About

Susan Midalia grew up in the Western Australian wheatbelt and has lived in Perth for most of her adult life. She is the author of three collections of short stories, A History of the Beanbag, An Unknown Sky and Feet to the Stars. Her collections have been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards and twice for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards. She has a PhD in contemporary Australian women's fiction and has published on the subject in national and international literary journals. She retired from academia and teaching in 2006 to become a full-time writer and freelance editor. The Art of Persuasion is her first novel. 

Susan has had the privilege of editing work by brilliant writers, including Gail Jones, Marcella Polain, Amanda Curtin, Annabel Smith, Nicole Sinclair, Kathleen Fallon and Morgan Yasbincek. She remains grateful to her own astute and meticulous editors: Linda Martin, Nicola Redhouse and Georgia Richter. 

She has judged several literary awards, including the Western Australian Premiers Books Awards, the T.A.G Hungerford Award and the Margaret River Short Story Competition. She has also been a peer assessor for the Literature Board of the Australia Council. Susan is an experienced mentor, workshop facilitator and reviewer of Australian literary fiction.

Awards

Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards (Shortlisted 2016, 2007)
Queensland Literary Award (Shortlisted 2013)
Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award (Longlisted 2013, 2008)