About

Denise Sivasubramaniam is a Sydney-based writer exploring the intersections of cultural identity, mental health, neurodiversity, and disability. Her essay, Finally, I’m the No. 1 Target for Racists appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald and her creative work was published in the January 2026 edition (#184) of MiniMag (Forward Forward Forward Forward Stop). Her short story Spiceland was published in Baby Teeth Journal (March 2026). She holds a BA majoring in Writing from UNE and she undertook mentorship with Emily Maguire to complete her novel, More Than Nothing (2025–26), which placed in the top 5% of The Wheeler Centre’s Next Chapter Competition (2025). She also coordinates a Writing NSW critique group and shares essays on her Substack, Notes from the In-Between: The Stories That Don’t Fit — all fuelled by equal parts curiosity and caffeine.

Published Writing

• Essay Finally, I’m the No. 1 Target for Racists, The Sydney Morning Herald

• Forward Forward Forward Forward Stop, MiniMag, Issue #184 (January 2026)

• Spiceland, Baby Teeth Journal (March 2026)

• Ongoing publication of personal essays on my Substack exploring intersectionality

Mentorship

• Novel mentorship with Emily Maguire to complete More Than Nothing (2025–26)

Competitions

• More Than Nothing placed in the top 5% of The Wheeler Centre’s Next Chapter (2025)

Education

• Bachelor of Arts (Writing), UNE

Courses

• Year of the Novel — Emily Maguire (2024)

• Writing Love and Sex — Annie Grace (2025)

• Writing Short Stories — Gretchen Shirm (2023)

• Writing the Real — Mark Tredinnick (2022)