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NEW Writers Group Inc runs writers' workshops and publishing projects in Western Sydney, Australia.

NWG Inc news

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Writers and artists on Saturday, 14th February, at our first gathering in 2026, at  WestWords  see more below ….!

NEXT Gathering – Saturday14 March, 3-5 pm at
WestWords – Western Sydney Centre for writers, 41 Hunter Street, Parramatta.

Preparing our work for publication: This is an annual event! We discuss how we prepare our work so we can learn from each other. We read some short works (already published by NWG Inc) and express what we think about the writers’ intentions, style and skills with an open mind. We also ask do we have any suggestions for the writers’ ongoing success. We try hard to not impose our own taste or style or genre on the writer.  This workshop might help your ZineWest Entry! Entry forms will be available from 15 March.

….. On Saturday, 14th February, at our first gathering in 2026, at  WestWords, we heard great stories and poems by Western Sydney writers who contributed to our Pop Up Zine 2025 – or who joined us for the open mic. Plus beautiful and intriguing images from local visual artists. This was the final event in our 2025 Creative Project supported by the Australian Cultural Fund which made 2025 such a successful year for NEW Writers Group Inc.

 

NWG Inc in 2026

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First gathering for 2026 – Saturday, 14 February 3-5pm
At WestWords Western Sydney Centre for Writing.
41 Hunter Street (Red brick house, corner Marsden St.) Close to Parramatta station.
Image above: Mihaela Cristescu.

We start 2026 with a presentation of works published online  in the 2025 Pop Up Zine – prose, poetry and images. The images will be shown on a ppt. Writers are invited to read from one of their 2025 pieces. Most are on the theme How Things Change. Contributors writing on an ‘open theme will also take their turn at the mic. 
This event is the wrap up of our 2025 Creative Project supported by the Australian Cultural Fund.

We will add a short open mic for writers not involved in PUZ 2025 and we will dream up a new theme for Pop Up Zine 2026

Reminder: Entry is $5 (to help us cover insurance) but free for first time attendees, under 16’s and financial members. Children may attend with a responsible adult but cannot participate in the program.

March Gathering: 14 March 3-5 pm at WestWords. We will be preparing for ZineWest Entries, in a session of workshops which can be useful for seeking publication in general. 

 

AGM 2025 NWG Inc

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NWG Inc AGM 8 November at WestWords

Our 2025 committee was reinstated to serve in 2026. Best news is we have an official treasurer again – Carol Amos – who is also President. All committee positions are listed in our About page. Thanks to our returning officer Kanchana Thirunavukkarasu (KT) and financial members who attended to approve the process.  Note: We hope to add a new committee member in the new year.

Mihaela Cristescu, Kanchana Thirunavukkarasu and THE TROPICS 888 presented C.A. Broadribb’s skit Genes versus Souls, see above. We also held a first reading of the prologue of a new play by Greg Kenny, a member of  our ‘Long Writers’ group.

NEW Writers Group @ Parramatta’s Lit!

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On 27 September, we wrapped up our annual ZineWest project with a Spoken Word event that follows the launch of the 2025 ZineWest print zine. Both events were proudly presented as part of Parramatta’s Lit! in partnership with the Sydney Fringe festival.Some NWG Inc colleagues also participated in Mihaela Cristescu’s Parramatta’s Lit! event, Meaning and Structure in Art.

 

To be invited to present your work in a festival is a remarkable creative booster for local writers and their creative colleagues. Special thanks to Parramatta’s Lit! festival director Augusta Supple  for  filling Parramatta’s month of September with memorable grass roots,  literary events, honouring the amazing spectrum of  Parramatta’s vibrant and inclusive literary life.

Thanks to all the ZW participants, with a big shoutout to our committee, volunteers, special guests and  judges.Thanks also to our kind venue providers: University of New England for their Parramatta venue, 28 George Street, and our always supportive home base, WestWords – Western Sydney Centre for Writing, 41 Hunter Street, Parramatta.

NEW Writers Group Reader Feed-back workshops

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NEW Writers Group Inc’s reader feed-back workshops are designed to assist a writer to polish/edit a one page piece or excerpt, by hearing several readers’ individual responses to their work. The readers are also people who love to write.

OUR NEXT SESSION is Saturday, 18 OCTOBER 2025 3-5 pm
WestWords, Western Sydney Centre for Writing 41 Hunter Street, Parramatta
Please email New Writers Group for a place by 15 October.

METHOD:

Writers bring 6 copies of their one page piece/excerpt. All copies are returned to the writer.

The readers sit in a circle or around a table and the writer sits close enough to listen in for a ‘fly on the wall’ experience. 

The reviewers read through the piece in silence. Then the group leader puts three questions one at a time with readers taking turns to answer. They address each other, not the writer.

A. What is the piece about
Readers express what they think is the core of this piece.

B. What is working in the piece
This could be clarity, humour, expressive language, intriguing POV, good dialogue,  suspense…

C. Is there any way the piece could be strengthened.
Some common responses we’ve had:  ‘I went back a couple of times because I was unsure which character was speaking.’   ‘The language was effective but I thought some of the word repetitions weakened each other.’ 

Our classic case was ‘I couldn’t figure out what the second key was doing.’ Nor could other readers. (Writer took the piece home, sacked the second key, and the story’s heart didn’t miss a beat.) Mention typos last, just to be helpful.  

At the end, the writer can ask for clarification of a response. But this must not lead into a writer defending their work or the readers handing out more commentary. There is no right/wrong voting happening here. The group does not try to argue against each other’s comments and respectfully leaves decisions to the writer who benefits from a range of reader reactions. 

When we are running more than one workshop at a time, writers are likely to be invited to take the role of a reader for another writer before or after their own workshop. 

NWG Inc ZineWest WORD

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NEW Writers Group Inc Open mic (AKA ZineWest WORD)  had a great time on 27 September, our second event proudly presented as part of Parramatta’s Lit! in partnership with the Sydney Fringe festival.This event was also supported by the Australian Cultural Fund.

Spoken Word for invited ZW writers:

1st place: Joanne Macias for My Old Band Tee
Runners-up: Judith Edwards for Pillar of the Church 
Belinda Curby for Confession of a Feathery Kind

Open Mic
1st Place: Tammy Bartaia for An Unopened Envelope
Runner-Up: Karen Quah for Excerpt from The Five Marys

Be assured all our presenters made the decisions very difficult.
Congratulations evryone!

Thanks to our judges and MC’s (three past ZW Award winners):
Michelle Huynh, Danielle Catherine, Nelson Groom 

 

Judges: Michelle Huynh, Danielle Catherine and Nelson Groom
Joanne Macias at the mic
Anisoara Laura Mustetiu reading from her book, Letters for my Soul
Judith Edwards reading from her story, Pillar of the Church
Nelson Groom with Joanne Macias
Dona Samson Zappone
Karen Quah Open mic runner-up, Nelson Groom, Danielle Catherine, Tammy Bartaia Open Mic winner and Michelle Huynh
David Mitchell (left) Writing Winner of ZW25 Print zine awards and Peter Cartwright who came third – finally collecting their awards…
Peter Cartwright at the mic
Our NWG Inc President Carol Amos
Open Mic Winner Tammy Bartaia with her prize: The Theory of Everything by Yumna Kassab
Danielle Catherine
Victoria Cartwright read for Lisel Herrmann
Belinda Curby
Mihaela Cristescu

Some book awards….

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW Writers Group Inc Open Mic

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Having just enjoyed ZineWest 2025 launch, we are proud to present a second writers event as part of  Parramatta’s LIT! in partnership with the Sydney Fringe festival.

SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 3-5PM
1. SPOKEN WORD mini comp for invited ZineWest 2025 writers.
2. OPEN MIC  first ten to sign up from 2:50 pm (your own work, no props,no music, just you and the mic!)  2 mins max!!

Participants need to be 16 or over.

BOOK AWARDS! Tea/coffee/snacks; FREE ENTRY

VENUE: WestWords Centre for writing at 41 Hunter Street Parramatta

 

 

ZineWest 2025 Winners

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ZineWest 2025 launch was proudly  presented on 13th September as part of Parramatta’s Lit!  in partnership with the Sydney Fringe Festival. Our venue was the University of New England’s campus at 28 George Street, Parramatta. ZineWest 2025 is central to NEW Writers Group Inc’s Creative Project 2025 supported by the Australian Cultural Fund. We thank all our supporters and donors including our financial members, the co-sponsor of 1st writing prize, the Writing and Society Research Centre (UWS) and Augusta Supple’s philanthropic support of ZW25’s production and cash prizes via the ACF. Both judges praised the high standard and diversity of the contributors. Congratulations!
 

AWARDS LIST ZINEWEST 2025

Writing Awards – Judge Dr Luke Carman
1st  David Mitchell – The Great Uldono
2nd Jelena Curic – Gringo
3rd Peter Cartwright – Jo
Best Poem  Joshua Heylin – Where else to bring the end of this night
HIghly Commended  Nelson Groom – The Turtle
Highly Commended Tyswan Slater – Table Setting

Editors’ Award Joint prize
KT Major – Potage/Patronage
Mitch Browne – Pendulum

Art Awards – Judge Maria Constantinescu
Best Image – Czarlemagne Jeronimo
Runners-up:
Sarah Collis – Where is Home?
Micahela Simoni – The Seahorse and the Jug

 

ZineWest 2025 Writing Publication List

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Thanks to all the writers entering. You sent us talent and style in abundance. If you are not on the list, check your email for an offer to present at a spoken word event and/or be published online. Both the Spoken word event and the print zine launch are part of Parramatta’s Lit! 

ZineWest 2025 Writing Publication List

Myra A. – In the Mountains 
Nosheen Alam – The Loud Neighbour 
Linda Atkins – Ya Never Know 
C.A. Broadribb – People Expo 
Mitch Browne – Pendulum 
Adam Byatt – What is the Depth of the Ocean’s Breath 
Peter Cartwright – Jo 
Z. Cedar – Sub 
Ezra Christensen – A Phone Call from Mum 
Helena Citroni – Recipe for Disaster 
Marian Claire – Love and City Streets 
Jelena Curic – Gringo 
Norm Fairbairn – Mrs Simmonelli is in Mourning 
Zoe Gangell – At Eleven past Four 
Nelson Groom – The Turtle 
Nix Hamilton – Without Fail 
Joshua Heylin – Where else to bring the end of…
Ganesh Bahadur Khatri – From Gulmi to Grit 
Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan – The Welcome Mat for Aliens
Louise Loomes – The Pool 
KT Major – Potage/Patronage 
Kristof Mikes-Liu – The Year of Grass Trees 
David Mitchell – The Great Uldono 
Marta Morawiecka – Connections 
Renata Mueller – Room for One 
Claire Russell – Your Writing 
Rayan Shatnawi – Chromatic Consciousness 
Tyswan Slater – Table Setting 
Lina Sun – The Scattered Memories of Stitch Art 
Dannielle Viera – Transient Prophecy

Parramatta’s LIT!

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Our annual ZineWest Launch  and  New Writers Group Open Mic event which features ZW entrants plus an open mini comp, will be proundly presented as part of Parramatta’s LIT! in partnership with Sydney Fringe 2025. We are delighted that so many of our writing and art colleagues can contribute to not one but two festivals, Sydney Fringe and the new Parramatta’s LIT! founded by festival director Augusta Supple. 

This is a special year for NWG Inc because we are also supported by the Australian Cultural Fund for ZineWest: publication, prizes and related events including free workshops and online publishing.