Successful writer has to make time for studies

Josephine Wilson is finding that her MA in creative writing at the University of Queensland is taking a little longer than expected.

It's not that she is a poor student. On the contrary, she is so good, and is having such success already as a writer, that the problem is finding enough time to fit everything in.

Her list of literary achievements in the past couple of years includes touring her own play around Australia and to a festival in London, co-writing an experimental piece on the Internet, and producing a debut novel.

Ms Wilson has also been commissioned to write a theatre piece in Sydney, has a grant to research another performance project and will be teaching part-time in the creative writing program at Murdoch University, Perth.

In 1994 Ms Wilson, who comes from Perth, gained funding to produce a collaborative one-woman play, The Geography of Haunted Places, with Perth actor Erin Hefferon.

In 1995 she started working full time on her MA in Brisbane but during the year more money became available to update Haunted Places which is about colonialism in Australia and the relationship of women to history and the past.

The following year Ms Wilson found herself back in Perth rehearsing the hour-long play and then taking it on the road as stage manager. The tour began in November at Brisbane's Metro Arts Centre and rolled on through Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.

Ms Wilson was then invited to the International Festival of Theatre, held every two years in London. Her play was staged upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, in the West End, winning mixed reviews from the British press.

With the help of a grant from the Australian Network for Art and Technology, Ms Wilson undertook another collaborative project, this time with Brisbane writer Linda Carroli.

Working via computer terminals over a period of some months, the pair produced 'On Waiting', which is now accessible on the Internet.

Throughout this time Ms Wilson has been working on her novel, as yet untitled. This is also the thesis for her MA, with completion planned for the end of first semester.

For further information, contact Josephine Wilson (telephone 08 9328 5883)