Booktober Begins for 2021!
Announcing Booktober: a lockdown friendly fundraising event helping turn the page on literary disadvantage in Greater Western Sydney!
Blake Poetry Prize 2021
The 2021 Blake Poetry Prize challenges Australian poets to explore the spiritual and religious in a new work of 100 lines or less. Submissions are now open!
2021 Mayoral Creative Writing Prize
Entries for the 2021 Blacktown Mayoral Creative Writing Prize are now open!
Fisher’s Ghost Writing Prize 2021
The 2021 Fisher’s Ghost Writing Prize is open to adults and children who live in Campbelltown City. The theme is ‘Hiding in plain sight’.
African Australian Literature Development Program
The African Australian Literature Development Program is a new initiative to support, develop, share and celebrate the richness of the stories of African Australians within the multi-cultural context of Western Sydney.
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After School Creative Writing
Enrolments Now Open for Term 4! Still on Zoom, a chance for your kids to learn from the professionals! A Creative Kids Eligible program!
WestWords-Varuna Residency
Congratulations to the 2021 WestWords-Varuna Emerging Writers in Residence!
The Clubhouse
In September Pamela Freeman, known for ‘The Dry’, Princess Betony and others, is chatting in the Clubhouse. Come on in, ask questions, stay a while!
LGBTQIA+ Writers’ Group
WestWords’ LGBTQIA+ writers’ group Zoom 15 September at 6:30 PM
WestWords-Varuna Emerging Writers’ Residential Program
Applications for the WestWords-Varuna Residential Program have now closed. Thank you to all who applied.
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Postcard project: Refugee Week 2021
To celebrate Refugee Week 2021 we partnered with MECA (Mt Druitt Ethnic Communities Agency) to bring the stories of six people who came Australia as refugees and are establishing their lives here.
WestWords YouTube Channel
A new reading from Catherine Jinks from her book ‘The Attack’
Poets’ Corner
Poets’ Corner for August features Juan Garriodo-Salgado. Check it out on You Tube.
WestWords Fundraising Art Auction
Thank you to all those who supported our 2021 Fundraising Art Auction
Western Sydney 2021 Emerging Writers Fellowship
Applications for the 2021 Western Sydney Emerging Writers Fellowships are now closed. Thank you to all who applied.
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Pinerolo Illustrator in Residence 2021
Applications are now closed for the 2021 Pinerolo Illustrator in Residence. Thank you to all who applied.
Living Stories
The Living Stories Western Sydney Writing Prize 2021 was a competition to showcase new writing from Western Sydney. Are we here yet? is the book containing all 67 winning and highly commended entries from across region – enjoy!
Three Weeks in November
For three weeks in November 2021 Cherrybrook Technical High School’s entire Year 10 cohort of over 400 students had chance to work with twelve exceptional writers. This is what they wrote.
The WestWords Podcast
Keep up to date with WestWords fortnightly news, interviews and featurettes with The WestWords Podcast.
Living Stories: The Workshops
Check out the online Living Stories Workshops, for all ages in Creative Writing and Poetry
Female Orphan School Writer-in-Residence
We are proud to announce Laura Greaves as the inaugural Writer-in-Residence at the Female Orphan School.
Eating Our Words @ Parralanes
For Parralanes 2020 WestWords was commissioned to present a series of stories and poems about food. Enjoy three courses of delectable words from Aishah Ali, James Roy, Christina Donoghue and projection artist and animator Junee Lee
We won in WSABE 2020!
WestWords has won the Commonwealth Bank Excellence in Arts & Culture award!
Announcing the 2020 Western Sydney Emerging Writers Fellowships
We are excited to announce the 2020 WestWords Copyright Agency Western Sydney Emerging Writer Fellows are…
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Tasty As!
For five sessions over three weeks award-winning writer James Roy worked with the Year 6 students at Bidwill Public School in the Mt Druitt area to assist them telling their stories – because kids love stories. We all do!
smile ‘cross the oceans
Celebrating the culmination of the first year of our African Australian Literature Development Program comes an anthology of their stories, insights and experiences.
Vice Regal Patronage for WestWords
WestWords is thrilled to announce the joint Vice Regal Patronage by The Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC, Governor of New South Wales and Mr Dennis Wilson.
WestLit Libraries
WestLit Libraries is a partnership between WestWords and Western Sydney Zone libraries. WHAT’S ON Dec 2020 – Feb 2021
Finding the Edge Pieces
From the crackling edge of Sydney’s north-west edge this publication proudly represents the dedication and creativity of The Ponds High School Creative Writers Guild.
lights on
The inaugural publication from WestWords LGBTQIA+ writers’ group.
