice?
Work to the method and rhythm that suits you, and write into the heat.
What needs to change in Australian writing (or the Australian writing sector)?
I’d welcome broader recognition and acceptance of the value artists bring to our society. Support in the forms of a living wage, and greater allocation of Arts funding to writers and writing projects would be an excellent start.
How has ACT Writers (MARION) helped you?
The HARDCOPY program masterclass was everything I needed at the right time. It gave me the tools and confidence to progress the manuscript, which ultimately became Smokehouse. It also connected me with a wonderful writing community, and validated my idea of myself as a writer.
Currently reading?
So many books - too many all at once really, but I can’t help myself. Right now, The Burnished Sun by Mirandi Riwoe; Still Life by Sarah Winman; Lovers of Philosophy by Warren Ward, and The Teeth of a Slow Machine by Andrew Roff. I’m also re-reading The Lost Arabs by Omar Sakr.
Which living author would you like to champion and why?
I’d like to champion all authors who had books published in the last two years, especially debuts. If I had to choose just one right now it would be Robyn Mundy. I read her second book, Cold Coast last year and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. The writing is amongst the best nature writing I’ve read, her skill sings on every page. I know it’s received a lot of great feedback, but I believe it’s deserving of greater recognition.
Melissa Manning is a Melbourne-based author. Her debut interlinked story collection, Smokehouse, won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction, and was shortlisted for the USQ Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection.
