Anna Krien - journalist and freelance writer

‘Journalism is great because it takes me to some pretty odd places…’

Waiting to hear from publishers is not an uncommon experience for a writer of fiction, but Anna isn't exactly staring at the phone. She is busy making a go of working freelance for publications such as The Monthly, The Big Issue, The Age, Yen, Dazed & Confused, and The Griffith Review. She also has pieces in Best Australian Essays 2005 and 2006.

After finishing her undergrad at Deakin, Anna did a cadetship at The Age. ‘I learnt a lot.’ She says,‘…but probably the most important lesson, was that there is a vast difference between reporting and journalism.’

Anna is perhaps first and foremost a writer. ‘I don't follow that rule of pitching first, then writing the story’, she says. ‘If something catches my eye, then I write it. For me it's not really about money or getting the green light from an editor, it's just how I understand the world.’

Anna says that her experience at Deakin affected her deeply. ‘I have not since been in an institutional environment that is so open to new ideas and creativity,’ she says. Anna appears to have made the most of what a creative environment can offer.