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Michelle Stephens

@mstephens_writer

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Reads. Writes. Melbourne-ite.
Debut mystery novel THE CRACK out Jan 2027 with @allenandunwin
Repped by @highspotlit

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✍️ WRITERLY WEDNESDAY IN THE WILD!

How lovely for Fiona to catch up with two of our Writerly Wednesday featured writers at the recent Dandenong Ranges Literary Festival! Thanks to @torihope_author for the photo 📸

📚 Michelle Stephens has her debut novel THE CRACK coming out on 5 January 2027 with @allenandunwin

📚 Kirstie Bedford has her debut novel WHITE LIES coming out in June 2027 with @bloodhound.books

Both are part of the fabulous #DebutCrew2027, a wonderful community of authors making their publishing debuts next year.

If you’re not already following them, please do! And while you’re at it, check out the other debut authors in the crew.

Following, sharing, cheering them on and, of course, pre-ordering their books makes such a difference to debut authors 💛

#WriterlyWednesday #TheWordCountPodcast #WritersSupportingWriters #AustralianFiction

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Such a great book talk at NORTHCOTE LIBRARY- thanks @darebinlibraries!

Can’t wait to get into @michaelrobotham latest book (the first he ever wrote, and the first to be set in Australia!)

#australianbookstagrammer #australiancrimefiction #australiancrimewriter #booklaunch

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1) Had the most wonderful experience for my first festival appearance at @emergingwriters last week. Cannot thank the team enough for inviting me and organising everything so perfectly. It was a dream 💖

2) Roilly made myself at home at the Oibis Stoiyles - new fav hotel

3) First time ever in a green room omg so famous 🙋🏼‍♀️

4) Got to chat with these special ladies at the National Writers’ Conference about how we make time for our writing, such a good conversation could’ve kept going for another hour 📝

5) Ummm sorry to say but this was a real highlight. Out to dinner by myself with a fab book. Divineeee, might never happen again so had to take a photo!

6) Set up for my YA workshop Forever 16 in this gorgeous space, look at that glorious evening sun. I was sweatingggg bullets literally I had to ask some of the girls to not get my sweat patches in any.photos, lolll super profesh. C’mon Melbourne you were meant to be cold.

7) Binged Sterling Point!! Loved obviously.

8) Also loved the idea of the cleaners coming in each day and thinking wtf this chick’s here for 5 days and she’s brought 10 books

9) Got to see some other panels at NWC including live recording of @the_book_deal_podcast - found this podcast so motivating a couple of years ago when I was finishing my first manuscript so it was extra fun to see them in person!

10) Did not realise bagels are a thing in Melbourne? Did I get that right? Big fan of the bagel aspect of this city

11) Drinks with some of the 2027 Debut Crew, had so much fun with these legends 📚 The “Debut Crew” is made up of all the authors who have their first novels with traditional publishers coming out next year. Exciting books loading 📈

12) Here’s me doing fitchecks in my mirror every day like I’m Carrie Bradshaw at the Ritz in Paris like really Meg trackies and Tay Tay t shirt oh dear, it was funnn to be away📸

13) Girl dinnerrrr

14) Actually finished something I’ve been working on for a while so took myself out for a little celebration 🥂

15) Wrote these words at the airport 🙌🏼 Just in the nick of time.

16) Oh Sydney there’s no better feeling ✈️

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What a jam-packed bookish week!

It kicked off with @cassy_polimeni ‘s launch of the final instalment in her spectacular Ella series, Ella and the Call of the Wild, @little_bookroom

Then it was down to Jan Juc for @stefgemmill ‘s incredible @sketchandscribefest and some wonderfully wise words from @chren_kali for our workshopping dream team @frano.verse @terriwallswriter and @picture_bookish ✨I even got to say hi to my brilliant publisher @alyson_obrien from @littlebookpress

Next, to @readingsbooks for the launch of @katie_hoskins_author debut domestic drama, When the Party’s Over, utterly compelling reading.

Then, a change of pace and pinch-me moment viewing the 500-year-old Malleus Maleficarum (or The Hammer of Witches) from 1494 at the Baillieu Library’s Archives and Special Books Collection with @susannahstoney This catalytic work of violent misogyny changed the course of history and contributed to the deaths of around 45,000 women. (The t-shirt is my act of defiance 💪🏻)

Finally, a fab catch up with some of my fellow #debutcrew2027 authors where we compared notes on this wild ride to publication @noahs.narratives @stephenkstanford @mstephens_writer @lianakimskrzypczak @bymegmcdermott @georgie.foster_writer @lornamorrow23 @nicolazhangauthor 📚

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Fun weekend!

