Associate Professor Amy Matthews

Associate Professor, Creative Writing

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

place Humanities (268)
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Amy Matthews is an award-winning multi-published novelist, an Associate Professor in the field of Creative Writing, and a committee member and recent Deputy Director of Assemblage Centre for Creative Arts. She writes under the names Amy T. Matthews, Amy Barry, and Tess LeSue, in multiple genres, including literary fiction, book club fiction, historical fiction, romantic comedy, and historical romance. Amy was named John Howard Clark Scholar at the University of Adelaide; is a past Chair and longstanding board member of Writers SA; a judge of literary awards including the Adelaide Festival Awards and the MUD Club Prize for a debut novelist, and an affiliate of the JM Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice. Amy's scholarly interests include genre fictions, popular romance studies, historical fiction, and fictions of climate change/crisis. You can find more information on her creative work at amytmatthews.com and amy-barry.com.

Qualifications

PhD, Creative Writing (2007), University of Adelaide
First Class Honours, Creative Writing (2002), University of Adelaide
BA, Communications and Film & Electronic Media (1998), University of South Australia
BA, History and English (1995), University of Adelaide

Honours, awards and grants

Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Research Supervision (2023)

CHASS Research Excellence Award for HDR Supervision (2021)

Chair, Writers SA (2017-2020)

Research Fellow (University of Adelaide, 2012-2015)

Dobbie Literary Award shortlist (2012)

Colin Roderick Literary Award shortlist (2012)

Title of John Howard Clark Scholar (University of Adelaide, 2011)

Adelaide Festival Unpublished Manuscript Award (2010)

Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Student Feedback in Teaching and Learning (University of Adelaide, 2009)

Anna Campbell Award (2009)

RWA STALI Award runner up (2009)

Australian/Vogel Literary Award longlist (2006)

Key responsibilities

Deputy Director, Assemblage Centre for Creative Arts

Supervisor, Creative Writing & Literary Studies (PhD, MA, Honours)

Topic Coordinator:

CRWR1001 Ideas: Imitation and Originality

CRWR2002 Love and Death

CRWR3100 Workshop: Stories and Submission

Teaching interests

Amy's teaching interests include all forms of fiction (novels and short stories), with a particular focus on commercial genre fictions, including historical fiction, book club fiction, women's fiction, romance, romantic comedy, horror, and fictions of climate change/crisis. Amy is also an expert in the field of the Creative Arts/Creative Writing exegesis.

Topic coordinator
CRWR2002 Love and Death
CRWR3100 Workshop: Stories and Submission
Topic lecturer
CRWR1001 Ideas: Imitation and Originality
Supervisory interests
Climate change
Contemporary American literature
Contemporary Australian fiction
Contemporary fiction
Creative writing
Creative writing (exegeses)
Creative writing theory and practice
Creative writing, short stories
Feminism
Gender studies
Historical fiction
Postcolonial approaches to literature
Higher degree by research supervision
Current
Principal supervisor: 4705 (1), 3602 (10)
Associate supervisor: 3602 (3)
Completion
Principal supervisor: 3602 (3), 4705 (1)
Associate supervisor: 3602 (1)
Higher degree by research student achievements
Alex Cothren

Peter Carey Short Story Award - JUN 2019

Alex Cothren

Speculate Prize shortlist - AUG 2021

Alex Cothren

William Van Dyke Short Story Prize - MAY 2021

Matt Russell

Varuna Publisher Introduction Program - NOV 2017

Amy Mead

Editor, MC Journal, 21:4 - JUN 2018

Amy Mead & Alex Cothren

Editors, Westerly SA (special edition) - SEP 2018

Interests
  • Climate Fiction
  • Creative Writing
  • Romance
Further information

Amy can also be found at her author websites:

Amy T Matthews

Amy Barry

Tess LeSue