Rosemary Sorensen

Career Trajectory: From National Newspapers to Regional Advocacy

• The Australian & Courier-Mail (1980s–2000s): Sorensen established herself as a leading arts writer at The Australian, later becoming Arts and Literary Editor at Brisbane’s Courier-Mail. Her critiques elevated Australian literature and theater, often spotlighting emerging voices.
• Australian Book Review (2000s): As editor, she revitalized the publication, commissioning essays that dissected literary trends and political undercurrents in cultural policies.
• Bendigo Writers Festival (2012–Present): Founding director of this regional festival, which has grown into a cornerstone of Australia’s literary calendar, fostering dialogue on social justice, Indigenous narratives, and global literature.

Key Articles

• "Chasm between liberal values and action exposed again" (Independent Australia, 2025) This polemic critiques institutional hypocrisy in supporting artists who take political stances, particularly regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. Sorensen defends Brisbane musician Kellee Green’s call to boycott Israel-linked businesses, arguing that art inherently intersects with morality. The article blends cultural analysis with advocacy, reflecting her belief in art as a tool for social change. By contextualizing Green’s stance within Australia’s history of artistic activism, Sorensen challenges readers to reconcile liberal ideals with tangible allyship.
• Impact: Sparked national debate on artistic freedom, cited by The Guardian Australia in coverage of cultural boycotts.
• "Githa Hariharan Interviewed by Rosemary Sorensen" (University of Wollongong, 2024) In this nuanced conversation, Sorensen explores Hariharan’s literary evolution, focusing on her short story collection The Art of Dying. The interview highlights themes of gender, diaspora, and narrative form, showcasing Sorensen’s skill in eliciting reflective responses. She draws parallels between Hariharan’s work and Australian Indigenous storytelling, emphasizing cross-cultural resonance.
• Methodology: Sorensen employs a conversational yet structured approach, interweaving textual analysis with personal anecdotes to reveal the author’s creative process.

Beat Analysis & Pitching Recommendations

1. Focus on Regional Cultural Initiatives

Sorensen prioritizes stories that highlight regional arts ecosystems, such as her coverage of the Mildura Writers Festival’s Indigenous mentorship program. Pitches should emphasize community impact, sustainability, or innovative funding models. Avoid generic "small-town success" angles; instead, explore how regional programs challenge metropolitan-centric cultural narratives.

2. Intersection of Art and Social Justice

Her analysis of Kellee Green’s activism exemplifies her interest in artists who confront systemic inequities. Successful pitches might examine how museums address colonial legacies or profile theater groups staging works by incarcerated writers. Provide clear evidence of the art’s societal influence, avoiding superficial "art as protest" tropes.

3. Deep-Dive Author Profiles

Sorensen’s interview with Githa Hariharan demonstrates her preference for authors engaging with identity and displacement. Pitches should highlight writers from marginalized communities or those experimenting with non-Western narrative structures. Include access to unpublished manuscripts or exclusive insights into their creative rituals.

Awards and Achievements

Bendigo Writers Festival Directorship

Under Sorensen’s leadership, the festival achieved a 300% attendance increase (2012–2025), becoming the largest regional literary event in Victoria. Its 2024 program featured First Nations writers from 12 countries, setting a benchmark for inclusive curation. The festival’s success lies in balancing local relevance with global perspectives, a model now emulated by festivals in Goulburn and Ballarat.

National Biography Award Judging

As a 2015–2016 judge, Sorensen advocated for memoirs challenging traditional biographical formats, notably supporting Ellen van Neerven’s experimental Heat and Light. Her critiques during deliberations emphasized the importance of "narrative vulnerability," influencing subsequent years’ submission trends toward hybrid genres.