#emergingwritersfestival2026 #debutcrew2027

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So fantastic to listen to @sarahmclutton and @emmababbington discuss THE GARDENS tonight with fellow members of the #debutcrew2027… can’t wait to read both of their latest books…was also a real treat to meet @bmichie31 and @fhclibrary in the flesh!

#booklaunch #auslit #australiancrimefiction

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A brilliant chat about all things bookish and #bookstagram. So lucky to have Martin @this_chubby_bois_life and Brooke @bmichie31 speak to us. #debutcrew2027.

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🗣We’re thrilled to announce the winners and highly commended entries for the 2024 ASA/CA Award Mentorship Program for Writers and Illustrators! 🥳

Our warm thanks to the @copyrightagency_ Cultural Fund – without their support this program would not be possible.

The 2024 award offers twelve 20-hour mentorships with an experienced author, illustrator, or publishing professional to help develop their manuscript or illustration project to a publishable standard. In addition, the winners each receive access to the Pathways to Publishing program, a free ticket to the ASA’s popular Virtual Literary Speed Dating event and one-year’s free membership to the ASA. The highly commended applicants receive three hours of mentoring on the first ten pages of their manuscript or illustration project, as well as access to the Pathways to Publishing Program.

The mentorship recipients and highly commended were selected by a panel of assessors consisting of @broede, Mark Macleod, @annamcgregorau, Jane Messer, Bruce Pascoe, Kate Ryan and @liliwilkinsonauthor. Please read their full comments at www.asauthors.org.au.

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Posted @withregram • @lindabalogh5077 🥂📚 BOOK MAIL ALERT! 📚🥂

“1930’s, Melbourne. In sunny suburban streets, a serial killer lies in wait...”
🥀
The Schoolgirl Strangler by Katherine Kovacic arrived in my letterbox last week and I must say I’m very intrigued to read the story of how this real-life crime investigation in 1930 could have taken so many wrong turns before the killer was finally brought to justice.

🔎SYNOPSIS🔍

The shocking true story of a serial killer in 1930s Melbourne.
🥀
November, 1930. One sunny Saturday afternoon, 12-year-old Mena Griffiths was playing in the park when she was lured away by an unknown man. Hours later, her strangled body was found, mouth gagged and hands crossed over her chest, in an abandoned house. Only months later, another girl was murdered; the similarities between the cases undeniable. Crime in Melbourne had taken a shocking new turn: this was the work of a serial killer, a homicidal maniac.
🥀
Despite their best efforts, police had no experience dealing with this kind of criminal. What followed was years of bungled investigations, falsely accused men – and the tragic deaths of two more girls – before the murderer was finally caught and brought to justice.
🥀🍂🥀🍂🥀🍂🥀🍂🥀🍂🥀🍂

“With all the pace of a thriller, Katherine Kovacic recounts this extraordinary, chilling true story – of failed police enquiries, a killer with a Jekyll and Hyde personality, and the families shattered when four innocent lives were cruelly taken.”
🥀
I’m really looking forward to reading this true story over the coming weeks. Thank you to @echo_publishing for the gifted copy to review.
🥀
Do you like reading true-life crime stories? Do you have any recommendations?
🥀
The Schoolgirl Strangler by @katherine.kovacic is out now. #truecrime #serialkiller #melbourne

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Since The Schoolgirl Strangler came out, more stories have emerged of children who escaped the killer. #truecrime #truecrimecommunity #serialkiller #book #melbournehistory @echo_publishing @austcrimewriters @vic_archives

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It means a lot when another researcher compliments your work! Thank you @saskiapenn

Posted @withregram • @saskiapenn During my archival research on public inquiries into policing in Australia, I stumbled across this little gem. Melbourne's #schoolgirlstrangler case was very close to ending in a wrongful conviction, after the innocent Robert McMahon was charged with the 1930 murder of Mena Griffiths in Ormond. The error was undeniable once a further killing occurred whilst McMahon was in custody, and the charges were dropped. Shortly after, there were calls for a public inquiry into the police's unethical actions in the case that led to this erroneous charge.
I don't believe this inquiry ever eventuated - all I can find are articles announcing the possible inquiry (there could be many political or practical reasons this was never pursued). Interestingly, Judge Kelley did go on to conduct two unrelated inquiries into the conduct of Victoria Police in 1932 and 1933, in which his critiques of their conduct were lukewarm at most.
The real perpetrator of the serial killings, Arnold Sodeman, was apprehended and executed at Pentridge in 1936.
For more information on this case, check out the excellently researched "The Schoolgirl Strangler" by @katherine.kovacic 📖
First slide - 23rd Feb 1931
Second slide - 2 April 1931
#truecrime #research #history #melbourne #melbournecrime #melbournehistory #australianhistory #australiana #1930s #crimehistory #newspaper #serialkiller #truecrime

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