Writing

Organisations, Events, Competitions, Awards, Publishers & Printers, Directory

Organisations/Groups

Western Australian


  • Writing WA - the peak Perth writing organisation, works between the lines and behind the scenes to build a state of opportunity in Western Australia for writers, publishers and other practitioners in the writing sector – not just for the benefit of practitioners themselves, but for the immense social value that great writing brings to individuals and communities.
  • Centre for Stories - a vibrant, inclusive literary arts and cultural organisation. It uses storytelling to inspire social cohesion and improve understanding of diverse communities.
  • WA Poets Inc (WAPI) - established in 2006 as an incorporated, not-for-profit organisation managed and operated by volunteers. WAPI is dedicated to the promotion, presentation and professional development of poets and poetry in WA.
  • Fellowship of Australian Writers WA - a writer's organisation that supports writing and writers in WA. Every month, we host writing groups, book launches, author talks, poetry readings and more at the Tom Collins House and Mattie Furphy House in Swanbourne.
  • Katherine Susannah Pritchard Writers' Centre - exists to support writers at all levels of the craft. The Centre is managed by the Katharine Susannah Prichard (KSP) Foundation Inc, which is a vibrant not-for-profit incorporated organisation and registered DGR charity located in the beautiful Perth Hills region of Western Australia. It provides a range of services and spaces as well as the following writing groups:
    • Youth Writers (Wed 4-5:30 during term; Thu 2-3:30 during term)
    • Avon Valley Writers (Wed 10AM-12PM during term)
    • Poets@ KSP (2nd & 4th Mondays 1-3pm)
    • Words and Writers (2nd and 4th Tue 10am-12pm)
    • Writefree Women's Writing Group (Wed 9:45-11:45am)
    • Thursday Night Group (Thur 7:30-9:30pm)
    • Room to Write (Fri 10am-4pm)
    • Fantasy Sci-Fi Horror Group(2nd and 4th Sun 10am-12pm)
    • Non-Fiction Group (1st Sat 10AM-12pm)
    • Past Tense (Social History) Group (2nd Sat 10AM-12pm)
    • Scriptwriters Group (4th Sat 10am-12pm)
    • also groups for young writers: Scribe Tribe, Homeschoolers, Writers' Circle, Sci-Fi and Horro Group, Scriptwriters Group, Holiday Hub
  • Peter Cowan Writers' Centre - an ongoing source of support and development for emerging and established creative writers within the northern suburbs of Perth.
  • The Literature Centre (Fremantle, targeting young writers) - the Literature Centre (formerly Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre) is unique – a place to nurture young people’s interest in reading and writing, using innovative techniques to explore and interpret literature. Uniquely located within the walls of the Old Fremantle Prison, it is the only centre of its kind in Australia. It features:
    • Picture Book Exhibitions - featuring original artwork
    • Student Literature Workshops
    • Authors/Illustrators In-Residence Programme
    • Metropolitan and Rural Residence Programme
    • 'Centre Classics' Workshops, Poetry and Writing Workshops
    • Talented Young Writers' Programme (TYWP)
    • The Sound of Picture Books Performances
    • Professional Learning for Teachers
    • Bookshop - Selling Books and Artwork
    • Open Galleries at the Centre and Festival Appearances
    • Author/Illustrator Evening Talks
  • Australian Writer's Centre (Perth Filter) - the Perth training centre gives you access to a selection of classroom courses throughout the year, learning directly from world-class presenters.
  • PEN Perth - The Perth chapter of PEN International. PEN is a charity organisation that defends responsible freedom of expression, supports writers in prison, protects a free press, celebrates literature’s role across the globe, and promotes the linguistic rights of minorities.
  • Curtin Writers Club - your platform to publish work in a supportive group, and to network and build friendships with other writers.
  • China Australia Writing Centre (@ Curtin Uni) - The China Australia Writing Centre is a research and creative partnership between Curtin University in Perth and Fudan University in Shanghai. Established in 2015, the centre showcases Australian writing in China and Chinese writing in Australia, and provides a forum for the exchange of ideas about writing and the teaching of writing in Chinese and Australian universities.

