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July 6, 2026

Member Spotlight: Sean Wilson

Our July member spotlight is Melbourne based writer Sean Wilson. He is the author of the novels Gemini Falls and You Must Remember This, which was shortlisted for the 2026 The Age Book of the Year and is on the shortlist for the 2026 Miles Franklin Literary Award. His fiction has appeared in Australian and international journals and anthologies, and he was previously shortlisted for the Patrick White Playwrights Award by Sydney Theatre Company.
 
He has written about the inspiration for his debut novel, Gemini Falls, for The Guardian.  
 

 

Congratulations on being shortlisted for the 2026 Miles Franklin Literary Award! What does receiving it mean to you?

Thank you so much. It’s a thrill and a great honour to be chosen for the shortlist. I had a ‘pinch me’ moment when the email arrived in my inbox. I feel very grateful — it’s so difficult to get attention for a book, and I know the Miles Franklin represents a unique opportunity to get my novel into the hands of more readers. It also feels like recognition that these kinds of stories matter, that a novel about ageing, dementia, the care system, family and relationships can be considered important and deserving of this kind of spotlight.

What inspired you to begin a writing career?

I’ve always been interested in storytelling. I can remember listening very carefully when my uncles told stories around the table at family events, and I remember being interested in craft from an early age. I used to read choose-your-own-adventure stories and would place my fingers in various sections of the books, flipping back and forth to see how the story changed based on character choices. But it took me until my late teens to consider writing fiction, and then many years of writing bad stories, giving up and starting again, before I was anywhere near what you might call a writing career. 

What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career?

That it’s important to learn from other writers but it’s a mistake to mirror the works of others. I spent a long time writing poor imitations of Raymond Carver stories. It’s really exhausting trying to emulate others — it’s much easier to write in a way that comes naturally, that you enjoy and can achieve in whatever time you have available to write. Style, craft and form are important but, ultimately, what really matters is striving for truth and honesty in fiction, to get at what it’s like to be living here together. That’s why we keep coming back to stories.

Which Australian authors or illustrators have been influential for you?

Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang is probably my favourite Australian novel. It’s incredible in terms of voice and storytelling craft, and creating such a compelling, original story from such well-trodden ground was a significant achievement. I also admire Amanda Lohrey’s The Labyrinth — the way she explores the strange mix of tension and love that can build up between parents and their children. 
 

Why are you a member of the ASA?

Writing can sometimes be isolating and the publishing industry is often quite opaque. It’s important to have a professional association that brings writers together, that helps them understand their rights and responsibilities, and that can go into bat for writers in the big games. I appreciate what the ASA is currently doing to protect the rights of Australian authors in the face of unprecedented threats from AI companies. 
 

Find out more about Sean Wilson Martin at seanwilson.net.au.

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