Associate Professor Enza Gandolfo

Enza Gandolfo is a fiction writer and an Honorary Professor in Creative Writing at Victoria University. 

She is the author of two novels: The Bridge, Scribe 2018, shortlisted for the Stella Prize 2019, and Swimming, shortlisted for the Barbara Jefferis Award. Enza is interested in the power of stories to create understanding and empathy with a particular focus on feminist and political fiction. She is also interested in women and creativity, and the use of narrative research and practice-led creative arts research methodologies that produce alternative ways of knowing and understanding.

Enza has been involved in a number of collaborative projects including: with Prof Marty Grace, The everyday creativity of women craftmakers (2009) and The Glory Box Project (2011) and with Sue Dodd, Inventory on op shop (2008). She is also a co-editor of TEXT, Journal of Writing and Writing Courses.

Selected publications

Books

• Gandolfo, E (2018) The Bridge Scribe Publishing
• Grace, M and Gandolfo, E (2011) Love And Care: The Glory Box Tradition Of Coptic Women In Australia. Vulgar Press, Melbourne.
• Gandolfo, Enza (2009) Swimming Vanark Press, Melbourne – release date August 2009
• Gandolfo, Enza and Grace, Marty (2009), …it keeps me sane …women craft wellbeing, Vulgar Press, Melbourne.
• Dodd, Sue and Gandolfo, Enza (2007), Inventory: on op shops, Vulgar Press, Melbourne.

Films

• Harris, A and Gandolfo, E (2014) Art/Hope/Culture
• Grace, Marty and Gandolfo, Enza (2009), It keeps me sane: craft, creativity and wellbeing, Victoria University, Melbourne.

Exhibitions

• Bolitho, A and Gandolfo, E  2022 Time Passing at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre. Collaborative Textile Exhibition
• Gandolfo, E and Harris, A 2014 Transience Footscray Community Arts Curated by Megan Evans
• Grace, Marty and Gandolfo, Enza (2009), … it keeps me sane … women craft creativity wellbeing, Victoria University, Melbourne. Curated with Belinda Cody, and held at Level 17 Artspace, 300 Flinders Street, Melbourne.
• Dodd, Sue and Gandolfo, Enza (2007), Inventory: on op shops, Installation by Dodd and Gandolfo held at Living Museum of the West.

Short creative works

• Gandolfo, E (2015) No Fixed Position in Mothers & Others (eds) Natalie Kon-Yu, Christie Nieman, Maggie Scott, Miriam Sved, Maya Linde, Random House, Melbourne
• Gandolfo, E (2013) ‘The Gift’ Social Alternatives Volume 32:3 2013 p60-63
• Gandolfo, E (2012) ‘Memories of Lace’ in Carmenta: Australian Italian Writers Italian Institution of Culture Melbourne

Refereed journal articles

Creative writing & practice-led research

• Gandolfo, E (2015) City Ghosts TEXT Special Issue: Creative Writing as Research IV, October 2012 Nigel Krauth and Donna Lee Brien Ross Watkins, Dallas Baker, Anthony Lawrence and Moya Costello(eds)
• Gandolfo, E (2014) ‘Take a walk in their shoes: Empathy and emotion in the writing process’ TEXT  18:1
• Gandolfo, E (2012) ‘Women Walking: Fragments’ TEXT Special Issue: Creative Writing as Research II, October 2012 Nigel Krauth and Donna Lee Brien (eds)
• Gandolfo, E (2012) ‘Constructing imaginary narratives: practice-led research and feminist practice in creative writing’ Qualitative Research Journal Vol 12 (1)
• Evans, M and Gandolfo, E (2009) ‘Collaborating with the enemy’ TEXT: Journal of Australian Writing Programs. Special Issue Number 6 Supervising the Creative Arts Research Higher Degree: Towards Best Practice, Edited by Donna Lee Brien and Rosemary Williamson.

Narrative & autoethnographic

• Harris, A., & Gandolfo, E. (2014) 'Looked at and looked over or: I wish I was adopted.' Gender, Place & Culture, 1-15.
• Grace, M and Gandolfo E (2012) ‘Passing on love and care: the glory box tradition of Coptic women in Australia’ ANZJAT: the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art Therapy Vol. 7 No. 1, 2012
• Gandolfo, E and Grace, M (2010) ‘Women doing it forever: The everyday creativity of women craftmakers’ ANZJAT: the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art Therapy Vol 5.

Book chapters

• Gandolfo, Enza (2013) ‘Hairy Ideals’ in Alison Bartlett and Margaret Henderson (eds) Things That Liberate: an Australian Feminist Wunderkammer, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle, UK

View more of Enza's publications in VU's Research Repository.

Fellowships & residencies

• 2010 Visiting Fellow Centre for Narrative Research, University of East London
• 2010 Visiting Fellow School of Media and Communication RMIT University
• 1998 Varuna Writer’s Centre Fellowship

Postgraduate research students & fellows

Completions

8 PhD students (co-supervisor), 2 Masters students (principal supervisor)

Enza's areas of postgraduate research supervision are:

• creative writing
• creative arts research
• practice-led research
• narrative research.