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Ellen O’Brien
writer / editor / tutor
about me
Orange Spinning Heart Within A Heart
i am a writer, tutor and IPEd-accredited editor living on Bidjigal land.

i am passionate about words and the ways they bring us together, transforming our individual pain and suffering into something that can be collectively grieved, processed and turned into power. over the past decade i have pursued this passion in various ways, working as a community lawyer, writer, editor, policy officer, researcher and facilitator.

i’ve worked for a bunch of different organisations, including: i’ve also had my writing published in lots of places, including Sydney Review of Books, Meanjin, The Big Issue, Kill Your Darlings, LIMINAL, Overland, Cordite, Rabbit and un Magazine. to see a full list of publications, click here.

in 2025, i’m working as a freelance writer, editor and tutor. i’m also spending time in the UK as part of a research trip for my first novel, Daily Practice, which has been generously funded by Creative Australia.  

photo credit: Kathy Luu


where you can find me

email
instagram
newsletter

acknowledgment of country

i mostly work from the lands of the Bidjigal people in south-west sydney, and i offer my respects to their Elders past and present for their ongoing nurturance and care. this is, was and always will be Aboriginal land.