Catherine Johnstone

Catherine Johnstone is a queer writer from Naarm/Melbourne. She was long listed for The Blake Poetry Prize, 2026, and has had poetry and creative non-fiction published in Rabbit, Westerly, Meniscus, Going Down Swinging and two anthologies. She was shortlisted for Narrative Non-Fiction for City of Melbourne Awards 2024 and has received writing fellowships from KSP (2023) and Varuna (Writer’s Space online 2022). In her earlier writing studies, RMIT produced a small booklet of her poetry, Bead Fireworks (with fellow student Judith Zarrella). As well as poetry, she has written a manuscript of lyric essays/creative nonfiction which she is currently submitting to publishers. Catherine has been awarded grants or funding from Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia), Fiona Myer and Myer Foundation, National Association for the Visual Arts, University of Melbourne and Victoria University. In a previous career as writer/director of short films, Catherine was awarded Best Australian Short Film at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival for Strung Up.

http://www.catherinejohnstone.com