Tune into the official WestWords YouTube channel as we showcase the brilliant things that go on in the creative community of Western Sydney. Discover readings of well-known and winning writings, mini masterclasses, workshops, art tutorials, tips and tricks of the writing trade and more.
Blake Poetry Prize
Interview with the Blake Poetry Prize winner and runner-up
The 2020 Blake Poetry Prize has wrapped up, with almost five hundred entries from Australia and overseas whittled down to two -- "On Finding...
On Finding Charlotte in the Anthropological Record
Judith Nangala Crispin The Blake Poetry Prize 2020 winning poem 'On Finding Charlotte in the Anthropological Record' by Judith Nangala Crispin....
History of Sadness
Louise Carter Blake Poetry Prize Highly Commended is Sydney-based poet and member of the Writing & Society Research Centre at Western Sydney...
Draw This
Draw This! JESS RACKLYEFT creates AN ICEBERG
Jess Racklyeft In this fun step by step tutorial award-winning illustrator Jess Racklyeft shows how to create an iceberg using a mix of drawing and...
Draw This! ASKA draws ALICE
Aśka Is an energetic visual storyteller, comic maker and a science communicator who is a passionate advocate of visual literacy. She has...
Draw This! MAX HAMILTON draws AN OUTBACK BOY
Max Hamilton In this tutorial award-winning illustrator Max Hamilton explains how to draw different facial expressions and how to colour with...
Living Stories Videos
Bryan Brown Reading from Living Stories: The Other City
We are grateful to WestWords ambassador, Bryan Brown, for taking the time to share his reading of one of the overall winning pieces in the 'Living...
WestWords Living Stories Online Creative Writing Workshop for Adults
Michelle Hamadache, Director of Creative Writing at Macquarie University, will help you out with ideas, techniques and inspiration to assist you in...
WestWords Living Stories Online Creative Writing Workshop for 16-18yr olds
Adam Byatt takes young writers through some tips and tools of the trade in this online writing workshop, aimed at 16 to 18 year olds. ...
Hemmingway’s Polydactyl Kitten Club
Hemingway’s (virtual) Polydactyl Kitten Club, 1st March, 2021
Leanne Mulgo Watson and Jasmine Seymour Our guests for the first Kitten Club of the year are Leanne Mulgo Watson and Jasmine Seymour, creators of...
Hemingway’s Polydactyl Kitten Club & Speakeasy, November 2020
Guest: Judith Nangala Crispin It's the November Kitten Club, and our guest is Judith Nangala Crispin, winner of the 2020 Blake Poetry Prize for her...
Hemingway’s Polydactyl Kitten Club & Speakeasy, September 2020
Guest: Isobelle Carmody t's the September meeting of the Kitten Cub, featuring our special guest, Isobelle Carmody. Isobelle is the multi-award...
Mini Masterclasesses
LANGUAGE IN HISTORICAL FICTION
Catherine Jinks This is a WestWords Mini-Masterclass podcast, reproduced for YouTube. In this episode, first published as a podcast in April 2020,...
PITCHING YOUR WORK TO PUBLISHERS
Erica Wagner This is a WestWords Mini-Masterclass podcast, reproduced for YouTube. In this episode, first published as a podcast in August 2021,...
WRITING ETHICAL HISTORICAL FICTION
Laura Greaves This is a WestWords Mini-Masterclass podcast, reproduced for YouTube. In this episode, first published as a podcast on in August 2021,...
Poet’s Corner
Poetś Corner with David Ades featuring Esther Ottaway
Library For All is creating a collection of 500 mirror books for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children called Our Yarning. Your...
Poets’ Corner with David Ades featuring Stuart Barnes
Poets' Corner is WestWords's monthly encounter with celebrated Australian poets, curated by David Ades. Each month a poet is invited to read and...
Poets’ Corner with David Ades featuring Magdalena Ball
Poets' Corner is WestWords' monthly encounter with celebrated Australian poets, curated by David Ades. Each month a poet is invited to read and talk...
The Readings
Writing Western Sydney: The Readings with Kirsty Jagger
Shayla is on a newspaper assignment when she returns to the public housing estate where she grew up and finds it demolished. The locals have been...
Writing Western Sydney: The Readings with Clare Fletcher
As a photographer, Stevie’s been to enough bush weddings to last a lifetime. When’s it going to be all about her? Capturing the heartbeat of rural...
Writing Western Sydney: The Readings with Pete Shmigel
Pete Shmigel is a freelance writer and journalist who recently returned from his second visit to Ukraine in 2023, where he began to write the...
West Side Poetry Slam
Alphabet of Women – September 2022
Highlights from September's West Side Poetry Slam, presented as a hybrid event at WestWords and via Zoom. Featuring Alphabet of Women. Presented by...
2022 Australian Poetry Slam Parramatta heat – August 22
Some highlights from the 2022 Australian Poetry Slam Parramatta heat, presented at WestWords in an hybrid format on the 3rd of August 2022....
DEFNE & Cody Profaca – July 22
Highlights from July's West Side Poetry Slam, presented as a hybrid event at WestWords and via Zoom. Featuring DEFNE and Cody Profaca. Presented...
Writing Western Sydney: The Interviews
Westwords Speculative Writing
In 2025, WestWords is proud to launch WestWords Speculative Writing WestWords is dedicated to excellence in writing across all genres. Through our...
Enqueer: Queer Writer’s Festival
Join Jumaana Abdu in conversation with Sara Saleh to discuss her new book Translations.
The WestWords Prize Terms & Conditions
Terms & Conditions The Prize is open to both published and unpublished writers. The manuscript must be a complete work of fiction or narrative...