2020 Mayoral Creative Writing Prize
2020 Mayoral Creative Writing Prize The Blacktown Mayoral Creative Writing Prize 2020 was open to adults and children who live in Blacktown city. Entrants wrote a short story or poem responding to the theme of The Whole World at Home. The total prize pool was $1,600. In 2020 we received a total of 363 entries across all the […]
Reflecting on the 2020 WestWords-Varuna Fellowships
Reflections from WestWords-Varuna Fellows 2020
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BOOKTOBER
Booktober an overwhelming success in raising funds to help disadvantaged kids, thanks to you.
Where Happiness Hides
WestWords is proud to have been apart of Dirt Lane Press’ COVID-19 response to publish Where Happiness Hides online in approx. 35 languages.
Inspired In_Syd Stories
At the beginning of this year, Inner Sydney High School opened its doors to a group of excited year seven students ready to begin their adventure into high school. The founding of the IN_SYD Writers Club was an important of the development of the school. Read their work here!
Writing and Illustrating workshops for kids
Join Martin Chatterton, Jodie McLeod and Eloise Short (Leonard the Lyrebird) and Erin Gough (The Flywheel, Amelia Westlake Was Never Here) for pre-recorded (and completely free) 1hr workshops, available on the WestWords YouTube channel.
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Mini-Masterclass podcasts
Bite-sized conversations with professional writers, poets and editors, focusing on different aspects of story and writing.
One Week in December
For one week in December Cherrybrook Technical High School’s entire Year 10 cohort of some 470 students had chance to work with twelve exceptional writers. This is what they wrote.
Creative Kids Program
WestWords is now a registered provider for the Creative Kids program! Claim your $100 Creative Kids voucher and enrol your kids in a new activity today!
A Priceless Opportunity for Illustrators
And the winner of the WestWords Pinerolo Illustrator in Residence is…
2020 Blacktown Mayoral Creative Writing Prize
Entries have now closed. Winners will be announced at the presentation ceremony on Thursday 3 December 2020 at 6 pm to 7 pm.
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WW-WSU Writer in Residence Program
Congratulations to Rawah and Kavita!
A Thousand Words Exhibition
Ten emerging Western Sydney writers and artists respond to some of most compelling photographic images from the rich collections of Sydney Living Museums and the State Archives in this new exhibition.
WestWords Writing Consultations
From what you submit to us we will select the best person for you from our bank of experienced authors, illustrators and editors to give you the guidance you need. A Creative Kids Eligible program!
What Matters?
What Matters? writing competition is now closed. Watch this space for winners and runner ups.
Birds of a Feather
On exhibition digitally at Campbelltown Library in December and ‘live’ in Hawkesbury library in February
An Ordinary Day
During Term 4, Stage 2 students and their teachers from St Nicholas of Myra, Penrith worked with writer Jodie McLeod and illustrator Eloise Short.
33 South, 150 East
Over the course of three Fridays, in some of the most intense heat Katoomba has ever seen, the students of Katoomba High School worked with the fabulous Catherine Jinks, to create stories of place – places of the heart; of sadness, love, hope and joy.
Northreads Vol. 2
Northreads Vol 2 is another anthology of short writings from Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School.
Think It Up – Write It Down
During Term 3, WestWords undertook a residency with Year 4 students and their teachers from St Francis of Assisi Primary School in Glendenning. Undertaking the weekly workshops was the wonderful Amelia McInerney.
2019 Mayoral Creative Writing Prize
Congratulations to all winners and runners up of the 2019 competition. Click here to read all the successful submissions.
Word of Mouth
Word of Mouth is the culmination of a series of writing workshops where participants from refugee backgrounds developed their stories.
2019 WestWords-Pinerolo Illustrator in Residence
Congratulations to Christina Huynh, 2019 WestWords-Pinerolo Illustrator in Residence!
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Beast. Belly. Beast.
Peter Maple’s BEAST.BELLY.BEAST delves inside the minds of two ex-servicemen suffering the repercussions of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Postcard stories
In 2018 WestWords was approached by CAPAH: Citizens Action Penrith Affordable Housing to work with them so that they can write their stories…
Alive 90.5 FM
WestWords will be on Alive FM 6pm-8pm, Wednesdays fortnightly with Aparna Vats.
Western Sydney Writers’ Rooms
WestWords offers writing spaces at accessible prices at our Parramatta WestWords Centre for Writing.
