Writing
Lucy Nelson is a writer of fiction and non-fiction based in the Illawarra. She is a former regular contributor to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Big Issue. She is currently completing her debut collection of short fiction: Wait Here, with support from Create NSW and mentorships from novelist Heather Rose and memoirist/journalist Sian Prior. The manuscript has been longlisted for the 2023 Hachette Richelle Prize and was awarded the 2022 Writing NSW residential Varuna Fellowship. She is the 2021 winner of the Newcastle short story award. Her short fiction has also been recognised internationally by the Sean O'Faolain Fiction prize, UK (shortlist) and the International Desperate Literature Prize (longlist). She is a past recipient of the annual Templeberg Residential Fellowship (Writers Victoria). She spent the entire fellowship living alone on a coconut plantation on the South West Coast of Sri Lanka and writing fiction.

Lucy has been writer in residence at Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centre, and sat on judging panels for Writers Victoria and the ACT Writers Centre. She has moderated and contributed to panel discussions at the Bangalore Literature Festival in India, the Asia Pacific Writers and Translators Network in Macau, China and National Young Writers Month in Australia.

Workshop Facilitation
Formerly, Lucy led Word on the Street, a creative writing education and participation program for adults experiencing disadvantage. Word on the Street is one of many amazing programs offered by Upbeat Arts. She also facilitates beginner fiction for adults, kids creative writing workshops and women’s writing circles.

Events & Programming
From 2017—2019 Lucy was the Artistic Director of the Queensland Poetry Festival. From 2015 to 2017 she was Artistic Director of Noted Writers Festival, an event she co-founded with seven other Canberra creatives. Lucy also co-founded the Canberra chapter of global dance community No Lights No Lycra and many other community arts events. Occasionally she sings ditties in wine bars with Barry, her baritone ukulele.