In our Spotlight On series, we chat with a member of the Writing NSW community to celebrate their success and learn more about their writing practice. This month we chat with poet, author, and artist Bronwyn Rodden.
“I am often inspired by visiting unfamiliar places, the different sounds you hear as well as words. I suppose I was brought up in a family where language was entertainment…”
Based on Gumbaynggirr Country on the Mid North Coast of NSW, Rodden’s creative work is deeply inspired by the natural world and her cultural heritage, including Irish ancestry and influences from Chinese and Australian art traditions.
As a writer, she holds a Master’s in Writing from UTS and has received numerous accolades, including the Patricia Hackett Prize for short fiction, an Australia Council Emerging Writer Grant, and a Bundanon residency. She is the author of the Blue Mountains mystery series—The Crushers, Orphan Rock, and The Weaver of Blackheath—as well as several short story and poetry collections. Her latest poetry collection, Stranded (Flying Islands Press, 2024), was launched in April 2025, and she was a finalist in the 2023 Newcastle Poetry Prize.
Rodden is also an award-winning visual artist, with solo and group exhibitions across NSW and prizes including the Waverley/Woollahra 9×5 Landscape Prize. She’s currently working on a poetry collection based on her professional life, new short fiction, and a contribution to the Society of Women Writers Centenary Anthology.