Dr Sean Williams

Senior Lecturer

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

place Humanities (259)
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Sean Williams is an award-winning, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of sixty books and over one hundred and twenty short stories for adults, young adults and children. As well as his original fiction, he has contributed to shared universes such as Star Wars and Doctor Who, and collaborated with other authors such as Garth Nix. He is an affiliate of the J. M. Coetzee Centre for Creative Practice and has taught for Clarion South and other institutions. He also composes experimental music under the name "theadelaidean". His latest novel is Honour Among Ghosts, published by Allen & Unwin.

Qualifications

MA (Creative Writing)

PhD (Creative Writing)

Honours, awards and grants

Sean is one of Australia’s most-awarded speculative fiction writers. His work has been nominated for the Aurealis Award 30 times in the categories of Science Fiction Novel and Short Story, YA Novel, Children’s Novel, Fantasy Novel, Horror Short Story, and Collection, and 17 times for the Ditmar in the categories of Best Novel, Best Novella, Best Collection, and Professional Achievement. He has also been nominated for the Philip K Dick Award and long-listed for the 2016 Australian Writers’ Guild Prime Time award.

He has received the Peter McNamara Award for services to Australian spec fic and the "SA Great" Award for Literature.

Recent nominations:

2022 Aurealis Awards (Best Collection) for Little Labyrinths

2021 Notable Book, Children's Book Council of Australia for Her Perilous Mansion

2021 Patricia Wrightson’s Prize for Young People’s Literature, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for Her Perilous Mansion

2021 Aurealis Awards (Best Children’s Fiction) for Her Perilous Mansion

2020 Notable Book, Children's Book Council of Australia for Impossible Music

2020 Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for Impossible Music

2016 Winner, Aurealis Award, Best SF Short Story for “All the Wrong Places”

2016 Aurealis Award, Best SF Novel for Twinmaker: Fall

2015 Winner, Ditmar Award, Best Novella for “The Legend Trap”

2015 Scribe Award (US), Young Adult Novel for Blood Ties

2011 Scribe Award (US), Best Speculative Original Novel for The Force Unleashed II

2009 Aurealis Award, Best SF Novel for The Grand Conjunction

2009 Aurealis Award, Best YA Novel for The Scarecrow

2008 Ditmar Award, Best Novel for Earth Ascendant

2008 Winner, Aurealis Award, Best Collection for Magic Dirt: The Best of Sean Williams

2008 Aurealis Award, Best SF Novel for Earth Ascendant

2008 Aurealis Award, Best YA Novel for The Changeling

2008 Aurealis Award, Best Children’s Novel for The Changeling

Key responsibilities

He teaches Creative Writing and (occasionally) Music. He is a Chief Investigator on a Discovery Grant (Creative Antarctica) and from 2023 Discipline Lead of Creative Writing.

Teaching interests

In recognition of his teaching and mentorship of new writers, Sean has been nominated for the Ditmar Award in the category of Professional Achievement.

Topic coordinator
CRWR2001 Editing & the Industry
CRWR3002 The Fantastic
CRWR2100 Workshop: Craft & Critique
Supervisory interests
Creative writing
Further information

For more information about Sean's work, please see his websites:

seanwilliams.com

theadelaidean.com