Meet Our Team
Maria McDougall - President & Centenary Planning Coordinator

Maria McDougall has written numerous educational programs, reports and procedures along with plays, skits and jingles for children’s performance items on the school stage. For many years she taught in…
Christine Sykes - Vice-President

Christine Sykes has three published books.  The Changing Room won the The Society of Women Writers NSW 2020 fiction award.   Her debut novel, The Changing Room, was based…
Amanda Mark - Treasurer

Amanda is an aspiring writer with a background in financial markets. She is passionate about life, travel, food, women in business, sports, Olympics, rugby and equal rights for all…

Jan Conway - Secretary

Jan is the immediate Past President of The Society of Women Writers NSW Inc and has a background in office management. Jan found writing in retirement. In her memoir, Skimming…
Gwen Wilson - Membership Secretary

Gwen Wilson's debut memoir I Belong to No One was published by Hachette Australia in 2015, and later by Orion UK. While crafting that work, she discovered the last legitimate…
Rita Shaw - Website Administrator

Rita Shaw retired in 2009 after many years as a Bid Manager, writer, editor and proof reader in Sydney’s corporate arena, after starting her career at the University of NSW…

Pippa Kay - Workshop Coordinator

Pippa Kay has written three books. The most recent, Keeping it in the Family, published by Ginninderra Press, won the Society of Women Writers Fiction Award in 2018.   Pippa has…
Julie Thorndyke - Committee Member

A graduate of the University of Sydney Master of Creative Writing program, Sydney writer Julie Thorndyke’s two collections of tanka poetry, Rick Rack and Carving Granite, were published by Ginninderra…
Liz Newton - Committee Member

Liz Newton lives in Sydney with her husband and dog. Her extensive travelling including road trips across continents, sailing adventures and family holidays provides inspiration for writing.  Liz has…