Meet the Creatives: Gabrielle Tozer on writing, belonging, and the magic of The Station

The Station Creative Workspace is many things – a launchpad, a landing pad, a meeting place, a muse. But for award-winning author Gabrielle Tozer, it’s also something rare and vital: a cosy creative hideaway in the middle of Wagga where stories take shape, community thrives, and artists belong.

Gabrielle Tozer is a powerhouse of words. She’s the author of young adult (YA) and children’s novels, picture books, essays and the occasional poem or script. Alongside writing, she edits, mentors, facilitates workshops, and tours schools and festivals across the country.

At the moment, she’s working on three exciting new projects with HarperCollins. “A YA contemporary novel with a magical realism twist, as well as two more picture books with the brilliant Brisbane-based illustrator Sophie Beer,” Gabrielle says. That’s on top of an upcoming creative workshop for Riverina writers and artists with guidance from psychologist Alison Manning, supported by Eastern Riverina Arts.

Gabrielle was part of The Station’s 2024 Incubator program, which offered her a dedicated studio space for six months, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. “During that period, I mapped out a brand-new novel idea, pitched it to my book publishers and it’s now set for publication in a few years.”

The space gave her more than a desk – it gave her momentum. “It’s welcoming, inclusive, flexible, with plenty of spaces that can be transformed into whatever each artist or tenant can imagine,” she says. “I used my space in 2024 as a cosy little escape from the real world to work on my new novel… but someone else may transform it into something else entirely.”

Her connection with The Station has also grown through co-working days with the Cool Wow Collective, Creative Plus Business workshops, and evenings listening to local authors and artists share their works-in-progress. “There is always something happening there,” she says.

Gabrielle first tapped into the local arts scene after returning to Wagga in late 2019 and has been involved with Eastern Riverina Arts ever since. She says it’s the people that really make The Station hum.

“So many writers, artists and creative small business owners work alone, so it’s a beautiful way to bring us all together,” she says. “Our processes and practices all differ, but there is still a shared understanding of some of the highs and lows of having a creative career… That sense of belonging, especially living in a regional town, is so critical.”

Want to experience the magic for yourself? Explore The Station during its official launch weekend, May 16–18 www.easternriverinaarts.org.au/events/station-launch