Applications are closing today for my ten-week online course with Varuna, just in case anyone is inspired to submit something last-minute.
The Sum of its Parts – Short Story Collections with Julie Koh
Do you want to conquer the short story and make the leap towards a full-length collection? In this 10-week online course, you’ll learn how to avoid common traps in short-fiction writing and expand your vision when it comes to your own work.
Dates: 6pm – 8pm AEST, Wednesdays 1 October – 3 December 2025
Fees: $1495 or $1400 for Varuna Alumni, negotiable if you cannot pay upfront
Applications close: 5pm AEST, 26 August 2025
Places: 8 participants will be selected
Who should apply: Emerging or established writers are welcome to apply
Delivery: Online
The short story isn’t just a stepping stone for future novelists – it’s a powerful, distinct form that is challenging to master. Join award-winning short-fiction specialist Julie Koh in thinking big about short stories. This 10-week course is designed to help you strengthen the fundamentals that aspiring authors often overlook, hone your approach to revising stories for submission, and work towards writing your own knockout short-story collection. There will be enjoyable in-class exercises, as well as a Q&A with UQP senior editor Ian See.
In this course you will:
- Learn how to think like a seasoned short-fiction writer
- Get an insider’s view on revising individual stories for submission
- Develop a short story and workshop it with Julie and your peers
- Apply a critical lens to a selection of short-story collections
- Hear a highly experienced editor speak on his approach to editing and publishing collections
- Explore directions for your own full-length manuscript
- Develop strategies for navigating the path ahead
More details here.
“Julie is an excellent teacher and an outstanding mentor. Her feedback was always comprehensive, thoughtful, and encouraging. Her advice helped me improve both my craft and my writing practice, and her insights into the literary industry were invaluable for an early career writer like myself. Any writer would be lucky to have Julie as a mentor.”
— Bryant Apolonio, winner of the 2021 Deborah Cass Prize