About me
Hi 👋 My name is Emma. I am an autistic and queer author, multidisciplinary artist and arts advocate. I live and work on the unceded land of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people in Kamberri (Canberra), Australia.
As an artist, my work is predominantly preoccupied with the intersection of writing and movement and with ideas of the self as both a subject and object. I am particularly drawn to exploring art and the process of art making; queerness, gender and sexuality; mental illness and neurodivergence; and love, intimacy and (dis)connection.
My first novel, ‘Now that I see you’, was the winner of the Australian/Vogel Literary Award in 2021. My second novel was completed with funding support from artsACT and I am currently developing my third novel manuscript. Recently, I have also undertaken graduate study in screen writing with the support of Screen Canberra.
As a dancer, I have performed for QL2 Dance in both regional and international tours as well as for brother, choreographer James Batchelor. In 2025, I am honoured to be a guest artist in his new work, Resonance.
In 2024, I was a resident artist at The Street Theatre, where I am continuing to develop an interdisciplinary live performance work that combines my writing and performance practices. For this work I was also a recipient of a Canberra Theatre Centre New Ideas Lab mentorship and is an alumni of the Force Majeure INCITE program.
I write freelance about the arts for a number of publications. Before this, I edited and wrote for Leiden, and in 2017 we published ‘Building a Conscious Wardrobe (and other fun things)’, a book championing conscious consumerism. I am also super into creating images through painting, drawing and embroidery, as well as through styling and art direction.
I love teaching and speaking about writing and creative practice as well as supporting other artists in the development of their work through mentorship, dramaturgy or as a provocateur. I am particularly passionate about working with young artists and supporting the artistic development of queer and neurodivergent people.
In addition to my own creative practice, I am engaged in a number of arts advocacy roles:
- I'm the Chair of MARION;
- a board member of the Stellar Company;
- a member of the Minister’s Creative Council;
- a mentor for the Audrey Fagan Board Program; and
- an ambassador of the ACT Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge.
I am also an arts worker, supporting:
I hold a Bachelors of Medical Science (Hons) from the Australian National University and have a professional background in corporate and arts governance, community organising and creative development.
CV
Comments, mentions and interviews
MARION, A Message from the Chair - Millions of books have been pirated and used by Meta to train its Artificial Intelligence, 24 March 2025
Street Talk, Getting to Know Emma Batchelor, 27 November 2024
City News, Arts diary - Resident Street Announcement, 7 May 2024
HerCanberra, How I Got Here: writer, author and arts advocate Emma Batchelor, 12 June 2023
HerCanberra, Five events you can’t miss at the 2022 Canberra Writers Festival, 7 July 2022
Michelle Potter…on dancing, Writing Dancing, 13 March, 2022
HerCanberra, Fashion, but make it sustainable: A Canberra Girl’s Guide, 12th August 2021