Category Archives: Publications

NWG Inc September Updates

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SEPTEMBER CALENDAR
ZineWest 2026 Launch – 20th Edition:
Readings, judges reports, awards, raffle & door prizes plus cake!
12 September 11:30am for Noon start – wrap up around 2pm.
Entry $10; Free for under 16’s and carers.
Zines $15; Contributors’ 1st copy $10.
Venue: University of New England’s Parramatta campus –
28 George Street Parramatta 1st floor
Presented as part of Parramatta’s Lit! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day and Night a Narrative Photography Discourse for Writers.
 A partnership between Artist Photographer Luminita Lenuta & Poet Mihaela Cristescu
Old Government House – Upstairs bedroom (via downstairs back door)
26 September 2026 11:am-2pm  Presented as part of Parramatta’s Lit!
See Code-mixing Poetry (FB) for more info.
May be an image of text

NWG Inc Gathering at Old Government House 
26 September “Welcome Room” 1:30 – 3:30pm  PLEASE NOTE NEW HOURS 
We will have an open mic and make plans for creating our upcoming digital anthology
NB This event will overlap with Day and Night (see above).
Image of WestWords Executive Director Michael Campbell, onboarding our team for our our first event at Old Govenrment House. 

ZineWest 2026 Art

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We are now open for art entries!
Artwork in ZineWest is a great addition to this zine for local writers. Please see below for info and the entry form.
Entries due 21 June. NB If you did not get an update re this due date – and were relying on a 19 July date, please let us know, and we will give you to 19 July.

Western Sydney visual artists – we are looking for images suited to our A5 publication – ZineWest 2026. Entries due 21 June 2026 – this year is ZineWest’s 20th edition.

We publish around 30 new writers and 10 visual artists, 16 years and over, who live, work or study in Western Sydney or are connected to a Western Sydney arts organisation. We will also offer online publication for entries that we cannot find space for in the print zine.

Best Image awards: 1st $100; Runners up: book awards. Sponsored by private donors.
Information and Entry form Here!

 

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. 

 

NWG Inc Gathering Updates

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On Saturday 14 June, at WestWords in Parramatta, Danielle Catherine gave us a tutorial on the manifestations of  ‘life’ writing and what style and POV might best suit our story. How do readers receive us? Over-speculate about what’s ‘true’, what’s ‘fiction’? Presume our personal view narrows the story’s perspective? (Family and friends can be particularly opinionated!) Maybe strangers are our best bet, more open to new stories no matter who wrote them – unless they catch us pretending we know more than we do…
LifeWriting PPT– copyright Danielle Catherine

We then followed on from our May conversation about self-publishing. Presenters were Anisoara Laura Mustetiu, C.A. Broadribb, Belinda Curby and Mihaela Cristescu.  We plan to share some of their thoughts and useful links online over the next few weeks.

We wrapped up with poetry readings from Belinda Curby and Danny Draper who also came up with our next Pop Up Zine theme, ‘How Things Change’.

PLEASE NOTE THREE DATE CHANGES
This year two NWG Inc events and one by our colleague Mihaela Cristescu will be proudly presented as part of the PARRAMATTA’S Lit! festival in association with Sydney Fringe Festival:

ZineWest 2025 will be launched at the UNE Metro Campus at 28 George Street, Parramatta
Saturday 13 SEPTEMBER (not October) 11:am for 11:30-1:30pm

Gathering Date on 6 September is cancelled to enable the NWG Inc team to support an event run by Mihaela Cristescu. Meaning and Structure in Art

New Writers Group Open Mic will be on Saturday 27 SEPTEMBER, 3-5 pm at WestWords, 41 Hunter Street Parramatta.

Met In Translation at WestWords

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At WestWords, on 6 July, 2024,enthusiasts of literature and the importance of translation, listened to the journey that culminated in Dr Luke Carman, Australian award-winning writer and academic, traveling to Romania to launch a bi-lingual collection of his stories translated into Romanian by writer, editor (and translator) Mihaela Cristescu. Writer, producer and cultural strategist, Augusta Supple, with her warmth of charm and skill, drew from Carman and Cristescu the difficulties, the delights, insights and surprises during the translation and launching of Un Torpedou numai al lui – A glove box of one’s own published by eLiteratura in Romania, editor Vasile Poenaru.

Many thanks from NWG Inc to Luke Carman, Mihaela Cristescu and Augusta Supple for such a memorable conversation. Thanks also to WestWords director Michael Campbell, who shared an enlightening perspective on the value of intercultural creative works. As ever, we appreciate the support from WestWords creative producer, Ally Burnham, for setting up the venue and recording the event and likewise gratitude to our colleague, photographer Luminita Lenuta, for travelling to Sydney to make her generous contribution of photo records.

Photos by Luminita Lenuta 
1.Mihaela Cristescu, Augusta Supple, Luke Carman
2. Michael Campbell, Sue Crawford, Augusta Supple, Luke Carman, Mihaela Cristescu.

Mihaela Cristescu

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NWG Inc’s Secretary, Mihaela Cristescu, was nominated for the City of Parramatta Citizen of the Year award which was celebrated on 25 January 2024 in Parramatta Park.

Congratulations to all the wonderful nominees and the winner of this award, Julie Crane. Together they encourge us to to appreciate what so many citizens do for our local communities.

At NWG Inc we know Mihaela as a highly competent team leader, the creative producer of literary projects and events. We also know her as the team player busy signing you in at an event, or taking official photos. A writer whose literary initiatives produce not only interesting opportunities for Romanian and Australian writers but also for visual artists and musicians. Her international collaborations enrich local culture and forge new friendships.

Nomination summary statement: “Mihaela Cristescu is an award-winning writer and artist residing in Parramatta. She is the founder and editor of the annual Romanian / Australian Anthology soon to mark its 8th year in 2024. Over the past decade she has self-funded and published over 400 unique works of poetry and prose creating a literary heritage housed in libraries across the country including the National Library of Australia. Mihaela also fosters cultural exchange through her decade long partnership with the State Library of NSW and facilitating connections between Romanian communities across the world. Mihaela is also a board member of NEW Writers Group Inc where she fosters and champions writers in Western Sydney.”

ZineWest 2023 Launch

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Dr. Luke Carman will launch ZineWest 2023 on Saturday, 14 October, 11:00 am – 1:30 pm at UNE Sydney, Level 4, 100 George Street, Parramatta.
Also attending is art judge, Maria Constantinescu.

All welcome. $10 entry includes door prize ticket and morning tea. Carers and children under 13, free entry. Please note: Ground floor entry will be accessible from 10:45 – 11:30 am. If you expect to be late please advise before the day.

Zines $15, Contributors’ first copy $5

Morning Tea 11:00 am
Launch 11:30 am – 1:30 pm 
Commentary by Luke Carman 
Art PPT with Maria Constantinescu
Readings, prizes and awards
Giant Raffle & Door Prizes

Prizes announced at the launch
Writing: 1st $400, 2nd $300, 3rd $200; Highly Commended awards; Editors Award
Art: Best Image $100; Runners-up book awards

Writing co-sponsor for 1st place – Writing & Research Society Centre
Other prizes – Private donors

 

 

 

 

ZineWest 2022 Launch

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Sunday, 16th October

Harry Todd Band Hall, Jubilee Lane, Parramatta 
(Based within Jubilee Park in walking distance from Parramatta Station)

 

 

10:45 am: Morning Tea / Chat

11:15 am – 12:45 pm: Readings, Prizes, Giant Book Raffle 

Entry: $10 includes two door prize tickets and covers venue hire and insurance

ZW22: $15
Contributors: Please collect your first copy at $5 at reception table

MC: Carol Amos, President NWG Inc

Judges: Luke Carman (writing) and Hayley Megan French (art)

 

ZineWest 2022 Publishing List

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Congratulations to the writers who have an entry selected for ZineWest 2022.  (Image: Mihaela Cristescu.) 

ALL entrants are welcome to offer work to our Pop Up Zine 2022, a project where we we can freely discuss reviews and edits. 

 

ZW2022 Publication List

Carly Bertuccio – High Voltage

C.A Broadribb – Fairies

Peter Cartwright – The Bloke Who’d …

Victoria A Cartwright – Life is (my Loom)

Danielle Catherine – Haircuts 1 to 3

Marian Claire – Delay

Danny Draper – No Barrier the Highway

Marie Dustmann – Contacts

Norm Fairbairn – To Die Upon the Sea

Kerstin Ferrol – The Cold Skin that …

Sophie Hall – Roadside Assistance

Myra Koch – Old Man Harold

Ilona Krueger – Cornflower Joy

Harold Legaspi – Fifties

Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan – Eric the Elver

Artelle Lenthall – Wolfie and Son

Nic Lesley – Runs in the Family

Louise Loomes – Paper Man

J. Marahuyo – Before the Rain

Jo Mularczyk – The Final One Hundred

Denise Newton – Tree Huggers

Arna Radovich – Catching Poems

Michaela Simoni – Rear Vision of my Time

Jake Tarasenko – The Better

The Tropics888 – For us to Keep

Paul Traynor – The Submission

Dannielle Viera – Scared Stiff

 

 

Creative Writing with Ariella Van Luyn

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Writing Workshop …
creating memorable scenes in a range of genre including historical fiction.

Saturday, 11 June 3-5 pm
UNE Sydney 28 George Street PARRAMATTA 
Sign in on ground floor 2:45-3:00 pm
$5 entry with door prize
NB This is a masked event.

 

 Dr Ariella Van Luyn is a lecturer in writing at UNE Sydney. She is the author of the historical novel Treading Air (Affirm Press) and her short stories have been published in international and Australian journals including Voiceworks, Overland, Southerly and The Lifted Brow. Her areas of research are Creative writing, Practice-led research, Online writing pedagogy, Historical fiction. See more of her bio here.

Q&A with Ariella Van Luyn