2024 E.M. Fletcher Writing Competition Judges
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Dr Adam Ouston
Adam is a novelist and lecturer in the English and Writing program at the University of Tasmania. His writing has appeared in many prominent literary publications including, Island Magazine, The Lifted Brow, Southerly, Meanjin, The Saturday Paper and Overland. Adam holds a PhD in literary studies from the University of Tasmania, and his manuscripts have won the Erica Bell Literary Award (2014) and the University of Tasmania Prize as part of the 2017 Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Awards. In 2017, he also edited Smoke, a story collection released by Tasmanian-British publisher Transportation Press. His debut novel, Waypoints, was published in 2022 and was nominated for the Miles Franklin Award, the ALS Gold Medal, and the Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Award. Adam lives in nipaluna/Hobart.
Therese Lynch
Therese grew up in a multi-generational household listening to stories from her grandparents and other family members of their generation. Many years later, actively researching her family history was a natural progression. After completing a Diploma in Family History at the University of Tasmania, she started Your Family Genealogist, a boutique genealogy business serving national and international clients. Before retiring, Therese was a professional senior public servant with extensive work experience in Australia and overseas.
Therese joined the Association of Professional Genealogists in 2018. She plays an active role in the Association’s Australia/New Zealand Chapter as its Education Officer. A former Findmypast Ambassador and guest blogger, Therese contributes to a collaborative spirit within the genealogy community, including through her membership of FHACT. Her journey reflects a commitment to genealogy research, enthusiastically sharing information while also preserving family history with a blend of curiosity and passion.
Beverley Richardson
Beverley’s love of writing commenced at an early age, winning her first writing competition at the age of 17 in the Hunter Valley Research Foundation Poetry Prize. In her former career as a secondary English teacher, Beverley specialised in the area of writing. She entered her students in the Newcastle Morning Herald’s Student Newspaper Competition in which they achieved considerable success. Beverley’s later postgraduate study included a Creative Writing component.
Beverley’s interest in her family history grew after she retired, and she contributes stories and articles to family history society publications. She is a member of FHACT, the Newcastle Family History Society, and the Society of Australian Genealogists, for which she wrote a story called On Meeting the Ghost of Margaret Duncan as part of the Colonial Women of Australia project. Beverley was short listed in the 2021 E.M. Fletcher Writing Competition, and took out the award in 2022.
