ABOUT US
Editing in Paradise was inspired by Shelley Kenigsberg’s dream to combine her work with writers, her teaching and mentoring, with her love of travel. It sounded simple—but surely not possible? Fellow editor and writer Selena Hanet-Hutchins asked: why not? What has resulted is a collaboration between trusted colleagues, facilitating real development of writers and their manuscripts. Together, Shelley and Selena developed and led the masterclass retreats in Bali (October 2009, 2010)—with exciting creative results and much fun from participants.
Editing in Paradise was inspired by Shelley Kenigsberg’s dream to combine her work with writers, her teaching and mentoring, with her love of travel. It sounded simple—but surely not possible? Fellow editor and writer Selena Hanet-Hutchins asked: why not? What has resulted is a collaboration between trusted colleagues, facilitating real development of writers and their manuscripts. Together, Shelley and Selena developed and led the masterclass retreats in Bali (October 2009, 2010)—with exciting creative results and much fun from participants.
"Shelley and Selena were utterly professional in their judgements of our work and so structured in their advice. Such a likeable duo… To have so much encouragement from them both has put wind in my sails. Now I really feel I can make it to the end."
— Mark Lang
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— Mark Lang
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Our ‘mini retreat’ in Byron Bay, at the Northern Rivers Writers Centre was a thrilling example of what can be achieved in just two days…why not come to Bali, or Mornington Peninsula, or Kangaroo Valley, or South Africa, or Sri Lanka and give yourself the benefit of more!
As proprietor of S K Publishing, in Sydney, Shelley has worked in publishing for 23 years. Shelley has mentored many authors, edited a range of books and been a trainer of writers and editors. (Macleay College coordinator of Editing Diploma for the past 20 years). She’s led long and short courses for editors, writers, language institutes, private corporations and at literary festivals in Australia, Indonesia, Japan and South Africa; been a panellist and presented courses at literary festivals and writers’ centres in Australia and in Indonesia, Japan and South Africa.
She is currently writing her first book.
Selena has worked in-house as agency editor and sub-agent at Selwa Anthony Author Management Agency and as Allen & Unwin’s submissions editor for unsolicited manuscripts (‘slush pile’). She has edited screenplays, theatre scripts, prose and poetry for individual writers, journals and anthologies but these days mostly works on fiction and biography.
Selena is co-compiler of an anthology, with Selwa Anthony: What is Mother Love? (Penguin, 2008) and author of Mariella and the Stars (ABC, 2009), a children’s picture book about fear and remorse and the magic to heal it.
A warm welcome (or, from little things...)
In celebration of the continuing success of the EIP program, we are inviting other trusted professionals to join the process and share in the fun.
EIP editorial colleagues
In 2011 we welcome to the team two new co-presenters with their own successful mentorship histories−esteemed editor and mentor Desney King and author and superb writing coach Barbara Nussbaum, who will be co-presenting with Shelley at our Portsea and South African retreats.
In celebration of the continuing success of the EIP program, we are inviting other trusted professionals to join the process and share in the fun.
EIP editorial colleagues
In 2011 we welcome to the team two new co-presenters with their own successful mentorship histories−esteemed editor and mentor Desney King and author and superb writing coach Barbara Nussbaum, who will be co-presenting with Shelley at our Portsea and South African retreats.
Desney King is an editor, publishing project manager and writer with more than three decades’ experience — inhouse and freelance — in the Australian book publishing industry. She has mentored and guided editors, writers and authors in a wide range of genres and was the inaugural coordinator and teacher of the Diploma in Book Editing and Publishing at Macleay College, where she continues to present occasional classes.
She has learned that at its finest, the relationship between writer and editor is collaborative, dynamic, highly productive and deeply satisfying.
Desney is currently polishing the final draft of her first novel and has begun work on the manuscript of her second. www.desneyking.com.au
Barbara Nussbaum—published author and poet, is masterful at encouraging writers to claim their unique voice and vision. Creative and versatile, she will challenge you gently to dig deeper into who you are as a writer. She has recently co-authored Personal Growth, African Style, with Sudhanshu Palsule (Penguin South Africa) and is based in Franschhoek, South Africa. www.barbaranussbaum.com
Mo Johnson—Kangaroo Valley 2011
Mo Johnson is the author of two Young Adult novels—Boofheads (a CBCA notable book in 2009), published in Australia and the UK (Walker Books), and Something More (#11 in the popular Allen & Unwin Girlfriend Fiction series)—as well as several fiction and non-fiction titles and articles for the Education Press and two short stories published in the US Chicken Soup for the Soul series. In May 2010 her first picture book, Noah’s Garden, was released by Walker Books in Australia and by Candlewick Press in the US.
Mo lives in the same small coastal village in the Illawarra that she and her husband moved to 19 years ago, where she is currently working on her second picture book and a biography. www.mojohnson.com.au
In 2010 we were delighted to have Kenyan writer Shalini Gidoomal as our very first Editing in Paradise Writer in Residence and intend to offer a warm EIP welcome to a different writer each year.
Shalini Gidoomal—Bali 2010
A freelance journalist, writer, businesswoman and inveterate traveller, born, and currently living in Nairobi, Shalini has worked on various international publications, including The Independent, News of the World, Sunday Mirror, Today, FHM, GQ and Architectural Digest, the East African, Travel News, The Standard, Care International and Camerapix. Her short stories and non fiction have been published in The Obituary Tango, Jungfrau, Kwani? 04 and 05 and the New Kenya fiction anthology.
Shalini is deputy treasurer for PEN Kenya, and was festival director of Kwani Litfest 2008. She is the founding director of Revisioning Kenya, and founder of the multi arts Baharini festival.
She is working on a novel and a guide book.