Queer Backyards with George Haddad
Led by award-winning writer, teacher and academic George Haddad, this online course focuses on the importance of place in writing.
Each week, participants will read, analyse and discuss extracts from work composed by exceptional queer Australian writers across a variety of genres and forms. In light of the close readings, students will be set a writing exercise to complete and workshop during class.
Although the focus is on queer writers, students do not have to identify as queer to participate in the course; rather, the purpose is to encourage unique perspectives on place from all walks of life and identities.
Throughout the course, students will develop a longer piece, inspired by the writing exercises, to showcase to the class in the final meeting.
This program will run over two-hour blocks, once a week, via Zoom for ten weeks. The writing platform WetInk will be used for sharing work and extended discussion.
Peter Polites will be presenting a Q&A session as part of this course.
There will be six participants in this class.
How to Apply
Entry to this course is by application. Writers will be selected based on the creative potential of their work, commitment to craft, openness to collaborating with peers, and the balance in the group.
Course fees are subsidised by Varuna. Normally $1,500, the fee for this course is $995 waged and $795 unwaged.
Applications close 30 June 2021.
Dates and Course Format
The Writer’s Process: Queer Backyards will commence in the week beginning Monday 9th August 2021, and will be taught online over a ten-week period in two-hour blocks from 4pm to 6pm on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday. The group will use the writing platform Wet Ink to share work and engage in extended discussion.
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: The Importance of Place in Writing
Week 3: Place in Creative Non-Fiction
Week 4: First Nations Writers
Week 5: Where Are You From?
Week 6: Case Study: Queering the Map
Week 7: Man vs Place
Week 8: The Body in Situ
Week 9: Queer Futurities
Week 10: Student Showcase
George Haddad
About George
George Haddad is a writer and artist practicing on Gadigal land. His debut book Populate and Perish was the 2016 Viva La Novella prize-winner. His short story ‘Kátharsis’ was awarded the 2018 Neilma Sidney prize.
George’s work can be read at Overland, The Lifted Brow, Seizure, Sydney Review of Books, Runway and Un Magazine. Other works have been exhibited at Firstdraft, ReadingRoom, and Metro Arts.
George is currently a doctoral candidate and sessional tutor at the Writing and Society Research Centre, Western Sydney University.
about Peter
Peter Polites is a writer of from Western Sydney. As part of the Sweatshop writers collective, Peter has written and performed pieces all over Australia.
He has written two novels, the first Down the Hume (2017); the second The Pillars (2019), won the 2020 NSW Premier's Multicultural Literary Award. He also won the 2020 Woollahra Digital Literature Prize for Fiction.
Peter’s work to date centres on life in Western Sydney through a queer noir lens. In 2021 he will be a writer in residence at UNSW Canberra and working on his third novel, God Forgets About the Poor.