CHAIR
DR TERRY WHITEBEACH is a Tasmanian writer, whose published work includes two collections of poetry (her first, Bird Dream, won the Anne Elder Award), two novels for young adults, three radio plays and a cross-cultural biography. Her work has included community artist, creative writing teacher and an oral historian. In the Northern Territory she coordinated the inaugural Indigenous Creative Writing program and taught undergraduate Literature and Creative Writing for the Institute for Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs. Her academic qualifications include BA (English and Philosophy), MA (English) and PhD (History/Biography). She is a member of a number of arts organisations and a current member of the ASA committee of management.

DEPUTY CHAIR
LYN REEVES Lyn's poetry collections are Walking the Tideline (Pardalote Press 2001), Speaking with Ghosts (Ginninderra Press 2002), Beads (Picaro Press 2007), The ink brushed distance (Walleah Press 2008) and the four-women anthology Seasoned with Honey (Walleah Press 208). Lyn has been a featured reader at writers festivals in Darwin, Queensland, Sydney and Tasmania. She is the haiku editor for Famous Reporter and managing director of Pardalote Press. Her manuscript Designs on the Body was the IP Picks 2010 winner for Best Poetry, and was published in 2010 by Interactive Publications.

SECRETARY
IRENE MCGUIRE has been a bookseller for over 30 years. In 1982 she opened Writers & Co The Literary Bookstore in Toronto. As a bookseller she served on the board of the Canadian Book and Periodical Council and in 1991 was made an honorary member of the League of Canadian Poets for her services to Canadian poetry. In 1996 she joined Fullers Bookshop in Hobart and in addition to regular bookselling activities, she ran the Book Discussion Groups for 10 years. Retired from bookselling, she has most recently been a judge for The Tasmanian Book Prizes.

TREASURER/PUBLIC OFFICER
PIP DENNIS has spent many moons in arts management, primarily in the performing arts sector, where she held roles with HLA Management, The One Extra Company, Reeldance (Dance on Screen) and Version 1.0 Incorporated. Pip was General Manager for PACT Theatre, Sydney's leading contemporary performance company for emerging artists and currently holds the position of Company Manager for Kickstart Arts, a community cultural development arts organisation in Hobart. Pip has a strong background in financial and strategic management. She also works independently, supporting artists in the creation of their work.

MEMBERS

CAROLYN FISHER - NORTH/WEST REP -  lives in Ulverston and trained as a physiotherapist in London. Her poems have been widely published in literary journals in Australia and the U.K and a number have been anthologised. Her writing has been supported by Arts Tasmania and the Australia Council by the way of grants and her first chapbook collection won the Presspress award and was published in 2008.

NEIL CAMERON is a theatre director, teacher, author and consultant. For over thirty four years he has run successful festivals, arts events and celebrations in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Canada, the United States, Japan, New Zealand and all over Australia. His award-winning productions are well known for their creative community involvement and their exciting use of large-scale imagery, fire and music. In recent years, Neil has focused on sharing his extensive practical knowledge and cultural insight through teaching, writing and consultancy.

DEBORAH FORSYTH LLB; Acc M.LEADR; FDRP is a lawyer of 20 years’ experience with particular expertise in complex family law disputes. She is a LEADR qualified and nationally accredited mediator and registered with the Federal Attorney-General’s Department as Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. For two years Deborah was a conciliator under the Tasmanian Magistrates Court (Civil Division) Rules 1998 and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act 2001. She is currently a member of the Adults Advisory Council to the Tasmanian Commissioner for Children; Women’s Network Australia; Women on Boards and Tasmanian Women Lawyers. 

TIM THORNE - NORTHERN REP - is the author of ten volumes of poetry, the most recent being I Con (Salt) in 2008. He inaugurated the Tasmanian Poetry Festival, which he directed until 2001. It incorporated the Launceston Poetry Cup . Thorne has been writer-in-residence with the Miscellaneous Workers Union and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Tim has worked as a poet in schools, universities and prisonsand was awarded the Stanford Writing Scholarship, 1971; New Poetry Award, 1973; Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship for poetry, 1978, and the Gleebooks Poetry Sprint, 1995. He has also received support from the Australia Council, Arts Tasmania and the Eleanor Dark Foundation. 

ROBBIE ARNOTT is a bookseller and writer based in Hobart, originally from Launceston. He is currently employed by Fullers Bookshop and Express Media, as an ambassador for young writers. In 2008 he was a national finalist in the Somerset College Novella Writing Competition, and recently his work has appeared in I Sleep in Haysheds & Corners.
 

LIFE MEMBERS OF THE TASMANIAN WRITERS' CENTRE

Honouring services for literature in this state.

Christopher Pearce
Janet Grecian
Elizabeth Winfield
Robyn Mathison
Marjorie Luck
Geoff Dean
Tim Thorne
Robyn Friend
John Bryson
Pete Hay
Ralph Wessman