Tasmanian freelance writer – Ruth Dawkins Freelance Writer

February 2023: some recent writing work

February 9, 2023 DorkyMum

Black text that reads 2023 on a great background

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful, restful break over the festive period, and you’ve started 2023 feeling enthusiastic and energised!

Here in Tasmania, schools only went back a couple of days ago. While I did manage a few bits and pieces of work over the holidays, it’s nice to be getting those longer stretches of uninterrupted and focused time again.

I thought I would share links a few recent pieces of work. It’s great fun having this blog to look back on and remind myself of what a variety of projects I do each year.

Back in December, I was lucky enough to interview Hobart local Briony Kidd about her tips for visitors to Hobart. That feature was published on Guardian Australia: Platypus spotting, spontaneous nights out, and grassroots energy.
More recently, I had a piece of creative non-fiction published at one of my favourite websites, Caught by the River. That one is called Dog walking at the bottom of the world.
This interview for Brand Tasmania, with Caro and Chris Brown of Brady’s Lookout Cider was really fun to write.
And as ever, I am so grateful to CSIRO for being a regular, ongoing client. Recent pieces I’ve written for them include one for Resourceful Magazine on indicator minerals for nickel exploration, and two for ECOS on carbon sequestration and deep sea mining.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Copywriting

From graphite to hemp: my latest writing subjects

August 29, 2022September 1, 2022 DorkyMum

I’ve been lucky enough to work on a real diversity of writing projects recently, and I thought I’d share a few of them here.

A piece for CSIRO’s Resourceful magazine about graphite processing.
A second piece for CSIRO, this time for their ECOS blog, about the State of the Environment Report and the important work that was done by Indigenous co-authors.
An article for one of my newest clients Brand Tasmania. What a privilege to help tell the stories about some of the smart, interesting, inspiring people who call Tassie home. My first piece was about Tim Crow, a Queenslander who moved to the north of the state and established a company called Hemp Harvests.
And my second piece for Brand Tasmania, which was about Mary Knights – Senior Art Curator at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

Photo by Remedy Pics on Unsplash

Copywriting

CSIRO’s Transport Planning Tool

June 28, 2022 DorkyMum

My inner map geek is very happy this month.

I’ve recently written a couple of pieces for CSIRO about TraNSIT, their transport planning tool. First developed ten years ago for use in the livestock industry, the tool now helps with supply chain efficiency in a range of industries. It has even been used in the tourism sector, and to assist Emergency Management Australia during extreme weather events.

The first piece I wrote was an overarching history about the last ten years of TraNSIT.

While the second focused on how it can be used to get supplies to communities during floods or fire.

Hope you enjoy reading them.

Photo by Rhys Moult on Unsplash

Copywriting, Feature Writing

CSIRO climate change research

May 4, 2022 DorkyMum

I’ve recently enjoyed writing another couple of pieces for CSIRO, and thought I would share the links here in case they’re of interest.

The first is a post on the ECOS blog that explains compound risk and explores ways of supporting Australian communities that are dealing with multiple extreme events: How to build resilience in the face of compounding extreme events.

The second is a piece for Resourceful magazine about the new Carbon Lock research initiative: Locking away carbon permanently.

Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash

Copywriting

My latest pieces for CSIRO

February 11, 2022 DorkyMum

I’m deep in a big travel writing project at the moment, but in December and January it was science writing keeping me busy!

Here are some of the recent pieces I’ve written for CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency:

Continue reading “My latest pieces for CSIRO” →

Reading

2021: a year in books

January 5, 2022January 5, 2022 DorkyMum

Photo shows a woman standing in front of a brick wall, a book held in front of her face. Caption reads: 2021 a year in books ruthdawkins.net

I love reaching the end of a year and taking a moment to look back through the books I’ve read.

Starting my @ruthreadsbooks Instagram account that I use as a reading diary has been a bit of a game changer. I still keep a notebook to record everything I read each year, but having the visual prompts of the front covers is a great way to jog my memory about the books I’ve enjoyed the most. Continue reading “2021: a year in books” →

Copywriting, Feature Writing

An interview with an Olympian

July 27, 2021 DorkyMum

A screenshot of a blog post on Hydro Tasmania's website showing Olympic canoe slalom athlete Daniel Watkins

Working as a freelance writer means that life is always interesting – the pieces I’m commissioned to write are so varied and I often learn a lot during the research.

A recent commission for Hydro Tasmania was particularly exciting, because it led to an interview with not just one, but two Tasmanian Olympians! Daniel Watkins is currently in Tokyo, and did an incredible job to make it into the final of the men’s canoe slalom event. Peter Eckhardt is a former competitor in the same sport, and now Commodore of the Derwent Canoe Club.

I spoke to Dan and Peter for this piece on The Splash, Hydro Tasmania’s blog, and discovered how Hydro Tasmania co-ordinate water releases for recreational users, as well as the qualities that make Tasmanian canoeists unique on the international circuit.

Copywriting, Feature Writing, freelance life, Writing

Spring in Tasmania

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 DorkyMum

cherry blossom with blue sky in the background to illustrate a post about Spring in Tasmania

Tomorrow – the first of September – marks the beginning of spring in Tasmania. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to some warmer, brighter days.

Winter was a weird one this year – but then, hasn’t everything been weird this year!? There were individual days that seemed to last forever, and weeks that seemed to be over before they’d even started. Continue reading “Spring in Tasmania” →