Category Archives: Spoken Word

Without the Mic…

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Saturday, 26 September at the Welcome Room,
Old Government House with NEW Writers Group Inc

Bring a short piece or two of your writing and practice reading it aloud to a friendly audience. We will have coffee/tea/biscuits in the break. 

Recently we had a small issue with a mic and noticed how some people could project their voice. One of them said, “I was always too shy, then I found my volume!” 
But people with a strong voice can also learn from a soft and expressive speaker. 

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF TIME
We meet from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.

Re purchasing copies of our latest ZineWest edition. If you are attending this gathering it will be cheaper for you to buy one direct instead of ordering online.
First Contributor’s copy $10. Regular price $15.

Entry $5 to help our basic costs eg insurance.
Free for first time attendees and financial members. 

Photo by Mihaela Cristescu

 

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

 

 

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.

ZineWest WORD Highlights

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ZineWest WORD 9 November 2024 at WestWords Parramatta. See list of participants and award details below gallery.

ZineWest WORD: From Top Left: Carol Amos (President NWG Inc), Marian Claire,  Ishmael Parker, Guest poet Peter Cartwright, Ally Burnham (WestWords Creative Producer), Victoria Cartwright, Group: Ishmael Parker, Jake Tarasenko & Michaela Simoni;  C.A. Broadribb, Danny Draper (MC), Michaela Simoni, Peter Cartwright, Sue Crawford (Ed. ZW), Guest Poet Norm Fairbairn, Mihaela Cristescu, Jake Tarasenko, Marian Claire. 

MC Danny Draper read a poem by Lisel Herrmann in the Open Mic; Michaela Simoni read a ZW24 poem by Mitch Browne and a ZW24 poem by Marie Dustmann.

Special shout out to Ally Burnham (WestWords Creative Producer) for introducing us to a multiude of wonderful programs coming up with WestWords our venue host. 

AWARDS: ZW Entrants comp was won by Michaela Simoni; Open Mic was won by Victoria Cartwright. Congratulations to all the writers at the mic; they shared creations from their independent visions, each one different from the next.

Book Awards included: Bad Western Sydney: The Second Case published by WestWords; Written Off  1st Edition, published by Vitagraph; Limits of Forgetting by Arna Radovich;  Un torpedou numai al lui  (A Glovebox of One’s Own) by Luke Carman – Romanian translation by Mihaela Cristescu, published by eLiteratura.

Judges: Sue Crawford (ZW editor) and Marian Claire (ZW2022 Editors Award; ZW2024 Highly Commended).

Photos Credit: Mihaela Cristescu.

NWG Inc AGM 9 November 2024

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NWG Inc’s AGM date has changed to Saturday 9 November, 5:20 pm at the WoolPack following ZineWestWORD at WestWords 41 Hunter St, 3-5pm. The Woolpack is a short walk from WestWords down Marsden St to George St. Buy your own drinks, snacks or dinner! 

ZineWest WORD 2024

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We welcome you to the mic and the audience for short poems and prose from inspired writers! Prizes for Content and Presentation. Free Entry and afternoon tea.

ZineWest WORD is back! Some intriguing ZineWest entries did not make it into ZineWest this year due to our tight publishing budget. They are worth hearing!

Saturday 9 November 3-5pm at WestWords 41 Hunter Street, Parramatta. Free Entry.
(1) Spoken Word: Invited ZineWest writers,  Winner Book Award

(2) Open Mic compered by poet Danny Draper, Winner Book Award 
RULES! 
1. Solo Only
2. English Only 
3. No music
4. No props 
5. Your original work
6. No gratuitous swearing/shouting
7. TWO MINUTES ONLY!!!

At NWG Inc we ask the judges to consider content as well as presentation.

 

 

NWG Inc Nov 2023

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AGM 18 November at UNE Sydney Parramatta – 2024 Committee elected: President & Treasurer: Carol Amos (photo); V. President: Sue Crawford; Secretary: Mihaela Cristescu; Minutes Secretary: C.A. Broadribb; Committee Member: Ruth Wyer. Returning Officer: Eric Esber.

Photos of two November events clockwise from top left:
State Library of NSW November 11, 2023: Celebration of ten year partnership between the State Library of NSW and Mihaela Cristescu’s Romanian/Australian events. Group photo at State Library (Photo by Luminita Lenuta); Luke Carman receiving his first copy of Mihaela Cristescu’s translation of his essays titled A Glovebox of One’s Own (Photo by Ian Daly); Alex Plescan; Mihaela Cristescu; Sue Crawford introducing local writers: Anisoara Laura Mustetiu, Danny Draper, Tazin Abdullah, Peter Cartwright and Siham Chamoun; Adrian G Sahlean collage: Group – Augusta Supple, Siham Chamoun,  Adrian Sahlean, Luke Carman and Sue Crawford. SEE Mihaela’s general report on this event and the history behind it!
UNE Sydney, Parramatta NWG Inc AGM on 18 November: Ruth Wyer, newly elected Committee member;  Sue Crawford; Noela Clarke presenting The Leftover Lemon Dilemma by Dannielle Viera. Photos at AGM by Mihaela Cristescu, Secretary of NWG Inc. 

Open Mic – Valentine Theme

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Blast from the past at 211 Church Street (UNE Sydney) with Sue Chamoun, Luke Carman, Sue Crawford and Carol Amos. Will be great to return in 2023!
Photo: Mihaela Cristescu

First gathering for 2023 with NEW Writers’ Group Inc Saturday 4 Feb, 3-5 pm UNE Sydney 211 Church Street Parramatta – enter at ground floor reception, let them know you are attending our event, then head upstairs to sign in. Entry $5. Free for financial members.

Program!
Introductions; Updates on our calendar and key projects for 2023; Open Mic

OPEN MIC details:

  • Valentine theme – your interpretation
  • Light deep comic ironic (but not crude thanks)
  • No props, no music, solo only, English only
  • Time limit strictly 3 mins max
  • Your original work
  • Book award 

Note re Venue: 
We do not use the kitchen or student/staff equipment.
Guests at UNE premises are allowed only bottled water on site and no food.
(We sometimes go for a drink/snack afterwards.)
Wheelchair access. There is a wheelchair lift near main entrance and internal lift.
NB Some scooters might be too large. Please contact us at least three days beforehand at re options.

COVID: Please comply with social distancing requests. Do not attend if feeling unwell or testing positive.

New to us? You are most welcome but suggest you check our About page to see our charter and other information.

 

Onsite in Parramatta

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Carol Amos, President of NEW Writers’ Group Inc, welcomed us to our first onsite Parramatta gathering in two years of Covid on Saturday, 26 March. We lined up outside for the group photo (inside it’s masks on always) and a kind passerby took this shot with Mihaela’s camera. Special thanks to UNE Sydney at Parramatta for this ideal venue. Kudos to Eric and Chris for tech support with Sue, Carol and the Cartwrights for ideas on Dialogue, and everyone for turning up on an unpredictably rainy day.  

GATHERINGS UNE Sydney at 28 George Street Parramatta
Queries:

Saturdays 3-5pm: Sign in 2:50-3:05 Ground floor entrance 
April 9, May 14, June 11,
July 9, August 13, Sept 10, Nov 12
Attendance: $5 for onsite gatherings
Free for financial members and carers
Please wear well fitted masks.

Carol Amos getting ready
Rainy arrival
Mihaela Cristescu Signing us in
Peter Cartwright