SHED Talks

A group of people sitting in a colourful room chatting about art

Shed Talks is a free program, hosted by the Surf Coast Shire Council and facilitated by the Arts Team, held three times a year for anyone in the Surf Coast Shire to connect, learn, and grow.

Each session brings together creative industry professionals to discuss their work and experiences, with opportunities for attendees to ask questions, network, and enjoy relaxed conversation over refreshments.

Upcoming

Shed Talk: The Path to Publication
Saturday 20 June, 12pm-2pm

Join us for an inspiring SHED Talk panel with authors sharing their real-life journeys to becoming published. This engaging conversation will explore the path to publication, offer insights into the publishing industry, and share practical tips for emerging writers.

About the Panellists:

Jock Serong is the author of seven novels, most recently Cherrywood, and a forthcoming biography of Fletcher Jones, A Suitable Man. He's the founding editor of Great Ocean Quarterly, and also writes for screen, and for titles like The Guardian, The Monthly and Surfing World. Jock has a PhD in Creative Writing, and is a director of Melbourne's Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas. Jock is based in Port Fairy, and sometimes on Flinders Island in eastern Bass Strait. 

Favel Parrett is an Australian author whose work explores landscape, memory and human connection. Her debut novel, Past the Shallows (2011), was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and won the Dobbie Literary Award. She then wrote When the Night Comes and There Was Still Love, which was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and won Book of the Year at the Indie Book Awards in 2020. 

She is the author of the bestselling children’s books Wandi (2021) and Kimmi (2023). Her latest novel, One for Sorrow, will be released in Australia in October 2026 by Hachette Australia. 

Brooke Davis grew up on Wadawurrung Country in Bellbrae, Victoria. She holds a PhD from Curtin University in creative writing. Her debut novel Lost & Found was published in 28 countries and received two ABIAs for General Fiction and New Writer of the Year, as well as the WA Premier’s Award for Emerging Writer. Lost & Found was also shortlisted for the Indie Book of the Year Debut Fiction Award and the ABA Bookseller Choice award. She has lived in the US, Canada, Canberra, Perth, and now resides in Torquay, Victoria where she works as a bookseller. No One's Looking - her second novel - will be released this year.  

Past Sessions

  • Wellbeing for Creatives
  • Inside the Film Industry 
  • Sustainability in Craft and Art
  • Behind the Music Industry
  • Making Waves with Creative Women
  • Secrets to Getting Published in the Children’s Book Industry
  • Place-Based Research: Site-Specific and Collaborative Practice
  • From Passion to Profession – Making a Career Out of Your Art
  • The Relationship between Creativity and Money – How to Sustain the Integrity of Your Practice and Make a Life You Love

Get Involved

Do you have an idea for a future Shed Talk? We’d love to hear from you.

Email your suggestions to the Surf Coast Arts Team at artsteam@surfcoast.vic.gov.au

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