Dr Melanie Saward
Lecturer
School of Communication and Arts
Researcher biography
Melanie Saward is a proud Bigambul and Wakka Wakka woman. She is a lecturer of Australian Studies in the School of Communication and Arts and has recently (July 2024) been appointed as the coordinator of BlackWords. Her research looks at Indigeneity in romantic comedy fiction with a focus on diversity, intersectionality, and the Australian publishing industry.
Melanie is a writer and editor. Her debut fiction book, Burn, was published in 2023 with Affirm press and her first romantic comedy novel, Love Unleashed, was published in August 2024.
Publications
Books
Saward, Melanie and Blurton, Brooke (2025). A good kind of trouble. Sydney, NSW, Australia: HarperCollins Publishers Australia.
Saward, Melanie (2024). Love Unleashed. Sydney, NSW, Australia: Penguin Random House Australia.
Anderson, Peter, Blue, Levon, Pham, Thu and Saward, Melanie (2022). Higher degree by research: Factors for Indigenous student success. Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-19-5178-7
Journal Articles
Saward, Melanie (2025). Bridesmaid revisited. The Big Issue.
Baeza Pena, Angela, Xing, Congcong, Blue, Levon, Pham, Thu, Saward, Melanie and Anderson, Peter (2024). Indigenous higher degree by research students’ retention and completion: a scoping review. The Australian Educational Researcher, 52 (2), 1-24. doi: 10.1007/s13384-024-00777-2
Saward, Melanie (2024). Heart of my heart. The Big Issue.
Pham, Thu, Blue, Levon E., Baeza, Angela, Anderson, Peter and Saward, Melanie (2024). Want Indigenous university students to succeed? Here's how. EduResearch Matters.
Pham, Thu Dinh Xuan, Blue, Levon E., Baeza, Angela, Anderson, Peter J., Xing, Congcong and Saward, Melanie (2024). Higher education success factor model: a means to explore factors influencing Indigenous Australian completion rates. Student Success, 16 (1), 1-16. doi: 10.5204/ssj.3154
Saward, Melanie (2024). Milk tea. Island Magazine (171).
Saward, Melanie (2023). When the birds scream: lessons from the cockatoos. Griffith Review, 82 (Animal Magic), 103-109.
Wain, Debra and Saward, Melanie (2021). Introduction. Text, 25 (Special Issue 61), 1-2. doi: 10.52086/001C.23488
Saward, Melanie and Wain, Debra (2021). Introduction: The thing as writing prompt. Text, 25 (Special issue 63), 1-2.
Saward, Melanie and Sayed, Sara El (2020). Behaviours in a peer-only creative writing hdr support group: The experiences of two students of colour. Text (Australia), 24 (Special issue 59), 1-14. doi: 10.52086/001C.23483
Conference Papers
Saward, Melanie (2024). Where are all the Blakfullas. Romance Writers of Australia Academic Symposium, Adelaide, SA Australia, 16 August 2024.
Saward, Melanie (2024). When what’s ugly isn’t considered ugly: the tension between romcom norms and marginalised experience. Pop Culture Association, Chicago, IL United States, 27-30 March 2024.
Thesis
Saward, Melanie (2025). Beyond the Pink and Fluffy: Centering Tiddaism, Indigeneity, and Intersectionality in the ‘Chick Lit’ Novel. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Creative Industries, Queensland University of Technology. doi: 10.5204/thesis.eprints.251793
Newspaper Articles
Saward, Melanie (2023, 07 10). Fat people are taught to hate themselves - but Kris Kneen's intimate book could create change The Conversation
Creative Works
Saward, Melanie (2023). Home. Carlton, VIC Australia: Meanjin Company.
Saward, Melanie (2023). Burn. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Affirm Press.
Saward, Melanie (2023). Living dolls. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: The Big Issue.