“As a child, I loved reading books and always dreamed of writing my own. When I finished school, I came to UTAS and completed a BA(Hons) in English. This course gave me the opportunity to read broadly and to develop skills in critical reading, and it strengthened my desire to write creatively,” Danielle said.
“After I left university, I worked as a journalist, producer and media officer, but deep down I wanted to write fiction.
“I wrote my first book, The Alphabet of Light and Dark as a PhD thesis. When it won The Australian/Vogel Prize, I was on my way. I’ve since written a collection of short stories Rosie Little’s Cautionary Tales for Girls and a work of non-fiction Housewife Superstar: The Very Best of Marjorie Bligh.
“As well as writing, I lecture at UTAS. My work gives me the opportunity to do many of the things I love: read books, talk about books and, hopefully, encourage a new generation of writers.
“Recently I’ve been working on the launch of a new series of postgraduate coursework opportunities for aspiring writers. As of 2012, UTAS will be offering a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master of Arts (Creative Writing), which will enable students to get serious about writing their own full-length creative works.”