Bio
I’m an emerging writer from Meanjin (Brisbane). I grew up in regional Queensland and after completing university in Brisbane, spent eight years in the United Kingdom. Upon returning to Australia, I lived in Naarm (Melbourne) for four years – a city that now serves as the backdrop for my debut fiction manuscript, Crew Cut.
My career has taken me from children’s social work, to town planning, and now in a senior policy role in government. I’m fascinated by how individual stories are shaped by their environments, and at its heart, my debut manuscript, Crew Cut, is about three people finding (or failing to find) their paths in a rapidly changing society.
Crew Cut
Shortlisted for the 2026 Manuscript Award for an Emerging Queensland Writer
In 1980, at a party in rural Victoria, Macka, a man estranged from his family, meets Bill, a grieving son who dreams of escaping to the city. Bill moves to Melbourne, the two fall in love, but Macka’s insecurities drive them apart.
Years later, Bill is married to Rachel, but a chance meeting with Macka proves neither has moved on. The reunion sets in motion a chain of events with tragic consequences and forces Macka to question: who did Bill really love?
Beta reading
I’m now in my third year as a volunteer beta reader at the Queensland Writers Centre. During this time, I’ve provided feedback on over 80 competition entries. It’s great to be able to volunteer doing something that I love – reading!
To give feedback on another writer’s work is a significant responsibility – and hopefully a genuine help. I’ve learnt so much about my own writing through seeing how other writers grab the attention of the reader and make them want to read on, and equally, what loses them.
Professional development
- Everything you wanted to know about Gen AI with Olivia Lanchester (2026)
- Cooking up a synopsis with Laurel Cohn (2026)
- How to Secure Publicity for Your Book with Kirsty Nancarrow (2025)
- From Good to Great: Revising and Editing Your Manuscript with Judy Gregory (2024)
- Deepening Your Characters with Gretchen Shirm (2024)
- Understanding Traditional Publishing with Alexandra Payne & Kristina Schulz (2024)
- The Next Draft with Laurel Cohn (2022)
- Self-Editing Roundtable for Creative Writers with Lauren Elise Daniels & Geneve Flynn (2022)
kennykaren47@gmail.com
Member – Queensland Writers Centre
Member – Australian Society of Authors
Karen Kenny - Queensland writer 