The Writers Studio is a dedicated office studio space for writers managed by the SCWC as part of Wollongong City Council’s Creative Wollongong Studios program.

Meet our Writers in Residence

Mitch Jennings is a writer, journalist, podcaster, sports commentator and comedian. His debut novel A Town Called Treachery was shortlisted for the 2022 Harper Collins Banjo Prize. It will subsequently be published by Harper Collins in August 2024. It's one of multiple fiction and non-fiction works he currently has in progress, including his second novel to be set in Wollongong. He holds a BA from Western Sydney University (2010), an MA (Writing) from Swinburne University (2015) and has worked full-time as a journalist for the Illawarra Mercury for the last 10 years. He's also been a regular on the local stand-up comedy and community sporting scene.

Sky Carrall has been involved with the SCWC Young Writers Collective (YWC) since 2020 and now teaches writing workshops to the SCWC Senior Young Writers Group. In 2022, Sky’s work was published in the YWC anthology Uncommon Words and Sky’s microfictions and short stories have been published in Spineless Wonders anthologies. She is currently writing a coming-of-age manuscript which was longlisted in the 2023 Queensland Writers Centre Publishable program. 

Tonya Lee is a unique performer, singer, and writer. Performing since the age of 5, she has experienced a creative resurrection after a hiatus of 20 years which started with her selection in SCWC and Merrigong’s Emerging Playwrights programme in 2022.  With mentoring from Tom Peach and inspiration from fellow writers, she created “The A-Team, a show about one woman’s emotional journey dealing with DID (dissociative identity disorder). 

As a child of immigrant parents from a low-socioeconomic background and a survivor of childhood and partner abuse, Tonya uses her life challenges to offer a lens into the hidden issues within communities.   She hopes to provide insight into tough topics and create a wave of change from ignorance to understanding.

Tonya relishes writing and making songs everyday  in her little studio. She has 3 works in progress, 2 plays and an album of original songs with her band, The Harriets. 

Lajos Hamers is a storyteller of Hungarian folk tales, actor, writer, musician & survivor. Lajos graduated from a PhD in Creative Arts & Cultural Studies (Uni of Wollongong) in 2019 & has recently had poems published in Admissions Anthology (2022) & 34 to 37 Degrees South: SCWC Digital Poetry Anthology (2023). Of Hungarian & Dutch heritage he was born on Ngunawal land (Canberra) & now lives on Dharawal land (Wollongong). Here he is active in the creative community & also volunteers for a local AFL team The University of Wollongong Bulldogs.