Sam van Zweden is a Melbourne-based freelance writer interested in experimental nonfiction, essays, mental health, body writing, food, and memory.
Her collection of personal essays, Eating With My Mouth Open, won the 2019 KYD Unpublished Manuscript Award, and was published in February 2021 by Newsouth Publishing.
Sam’s writing has appeared in the Saturday Paper, Meanjin, The Big Issue, The Lifted Brow, Cordite, The Sydney Review of Books, The Wheeler Centre and others.
Past achievements include:
- 2019 KYD Unpublished Manuscript Award winner
- 2019 Varuna/Copyright Agency Fellowship
- 2017 Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Awards – shortlisted
- 2016 Lifted Brow & non/fictionLab Experimental Non-fictionPrize – shortlisted
- 2016 RMIT Urban Writing House writer-in-residence
- 2015 Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers – shortlisted
- 2015 Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship
- 2015 City of Literature Travel Fund recipient
Sam has appeared at the Melbourne Writers Festival, NonfictioNOW, National Young Writers Festival, the Digital Writers’ Festival, Noted, the Emerging Writers’ Festival, RMIT’s Present Tense talks, and The Wheeler Centre. She completed her Honours year at RMIT in 2014, writing about food and memory.
Keep in touch via:
She can also be emailed at samantha.vanzweden@gmail.com
For book-related media and publicity, please contact Caitlin Lawless at NewSouth: caitlin.lawless@newsouthbooks.com.au
About
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- Digital Spotters Guide to the Melbourne Writers Festival | LocalHero
- Discover Melbourne’s literary cafes | LocalHero
- Melbourne Writers Festival: Meet the Editors | LocalHero
- Digital Spotter’s Guide to the Melbourne Writers Festival | City of Melbourne What's On blog
- Discover Melbourne’s Literary Cafes | City of Melbourne What's On blog
- Meet the Editors at the Melbourne Writers Festival | City of Melbourne What's On blog
- Aren’t Bloggers and Writers the Same Thing | Manuscrapped
- Stream of consciousness/notes jotted down from EWF16 Masterclass: Criticism | Animation, Research, and Ma-TEA-rial Thoughts
- How to Become a Writer: Sam Van Zweden – Annabel Smith
Sam van Zweden 
02/11/2009 at 4:48 pm
I admire your blog, and your passion for writting.
02/11/2009 at 4:58 pm
why thankyou! Always like to know I have someone coming back for more!
😀
07/11/2009 at 4:10 pm
Well I’m hooked, keep up the good work
29/03/2010 at 5:52 pm
Hi, Sam, and thank you… A lot of interesting posts here, and your evident spark for the matter you write about makes reading them a pleasure. I’ll certainly be stopping by again.
All the best,
– Stevie –
30/03/2010 at 3:01 am
Glad you’ve been coming back; always nice to have return customers!
29/05/2010 at 1:15 am
miss u sam :*
29/05/2010 at 6:19 pm
Hey! I emailed you a while ago, but I never heard back! Are you well?
03/07/2010 at 9:30 am
Hi Sam, I have been wondering how you manage to blog so often amoungst all the other day-to-day tasks?
03/07/2010 at 9:41 am
Hey there… Generally blog in the morning or at night. Do a lot of thinking about it in between – so that when I sit down to blog it’s pretty much written anyway. 🙂
24/03/2011 at 3:36 pm
Thanks so much for the write up you did on CPJ a couple of months ago, Sam! Sorry to be so slow on the uptake! Looking forward to seeing you at Noise Bar on Wednesday 🙂 x
24/03/2011 at 4:37 pm
No worries, Bronwyn! Hopefully I can make it down on Wednesday, really looking forward to it! Last year’s Overload final was the best slam I’ve been to, absolutely electric. Can’t wait 🙂
10/06/2011 at 5:35 pm
Hey Sam,
Could not find an email address on here for you. Would you be able to drop me an email at bronwyn.gds@gmail.com when you get a chance?
Thanks heaps,
Bronwyn 🙂
10/07/2011 at 1:51 am
Love your blog and title! I actually found it searching for writer’s tattoos… and the fountain pen image on one of your posts is absolutely perfect! How did you get published in so many things?!
10/07/2011 at 5:35 am
Hi Jennifermarie – thanks for the kind words.
The fountain pen image is great, isn’t it? It was designed by a friend who is a games designer, Jeremy Kool. I’ve got it on my right bicep – nice to know that I’ve got something original which nobody else has. Unless they’ve copied it off here…
As for publication… It’s been a lot about persistence. I got many rejection letters before being published, and they’re still rolling in. I don’t let that stop me. Also, Melbourne’s an amazing place to live in terms of getting published. As a UNESCO City of Literature we have endless opportunities here.
Hope to hear more of you on here, I’m about to go check out your blog now.
S
10/07/2011 at 8:38 am
I figured you had the tattoo customized after all my searching for the image! I tried looking for it everywhere… I was actually trying to create my own version of the tattoo and include my initials in the design that went around the fountain pen.
I admire you for your persistence. I know rejection letters aren’t the greatest to receive, but persistence is a good thing!
19/01/2012 at 12:15 pm
Love this blog, and your passion for literature and writing! Will definitely be checking back here in the future! 🙂
Also immensely jealous that you live in Melbourne. I live about an hour north of Sydney, and only visited Melbourne for the first time (well, as an adult) a few months ago, and fell in love with the place instantly. It’s a beautiful city, so vibrant and alive, I felt inspired just being there. Living there one day is definitely on the cards…
19/01/2012 at 12:21 pm
Thanks so much! I’ve just checked out your blog too, looking forward to keeping up with your future posts!
Do come to Melbourne, it’s pretty fantastic.
09/12/2012 at 1:35 am
I just nominated you for the most inspirational blogger award :).
09/12/2012 at 1:43 am
Sorry, I forgot to tell you where to check it out. Sigh. Go here to read about it: http://writersite.org/2012/12/08/from-the-cat-choir/.
10/01/2013 at 7:14 am
I’ve nominated you for the Tell me About Yourself Award! No pressure to participate or anything but it’s just a little something that helps yourself and other bloggers to get noticed! For more info about awards check out http://kristydefehr.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/tell-me-about-yourself-award/
10/01/2013 at 5:14 pm
Hi Kristy,
Thanks so much! I’ll check it out.
S
01/09/2017 at 3:12 pm
Hey Sam,
I’m checking out your website after loving your article ‘What I’m reading’ over on Meanjin. Your thoughts on home and travel really resonated as i’m trying my hand at an essay for my masters on home and belonging.
Thanks, Zohra
01/09/2017 at 3:20 pm
Thanks for the kind words, Zohra – good luck with your essay!
03/03/2020 at 2:44 pm
Lovely, lucid website. Inspiring. Congratulations!