Australian


  • Underground Writers - a not for profit organisation made up of a passionate team of volunteers who exist to support emerging writers in Australia.
  • Australian Writers' Centre (AWC) - We are Australia's leading centre for fiction, non-fiction and business writing courses. With online and face-to-face options, we can help you achieve your goals and rewrite your future.
  • Australian Poetry - Australia Poetry exists as a national poetry body to interconnect and support a flourishing community of Australian poets, to enhance and promote their poetry, here and internationally, and to reach and engage directly with readers, lovers and potential admirers of Australian poetry, and promoters of it.
  • Australian Poetry Slam - an annual live literary performance program. 1000 poets slam across the nation. The top 16 make it to finals. You choose the next Australian Poetry Slam Champion. 2019 Event

Events/Event Groups

[See a Summary of WA events by Australian Poetry]

  • Writers Week - Perth Festival - an ongoing festival run as part of the Perth Arts Festival, providing a host of panels and other events with local and world-renowned authors.
  • The Australian Short Story Festival - an annual celebration of short stories in written and spoken forms. The Festival brings together local, national and international short story authors and oral storytellers in a culturally diverse and vibrant celebration of storytelling in the shorter form.
  • Perth Poetry Festival - now in its 15th year (2019), the Festival features invited international, national and local poets plus ample opportunities for public participation in a diverse program of free and low cost events. Professional development is also supported with seminars, competitions and networking opportunities.
  • Creative Connections Art and Poetry Exhibitions Website | FB Page - a not-for-profit organisation run by a team of people, and supported by many groups and individuals. They believe art and poetry are important ways for people to express themselves creatively, and specifically wanted to give artists with disabilities the opportunity to do this, whilst connecting with the community and each other.
  • Perth Poetry Club - you're not dreaming, and you're still in Western Australia - it really is a spoken word show every week in central Perth WA, with professional sound, in the friendly retro ambiance of The Moon's back room. This is 'scene central' for WA poets and poetry fans.
  • Perth Slam - running Perth's only monthly poetry slam event at Rosemount Hotel in North Perth - as well as the WA Heats of the Australian Poetry Slam.
  • Spoken Word Perth FB Page - we want to give a platform, a microphone and a round of applause to poets in Perth and we do this with an open mic event every other Wednesday.
  • Voicebox Fremantle FB Page - a monthly poetry event featuring three invited guests and 10 x five minute open-mic slots.

Event Listings

  • Writing WA > Writer's Festival tag - links extend to rural events.

Courses

[Also see local film courses, as screenwriting is usually covered as part of the curriculum, and if you are studying at uni there may be individual writing units worth doing as electives]

  • Study Portals > Creative Writing Degrees in Australia
  • ECU - BA Literature and Writing Major - prepares students to enter the world of employment as a critical reader and thinker, and as as a skilled writer in a variety of styles and forms.
  • ECU - Psychology and Writing Double Major - allows students to integrate knowledge of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives and empirical findings in the core topics of psychology, towards understanding personal, social, cultural and global human behaviours.
  • Curtin - BA Creative Writing Major | Masters - this major develops students’ practical skills and knowledge across a variety of writing styles, such as fiction, poetry, and writing for performance, as well as range of emerging and experimental genres.
  • Murdoch - BA English and Creative Writing | Honours - in this course you’ll explore literary forms from the short story to the sonnet, from the blog to the bildungsroman, and from pastoral to performance poetry. Learn from scholars and established writers, ranging from short story writers and novelists who have published major works, to drama practitioners and performance theorists, and experts in English and Comparative Literature...
  • UWA - Master of Arts in Creative Writing - this research degree is designed for published creative writers in any genre who wish to advance their academic and creative skills.
  • Write Course | FB Page - originally launched in 2002 to run writing courses and has done so intermittently since then. It was relaunched in 2014 with new courses, revised course structures and greater opportunities for participating. In 2016, the business was expanded to include Jill Griffiths’ freelance writing and editing services, along with science communication.


