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The 68th Blake Poetry Prize

The Blake Poetry Prize challenges Australian poets to explore the spiritual and religious in a new work of 100 lines or less. Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, in collaboration with WestWords, is pleased to welcome submissions.

Opens August 11 2023
Closes 18 December 2023

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Paper-flower Girl

Written by Margrete Lamond
Illustrated by Mateja Jager

The Paper-flower Girl creates elaborate flowers out of paper, but she has few customers. When the Giant from the Hill brings her to work for him, they soon discover they want very different things. Before long, the Paper-flower Girl is forced to create things she no longer recognises as flowers. When the exasperated Giant throws her from the Hill, the Paper-flower Girl takes with her something belonging to the Giant, incorporates it into her elaborate flowers, and attains greater success than the Giant. This is a story about being prepared for the worst and hoping for the best.

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Banana Girl

Paris Rosemont’s debut collection, Banana Girl, traverses topics that are at once deeply personal, yet universal – explorations of love, loss and heartbreak, lust, sex and violence, the complexity of shifting power dynamics, peppered with a smattering of social commentary.

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A Book of Love and Loss

A Book of Love and Loss: Selected writings from the survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, 1994 – a collection of memoirs taken from their experiences before, during and after the events of 1994.

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Falling Forward

In this sweeping memoir, Margaret Hamilton shares the story of her life and times.

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The Power of a Football

The Power of a Football is a collection of the stories about these people, these communities, and the army of volunteers and generous supporters who have made Reclink’s work possible.

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Today Tomorrow Forever - Being Rohingya

These poems share our experiences of being a part of the Rohingya Diaspora. Creating them has helped and inspired us. We would like share them as our personal gift to you. Please read these and know that we Rohingyas are always there for you.

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Dirt Lane Press

Dirt Lane Press is WestWords’ publishing arm and is dedicated to opening minds, connecting people through story, and creating quality books for those who need them most.

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Our mission is to facilitate and magnify the cultural, social and educational impact of creating, sharing and reading the stories of Western Sydney. Through stories, we show our diversity of voices, sense of worth, increased confidence, resilience and exploration of identities and potentialities.

We recognise that shifting the financial wellbeing of individuals and communities starts at the grassroots level – creating change through the power of the written word allows young people to potentially change the narrative of their lives.

We increase the profile and networks for our community and increase the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of new and established Western Sydney writers as well as the increased diversity in form and content in Australian literature reflective of the diverse community of Greater Western Sydney.

Working with WestWords changed my life.
It’s helped me with my confidence, it’s helped me with my writing skills, with how I write, with the way I view writing.
They basically made me a better person.
Ali, aged 15, Granville Boys High School

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Winner – 2023 ZEST Awards – Outstanding Project Community Arts and Culture:
Living Stories Western Sydney Writing Prize
Winner – 2020 and 2021 Excellence in Arts & Culture
Winner – 2021 Outstanding Business Leadership – Michael Campbell Executive Director WestWords
WSABE, Western Sydney Awards for Business Excellence

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Dates to Remember

Our Yarning: Children’s Book Writing Bookshop

Our Yarning: Children’s Book Writing Bookshop

24 Jan

  Library For All is creating a collection of 500 mirror books for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children called Our Yarning. Your voice as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person can add to this unique collection. You are invited to write a story...

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Current Callouts & Competitions

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Writing Groups

Our Stories Writing Group

Our Stories Writing Group

Our StoriesWriters Group Our Stories is a fortnightly writers' group for survivors and refugees. Join us to develop your skills to write narrative non-fiction and share your memoir stories with other writers and readers.   Limited spots are available. Please...

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After School Creative Writing

After School Creative Writing

After School Creative Writing Groups for Children and Young PeopleEnrolments are open for Term 4 – 2023. Classes hosted on zoom! Creative writing is a crucial skill that increases critical thinking and empathy. With creative writing classes for primary and high...

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Westwords Mini Masterclasses

Auburn Poets and Writers

Campbelltown Writing Program

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Power of a football

Writing Western Sydney: The Readings

Living Stories – Regional Winners and Highly Commended

Where Happiness Hides

Poets’ Corner

Support Us

I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with WestWords many times  during my career as a writer in Western Sydney,  and I consider them to be  the most engaged and impactful writing organization in the country.  Their work with the writing culture in Western Sydney has transformed the local literary landscape into a thriving ecology of writers, illustrators, and editors.

Luke Carman: writer and lecturer Western Sydney University 

“We remain really appreciative and in awe of the energy of WestWords and the passion you have for promoting literature in the community.”

Theresa Lock: Outreach and Marketing Coordinator, Blue Mountains Library

“This is a life a life changing experience for me.”

Zaheda Ghani: Western Sydney Emerging Writers Fellow Pomegranate and Fig, the manuscript she developed as a Fellow was published by Hachette in June, 2022

WestWords acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands on which we live, work and create, the Darug, Gundungurra and Tharawal nations and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.