Bronwyn Blake was a new writer when “Dead Water” won an award for Best Lesbian Protagonist in the 1995 Scarlet Stiletto Awards . . . an exciting boost for an unconfident beginner. She has since had 13 books published in hard copy and as e-books, including Nick Riley’s Ninth Life for Lothian’s Crime Waves Series, which won the Sister’s Davitt Award for Junior Crime, 2002. A number of her books have been chosen by CBCA as Notable Books, and are used as texts in schools Australia wide. She writes for Adults and Young Adults, fiction and non-fiction, with her books primarily about people living in rural or remote setting.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

“After Azaria” was Ann’s first ever crime story. Receiving a Scarlet Stiletto, Best Procedural award for it was a fantastic motivator for writing more short crime and for Dangerous Devotions, a novel, published by Clan Destine Press in 2023. Ann has recently founded Rocking Boat Books – which runs creative writing workshops for, and publishes children’s books authored by, people with neurodiversity and other literacy and social challenges.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Her story in verse - Froth and Trouble or Sun Hill Blues -was entered in the Scarlet Stiletto competition back in the days when everyone watched the same TV shows because streaming services and ‘catch-up ‘ did not yet exist. When the plots of a popular prime time series called The Bill began to focus on the private lives of the characters instead of crime many fans were annoyed and Margaret's story is a comment on this.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Louise Connor's story, “Divine Intervention”, won third prize in the 2nd Scarlet Stiletto Awards in 1995. A founding member of Sisters in Crime, Louise has twice won 3rd prize in the Scarlet Stiletto awards. Her working life was mostly spent as a ratbag, rabble-rouser in the union movement, working mostly for the MEAA, which represents workers in the media, film and television, theatre workers and events staff. Now she's retired, she really has no excuse for not writing more crime fiction (apart from doting grandmother duties).

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Kylie had always wanted to be a writer, but it wasn’t until winning the Dorothy Porter Award for her story in verse, “Poppies”, that she realised it was something she could actually pursue. Since then, along with working full time and raising five children, Kylie has had success with several short stories, and had two books published. Kylie is currently working on a new novel and a new true crime book.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Inga Simpson entered the Scarlet Stiletto while living in Brisbane during her second year of studying creative writing. Two prizes for one story and the publication of “Operation Bluewater” in Scarlet Stiletto Uncut, gave her the (somewhat misguided) belief that she could shift careers, from government researcher to writer. It was nearly a decade before she made another cent from writing, but Inga has gone on to publish six novels and a nature-memoir, all of which have been short or long-listed for literary awards, including the Miles Franklin and Stella Prize. Her latest.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Kerry James was a lapsed professional and full-time carer for a loved one in decline when she wrote “Bucket Time”. She was considering people’s control over their inevitable death and imagined options that were kind and quick; she was strictly a non-mess murderer. “Bucket Time’s” win awarded her a mentorship with past Stiletto winner Inga Simpson! Those lessons were invaluable. The win thus gave Kerry zest to keep on and improved skills to do so: a real turning point. She thanks her Sisters in Crime for this and all the other great times over the years.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Linda was inspired to weave her wildlife rescue activities into a crime story and showcase the amazing, and mostly unsung, work of the volunteer networks. The Scarlet Stiletto award boosted her confidence in telling stories and she was chuffed to be rubbing shoulders with so many talented women writers. Since then, she has won an award in the Waterline Writing Competition and is always looking out for a spark to kick off more stories.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

Production Manager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Liz Filleul won the Scarlet Stiletto Award in 2004, and naturally wanted to win a second shoe. In 2007, she almost did so with “The Write Place”, which finished second. Two more second-placed stories followed in 2011 and 2016. That second shoe remains elusive, but Liz has had dozens of short crime stories published, including in UK magazine The People’s Friend, and in US magazine, Woman’s World. In 2023, she was shortlisted for a Derringer Award, given by the Short Mystery Fiction Society in the US, for a short story featuring a convict constable in 1830s Van Diemen’s Land, originally published by The People’s Friend.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

ProductionManager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia

Evelyn Tsitas is writer, artist, and curator. Her published and performed works range across fiction, nonfiction, stage, and journalism. Evelyn’s short story “Xenos” which won the Scarlet Stiletto Innovation prize in 2007 and became the basis for Evelyn’s PhD research into speculative fiction and hybridity.

Credits

Concept designer, co-producer, and narrator: Susanna Lobez

Co-producer: Carmel Shute

ProductionManager: Tim Coy

Graphic Designer: Caz Brown

Copyright Sisters in Crime Australia