Competitions

Listings

Peter Cowan Competitions - lists its 4 annual competitions:

Writing Awards

Australian Awards

  • Miles Franklin Award - Australia’s most prestigious literature prize. Established through the will of My Brilliant Career author, Miles Franklin, the prize is awarded each year to a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases.
  • Queensland Literary Awards - celebrates and promotes outstanding Australian writers. The State Library of Queensland proudly manages the awards in collaboration with sponsors, industry partners and the writing community.
    • Queensland Premier's Award for a work of State Significance – $25,000
    • Queensland Writers Fellowships – $19,500
    • The University of Queensland Fiction Book Award – $15,000
    • The University of Queensland Non-Fiction Book Award – $15,000
    • Griffith University Young Adult Book Award – $15,000
    • Griffith University Children’s Book Award – $15,000
    • David Unaipon Award for an Emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Writer – $15,000
    • Glendower Award for an Emerging Queensland Writer – $15,000
    • QUT Digital Literature Award – $15,000
    • Queensland Premier’s Young Publishers and Writers Awards – $12,500
    • University of Southern Queensland History Book Award – $10,000
    • University of Southern Queensland Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection – $10,000
    • Judith Wright Calanthe Award for a Poetry Collection – $10,000
    • The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award – $10,000


Perth Publishers and Printers

Listings

Perth/WA Publishers

  • Fremantle Press - renowned for producing quality works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature. Our core purpose is to identify talented new and emerging Western Australian writers and artists, and to publish and distribute their work to the widest possible audience.
  • Hague Publishing - WA small publisher of science fiction and fantasy.
  • Westerly Magazine - publishing literature with a special emphasis on Australia, particularly Western Australia, and the Asian region.
  • Magabala Books - Australia's leading Indigenous publisher, based in Broome.
  • Red Paper Kite - boutique, independent publisher of picture books.
  • Serenity Press - small independent press based in Perth.
  • Margaret River Press - independent press established in 2011 with a strong commitment to nurturing and supporting writers from across Australia at all stages of their career.

Australian Publishing Houses

  • Hesperian Press - has been publishing Real Australian Books since 1969 and has now published well over 700 titles, with up to 20 works in progress at any time.
  • PanMacmillan Australia - we publish a wide range of bestselling, award-winning and high-quality titles. We publish under the imprints Macmillan, Pan, Picador, Plum and Macquarie Dictionary Publishers. We are committed to investing in Australian authors and stories, and our local publishing program covers a broad range of genres.

Self-Publishing/Print-On-Demand

  • Scott Print - Here at Scott Print, we’re more than just you’re average print shop in Perth. We’re a leading West Australian owned and operated print and communications group with 89 years’ experience.
  • The Book Printing Company - Entering the literary world doesn’t require a major publishing deal or a lot of money. The Book Printing Company specialises is helping people realise their ambitions.
  • Vivid Publishing - Vivid Publishing, an imprint of Fontaine Press, is a proudly independent Australian book publisher.
  • Self Publish Australia - Since 2006 Self Publish Australia has provided book publishing, beautiful book cover design, book printing services and self publishing support for independent authors & businesses at economical prices.
  • eBooks West - once we professionally edit and proofread your story we convert it directly into ePUB and PDF, and if you still love real books like we do we upload the book-formatted file to print-on-demand.
  • Success Print - high quality, reliable and competitively priced book and brochure printing. Success Print has been in business for over 30 years.
  • Quality Publishing Australia - we have been in the business of publishing maps, directories and books for over 26 years.
  • Ingram Spark - if you're an independent author or publisher looking to publish quality print books and ebooks with global book distribution and free resources to help you self-publish successfully, you’ve come to the right place!

Other Printers

Other Useful Links

Directory

  • Writing WA Literati Directory - resource to find people to help with writing and illustrating/designing your book
  • [See printed version of Campaign Brief for updated Directories by category, e.g. books - advertising, magazines, newspapers, signs, translation services, typesetters)
Perth Creatives Directory