Jennifer Bryce
14 August 1944 – 27 April 2023

A founding member of Elwood Writers, Jenny was very much loved both within the group and beyond – we miss her warmth, enthusiasm, and unwavering support and encouragement more than we can ever say. Jenny was and will forever be the heart of Elwood Writers.

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Jennifer felt herself to be an apprentice writer and had reached a stage in her life where she had the courage to commit herself to writing and to devote time to the craft. She was involved in music throughout her life, mainly as an oboist, and said that the discipline of practising music helped her to be a disciplined writer.

In 2019 Jennifer published Lily Campbell’s Secret, a novel based in Woodend (where she used to live), a town about 50 km north west of Melbourne. The story is set around the time of WWI. At the time of her death, she was working on a collection of short stories centred around playing the oboe and to help her complete this, had, through Kill Your Darlings, won a mentorship with writer Ceridwen Dovey.

Jennifer had a blog on her website Little Smackerel. The blog contains reviews of books, plays, concerts and films she had read or attended, and some of her short fiction, and travel writing.

Other literary accomplishments include: stories published in the Elwood Writers anthology, Every Second Tuesday; publication in American Writers Review and the anthology The Sky Falls Down (edited by Terry Whitebeach and Gina Mercer); an honourable mention in the 2020 Port Stephens Short Story Competition; first place in the 2019 Continuum Short Story Competition;  short-listing for the 2018 Alan Marshall competition, and an honourable mention in the 2012 Henry Handel Richardson Competition. Her stories have been read on Cover to Cover on Vision Australia Radio. She also had nonfiction work published and had a PhD in Education.

Jennifer always said she treasured the advice and support from her Elwood Writers colleagues.