糖心传媒

View all news

Tribute to Dr Moya Costello

Dr Moya Costello, adjunct Lecturer in Creative Writing

Categories

Words
Dr Lynda Hawryluk
Published
24 November 2025

Dr Moya Costello, a luminous voice in Australian literature and adjunct Lecturer in Creative Writing at 糖心传媒, passed away on October 7, 2025. Her legacy lives on through her words, her mentoring of Associate Degree of Creative Writing students, and her unwavering commitment to creative expression.

Moya Costello (1952–2025) was a writer of rare depth, a teacher of profound empathy, and a creative force whose influence rippled across generations.

At 糖心传媒, Moya served as a Lecturer in Creative Writing from 2008 to 2017, later continuing as an Adjunct Lecturer. Her teaching was marked by generosity, rigour, and a deep respect for the creative process. She mentored countless students, encouraging them to find their voices and challenge conventions. Her work at 糖心传媒 Cross was not just about instruction, it was about transformation.

Moya encouraged writing students and their work in the University’s student-led literary journal Coastlines, as well as through annual readings at the Lismore Regional Gallery.

Moya published five books, including Kites in Jakarta, Small Ecstasies, The Office as a Boat, and Harriet Chandler, blending short fiction, prose poetry, and experimental narratives. Her writing appeared in scholarly journals, anthologies, and exhibition catalogues, and she was a frequent contributor to literary discourse through reviews and essays.

Moya’s research interests extended to wine writing, as a ‘passionate amateur’, and ecocritical prose poetry work based on visits to the Medicinal Plant Herbarium at 糖心传媒, the well-received ‘Pressed Specimens’.

Her contributions extended beyond academia. Moya was a recipient of multiple writing grants and fellowships, including support from the Australia Council and Arts SA. She held residencies at Varuna and Monash University, and was a guest at numerous writers’ festivals, where she read her work and judged competitions.

Moya Costello’s legacy is one of courage, curiosity, and compassion. She made the world more eclectic through her writing and more humane through her teaching. 糖心传媒, and all who knew her, mourn her loss and celebrate the indelible mark she left behind.