The Australian Women's Register

Magdalena Ball grew up in New York City where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from CCNY. After completing her BA, she moved to Oxford England to do an M.Litt on “The Articulation of Silence: Joyce, Yeats, and Woolf,” which ultimately ended in absolute silence and wasn’t completed, although she did pass her qualifying exam, including a lively and enjoyable VIVA on the thesis with author John Bailey. After that Magdalena migrated, with her husband Martin, to Australia, where she set down permanent roots, completed an MBA from Charles Sturt University, and took on a satisfyingly left brain job as an information manager with Orica. She also works as a manuscript assessor for Manuscripts Online, is a member of the BookConnector Advisory Board, an Evaluative Reader for Catchfire Press, and mother to three gorgeous children (not always in that order). She is the author of a non-fiction book The Art of Assessment (Mountain Mist Productions 2003), an award winning poetry chapbook Quark Soup (Picaro Press, 2006), and Sleep Before Evening, her debut novel which was released by BeWrite books in July 2007.

Magdalena’s publications include:

Repulsion Thrust, BeWrite Books, 2009 (poetry)

Sleep Before Evening, BeWrite Books, 2007 (novel)

Quark Soup, Picaro Press, 2006 (poetry chapbook)

The Art of Assessment: How to Review Anything, Mountain Mist Productions, 2003.

Cherished Pulse, Compulsive Reader Publications, 2006 (poetry chapbook – collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson)

“Loosen Your Belt”: Global Delights: A feast of stories and poetry and recipes, 2003, Ethnic Communities Council and The Hunter Writer’s Centre

“The Last Bet” Commendation Prize, Roland Robinson 2005 Short Story Award. Published in Fifth Branch Down (print anthology, 2005, ed. Jean Kent)

“The Fall” Skive Magazine: ‘Next Stop: the best of Skive Magazine, 2004-2003’ (print publication), and online at http://www.skivemagazine.mockfrog.com.au/stories0204/thefall.html, the story shortlisted in the Glen Eira “My Brother Jack” short story awards 2002

“Whiz Kid” Skive Magazine: http://www.skivemagazine.mockfrog.com.au/stories0704/whizkid.html

“The Clarity Centre” Skive Magazine: http://www.skivemagazine.mockfrog.com.au/stories1204/theclarity.html

“The Haunting” Mocha Memoirs, http://www.mochamemoirs.com/archives/issue14c.shtml

2004 Newcastle Poetry Prize, shortlisted, “Betelgeuse” (multimedia section), published in ‘The Cool Breath Burn’: Anthology

Roland Robinson Literary Award, 2006 Commendation Award (“Oceanic”), 2005 Commendation Award (“The Last Bet”), 2004 Commendation Prize (“Exile”); 2000 Commendation Certificate (“Whorl”)

Binnacle Ultra Short Competition, shortlist, “In the aftermath”

Poetry has been published in A Painted Summer (print anthology, 2004, ed. Jean Kent), Beneath the Valley (print anthology June 2005, reprinted 2006, Catchfire Press), The Uncontained Sea (Print Anthology, 2000, ed Jean Kent), Bird Before Landing (print anthology 2002), The Harpweaver (print anthology Volume 9, Autumn 2001), In Our Own Words Volume 4 and Volume 5 (Print anthology, MW Enterprises), The Pedestal Magazine, Thylazine (Ten Australian Poets, Series 9), Long Story Short, Artemis, The Golden Thread, The Green Tricycle, Niederngasse, Mocha Memoirs, OzPoet, Perigree (one year anniversary issue), The Flying Corn Press (Aug 2004, Poet of the Month), Poetically Speaking (2005), Void Magazine (June & September 2005), The Australian Reader (2005), Gunch Press: Poultry Broadside (print publication, November 2005), Mothering Magazine (print publication, Jan 2006), Haiku for Writers, Poetry Canada Magazine (print publication, June-Sept 2006), Totem Triptychs collaborative art project with Don Swartzentruber, Granola Mama, Blue Pepper, Escape Velocity magazine, Goodwill to All Men (print anthology, Anchor Books, 2006), The Westerly (Roland Robinson Literary Awards 2006, edited by Jean Kent and Judy Johnson), Stories for A Long Summer (Print Anthology, Catchfire Press, 2006), Cezanne’s Carrot, Australian Poetic Society, PeachPublishing, Cerebral Catalyst, Arabesques, Astropoetica.

Reviews/Interviews have been published in Cordite, Imago, Coppertales, Drexel Online Journal, Midwest Book Reviews (regular reviewer), MC Reviews, Relix Magazine, AussieReviews, Mommylinks, Shorncliss, Phillymama, RealLifeSolutions, Local LIT, E2K (staff writer), Thylazine, NewPages, and Media-Culture Reviews.

Essays/articles have been published in Aribella, Parenting Magazine, Kidz on the Coast magazine, Net author (staff writer), Inscriptions, Scriptorium, Absolute Write, Sell Writing Online, The e-Writer’s Place, Write to inspire, The Writer Gazette, Performance Poetry, Beyond Fertility, RaisingOurKids, Ripe Lifestyle Magazine, T-Zero: The Writer’s Ezine, The Writer magazine, and the 2005 edition of The Writer’s Handbook (69th Edition) (The Writer Books), Long Story Short, Thylazine, Writing Now, Writer’s Best Friend, The Verb, The Complete Writer’s Journal (Red Engine Press, 2006), and Poetry Canada (print magazine, Oct 2006)

Magdalena Ball is listed in the Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers.