Category Archives: ZineWest

ZineWest is a print zine and competition for Western Sydney Writers run by New Writers’ Group Inc

ZineWest 2026 Awards

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Writing Judge: Dr Luke Carman

1st prize won by K T Major for UNTOLD $400 Cosponsored by the Writing and Society Research Centre, WSU  and NWG Inc donors

2nd Prize won by S L Jones for Temporarily Untranslated –
Book Award – Swallow by Alexandria Burnham

3rd Prize won by Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan for Puffers  – Book Award
Bound by Samantha W. L. Lee

Highly Commended – Book awards – Editions of HEAT
Myra A. for Overcome (Best Poem)
Nelson Groom for Little Coogee 
Zoe Gangell for My Fashion that she wore   

Art Judge: Maria Constantinescu
Best Image: Michaela Simoni for Bird on Tree (see front cover)
$100 – NWG Inc donors
Runners up: Dannielle Viera for Gaze and Sarah Cupitt for Fractured Chrysalis
Book Awards Editions of HEAT

Editors’ Awards – Book awards – Editions of HEAT
Kristof Mikes-Liu for A Person Stumbles  on Infinity
Peter Cartwright for The Gate
Jessi McDowell for Rice Cooker Song

 

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 Launch 12 September

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ZineWest Launch: Saturday, 12th September at University of New England Parramatta Campus,28 George Street, Parramatta.
11:30 am for Noon – 2:00pm or earlier (bump out 2:30pm)
Entry: $10, Free for under 16’s and carers.
Zines:$15; Contributors 1st copy: $10
Readings; Judges’ comments and awards
Door prize and raffle draws
Cake!
This event is part of Parramatta’ Lit! Check out the other events!


NWG Inc NEWS July 2026

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VENUE UPDATE:

Our gathering on Saturday 25th July, 3-5 pm,
will be at 41 Hunter Street Parramatta not
at Old Government House as we first thought.

We will move to Old  Government House for our monthly events from 8th August.  NB by 1st August, you will find WestWords admin  at the Caretakers Cottage, Experiment Farm which like Parramatta Park is a delightful location.

 

PUBLISHING NEWS: At last, Expression 2025 has been lodged at the National Library of Australia – see via TROVE.  Pdfs of the first five are are also on this site .

Pop Up Zine 2026 (most of which will appear in Expression 6) has the theme of Distance – interpreted widely we hope.  A collection of ZineWest 2026 writing will also feature. Please note that this publication is only open to invited writers with Western Sydney connections. Due 27 September.  Pop Up Zine_ Distance_EntryForm

Pop Up Zine 2026 Image entries entry form available soon.

ZineWest 2026 print publication List. (Art work will be announced in August.)Launch 12 September 11:30am for Noon start. UNE Parramatta Campus, 28 George St Parramatta. More details soon, meanwhile …

ZINEWEST PUBLICATION LIST 2026.

(NB Additional entrants will contribute to a digital publication)

Myra A. – Overcome

C.A. Broadribb – Don’t Read This Story

Peter Cartwright – The Gate

Sarah Cupitt – I Said Desire Bleeds

Marie Dustmann – Last Walk in the Rain Forest

Edie – High Heels

Norm Fairbairn – Irvine’s Foot

Zoe Gangell – My Fashion that She Wore

Nelson Groom – Little Coogee

Jondarr – Conquered

S L Jones – Temporarily Untranslated

Gregory Kenny – Reflection

Artelle Lenthall – Unquestionable

Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan – Puffers

Jessie McDowell – Rice Cooker Song

KT Major – Untold

Kristof Mikes-Liu – A person Stumbles on Infinity

Adriana Mucea -Happiness

Renata Mueller – Homespun Cloth

C E. Mutya – The White City

K.L. Quah – What will you do the day before the world ends

Charnel Rizk – She Hugs the Trees

Niko Satria – The Observatory

Dannielle Viera – Off the Market

Rosanna Yahya – Photographer

Dona Samson Zappone – New Dark Forest

 

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!

 

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.

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