Dear fellow writers,
I trust 2023 has started well for you, and you’re already making good progress. The new year is shaping up to be a busy and rewarding one for FAWWA.
Sunday Sessions March 19, 2023
I am delighted to announce that our first Sunday Sessions will be held on March 19. We have exciting authors lined up to give 90-minute masterclasses and workshops at Mattie Furphy House:
These are:
9am: Natasha Lester – on writing historical fiction
11am: Amanda Betts – on writing for young adults
1pm: Amanda Kendle – on social media for authors; and
3pm: Amanda Bridgeman – on self-publishing
Tickets will be for sale shortly on Eventbrite. Keep an eye on FAWWA’s social media and don’t delay, as the sessions often sell out quickly!
Tom Collins Poetry Prize
Thankyou to all who entered their work into the Tom Collins Poetry Prize, which is now closed for submissions.
The prestigious annual prize began in 1975, and the number of entries this year was nearly quadruple last year’s submissions.
Judging is now underway and I look forward to announcing the winners at a special Award Sundowner on March 19, conveniently following the Sunday Sessions!
All are welcome, of course, and the event will be broadcast live online for those who can’t attend in person.
Tom Collins House Preservation
I am pleased to announce that the painting of the historic Tom Collins House will begin shortly, thanks to the generous joint support of the Heritage Council of Western Australia and the City of Nedlands.
Built in 1907, the house has been classified by the National Trust, and is listed on the National Estate and the State Heritage registers.
As previously announced, the Heritage Council of Western Australia recently granted FAWWA $14,800 and, as the house is also on the City of Nedlands heritage list, they have generously offered to match the donation from the Heritage Council.
This means the whole cottage, inside and out, can be painted. The painting is essential to the building’s conservation.
We’ve engaged Sean McCloskey of Artisan Painters, and John Tick has kindly agreed to be our heritage consultant pro bono.
Many thanks to Peter Illidge for his time preparing the grant application, and also to Helena Studdert, the previous President, who oversaw it.
I very much look forward to keeping you updated on the progress.
Bring your Valentine to Poetry Under the Stars
How does spending the evening with loved ones, a picnic, live music, and beautiful poetry readings sound?
On Saturday, February 11, Poets Inc will hold Poetry Under the Stars at Claire Copse, next to Mattie Furphy and Tom Collins houses in Swanbourne. Arrive from 6pm for a 7pm start.
The evening will feature poets Soul Reserve, Ian Reid, Miranda Aitken (accompanied by Rachel Armstrong), Rita Tognini, Rhian Healy, Kevin Gillam, and Gillian Clark.
There will also be an open mic. Bring a rug, cushions, low chairs, and mosquito repellent.
Cost is $20, or $15 for WA Poets members and concessions.
For tickets please click here
Calling indigenous writers of junior and young adult fiction
Broome’s Magabala Books invites entries for the 2023 Daisy Utemorrah Award.
This annual award is presented to an Indigenous writer for an unpublished manuscript of junior or young adult fiction.
The Daisy Utemorrah Award is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers in Australia.
The award, presented with the WA Premier’s Book Awards, offers a first prize of $15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books. Applications close March 30.
For details please click here
Do you write for children or young adults?
Melbourne’s Text Publishing is now accepting submissions of fiction and non-fiction for its annual Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing.
The $10,000 prize is awarded to an outstanding unpublished manuscript.
Published and unpublished writers of all ages are invited to enter.
The Text Prize began in 2008 and is considered one of the most renowned prizes for young adult and children’s writing in Australia and New Zealand.
Eligible writers may also enter the Steph Bowe Mentorship for Young Writers, to nurture and encourage a writer under the age of 25.
Submissions close Monday, February 20.
For more information please click here
The About Kids Books Short Story Prize The 2023 About Kids Book Short Story Prize celebrates excellence in short story writing by adults writing for children, and aims to fill a gap in the children’s international literature award landscape.
Stories must be no longer than 1,500 words, for children aged 8 to 11 years.
First prize is $500 and second is $250.
For more on About Kids Books assisted self-publishing, and the prize, please click here
Gosnells Writers Circle’s Aspiring Young Author Awards
Budding authors under the age of 18 are invited to enter the Gosnells Writers Circle short story competition.
Entry is free and open to residents of Western Australia. There is no set theme.
There is an under 12 division for stories up to 500 words, and an under 18 division for stories up to 1000 words.
Submissions can be lodged between March 1 and April 30.
For details please click here
Westerly Magazine
Westerly Magazine invites applications for its Writers’ Development Program, and its Mid-Career Fellowship.
The Writers’ Development Program, which starts this month, will provide three emerging Western Australian writers with mentoring and publishing opportunities.
The program particularly aims to engage with writers in rural and regional areas, as well as writers of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The Mid-Career Fellowship provides two WA writers with a $2,000 bursary to help advance their careers, and publication of their work in Westerly.
For details please click here
For details about writing groups, classes, and special events, please visit fawwa.org
Do let us know if you have exciting writing news so we can share and celebrate your achievements.
Happy writing, good luck to those entering competitions and applying for writing opportunities, and I look forward to seeing you at a writing event soon.
LOUISE ALLAN
Acting President
FAWWA