Valerie Khoo is the National Director of the Australian Writers' Centre which she established in 2005. The centre offers writing courses to the public in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.[1] She is also a writer, podcaster, visual artist and former journalist.[2][3]
In 2018, Khoo was appointed the City of Sydney's Curator of the Sydney Lunar Festival.[4] Khoo is the co-host of the long-running podcasts So You Want to be a Writer (with children's author Allison Tait)[5] and So You Want to be a Photographer (with photographer Gina Milicia).[6] She also hosts the podcast series New stories, Bold Legends: Stories from Sydney Lunar Festival.[7]
Graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics in 1991,[8] Khoo has since worked as an accountant, in public relations, as a features writer for magazines, and as a freelance journalist. She is the author of six books.[2][9] In 2000, she was awarded a Graduate Diploma in Communication from the University of Technology Sydney.[10]
Khoo was born in Singapore and migrated to Sydney with her parents when she was four years old.[4]
Writing edit
As a journalist and editor, Khoo worked for various publishing houses including Pacific Magazines, Fairfax and ACP Magazines (now Bauer) in both Sydney and Singapore.[2][11] She was a regular contributor to Fairfax's Enterprise site, writing on small to medium-sized business and entrepreneurs.[12][13]
She is the author of several books, mostly focused on small business and career advice. Her most recent book was Power Stories: The 8 Stories You Must Tell to Build an Epic Business (Richmond, Vic. : John Wiley & Sons, 2013).[14]
More recently, Khoo has worked as a visual artist.[15]
Social Enterprise edit
In 2002, with her friend Kylie Taylor, Khoo established Taylor & Khoo, a charity to assist Sunrise Angkor Children's Village, an orphanage in Cambodia.[16] The social enterprise sold products manufactured in Cambodia, with proceeds going towards the orphanage. The venture wound down in 2008.[17]
Awards edit
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (February 2019) |
Awards received by Khoo or her businesses/ventures/art:
- 2004 Family Circle Women Who Dare Awards
- 2005 Australian Humanitarian Award (Business category)
- 2005 Australia Post Small Business Awards Special Judges Commendation
- 2006 Anthill 10 Coolest Companies in Australia.
- 2008 Finalist Small Business Champion Awards (NSW)
- 2009 Australian Finalist in the Dell Small Business Excellence Awards[18]
- 2010 Winner NSW Telstra Business Awards Micro-Business Category[19]
- 2018 Finalist Kangaroo Valley Art Prize[20]
References edit
- ^ "Australian Writers' Centre writing courses – Ignite your creativity". Australian Writers' Centre. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "PropellHer". www.propellher.com. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Interview with Valerie Khoo from Australian Writers' Centre". Brand Tales. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ a b "5 minutes with Sydney Lunar Festival curator | City of Sydney - News". news.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "So you want to be a writer Archives". Australian Writers' Centre. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Podcast Archives". Gina Milicia Photography: Melbourne/Sydney lifestyle, celebrity, advertising & courses. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "About this podcast – NEW STORIES, BOLD LEGENDS". Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Alumni and Friends| News | The University of Sydney". sydney.edu.au. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Price, Sarah (26 January 2019). "Sydney Lunar Festival's Valerie Khoo". The Saturday Paper. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "University of Technology Sydney 2005 Annual Report" (PDF).
- ^ "Valerie Khoo". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "The Age Blogs: Enterprise". blogs.theage.com.au. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Burrowes, Tim (13 April 2009). "Fairfax is keeping its readers locked in the cellar". Mumbrella. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Khoo, Valerie (2013). Power stories : the 8 stories you must tell to build an epic business. Richmond, Vic. : John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118387511.
- ^ Magazine, Anthill (25 January 2019). "Here are 5 great tips on how to successfully balance being a CEO and a full time artist -". Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Valerie Khoo". Danebank. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Taylor & Khoo: The story so far". Taylor & Khoo: The story so far. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "2009 Dell Small Business Excellence Award Finalists" (PDF).
- ^ "Telstra Business Awards Winners and Finalists 2010".
- ^ "Art Prize Finalists". Festival Program & Tickets. Retrieved 2 February 2019.