Back in the 1970s, I completed one of the first Bachelor of Arts degrees in Professional Writing and then went on to qualify as a speech pathologist, working as a clinician and academic for over thirty years. Now retired, I am enjoying my long-standing fascination with story writing in both non-fiction and fiction.
In 2017, I self-published ‘A Gentleman’s Daughter’ — a biography of Harriet Blaxland (later, Lady Dowling) who lived a colourful life in colonial New South Wales and India (available through Amazon etc). Inspired by her life, I self published a historical fiction trilogy (‘The Sisters’ Saga’) in 2021: ‘Maiden Manoeuvres‘, ‘Dearest Daughter‘, and ‘Widow’s Wake‘.
One of my short stories (‘Fragments of Meaning‘) was a shortlisted for the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards and another (‘The Home Visit‘) was a ‘Local Award Winner’ in the 2019 Newcastle Short Story Award (published in anthology by Hunter Writers Centre). My sci-fi short story (‘The Asylum‘) won 1st Prize in the 2019 Inaugural Margaret Cech Writing Competition for Science Fiction / Fantasy.
My sci-fi novel (‘Grey Nomad‘) was one of six out of 80 novels shortlisted for the inaugural 2019 Fantastica Prize (Brio Books), and in 2020 was accepted into the Queensland Writers’ Centre‘s ADAPTABLE and PUBLISHABLE programs. I am thrilled to announce that it is now contracted for publication by Booktopia Publishing under the imprint Brio Books (expected release late 2022 or early 2023). ‘Grey Nomad‘ tells the story of Joyce — surviving alien abduction will call upon all her experience as a long-standing member of the Country Women’s Association.
The pandemic brought with it a radical reduction in distractions, and resulted in a chance to connect some dots between my pre-retirement life as a speech pathologist with creative writing excursions. My (as yet unpublished) crime novel – working title ‘Hard to Swallow‘ – features a speech-pathology student with attitude!
Alison Ferguson
Acknowledgement of Country
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land where I work and live—the Awabakal People. I pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging. I celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.