Entries for the Mayor’s Short Story Writing Awards are now open
These awards aim to encourage and support Mornington Peninsula writers of all abilities, to celebrate our diverse talent, showcase local stories and voices and make our community come alive. Do you have a story to tell? Local writers aged 8 and up are being called to share their voices.
Western Port Writes at the Fringe
Author panel and afternoon tea As part of the Flinders Fringe Festival, Western Port Writes hosted a lively discussion on family relationships and what makes a good story with three excellent authors. We were privileged to have Jason Steger as our moderator. The three authors were Tony Birch (Women & Children), Melanie Cheng (The Burrow) and Kylie Ladd (The Mix Up). It was fabulous conversation with three [...]
Our first literary event for 2025
Our first event for 2025 is a WPW Writers Panel, being held as part of the Flinders Fringe Festival, on Saturday 22 February 2025, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm at St John’s Hall Flinders.
Issue 3 of Western Port Writes News
The curtain has fallen. The fanfare and excitement of the festival has subsided. Authors and presenters have gone back to their writing rooms and jobs that pay the bills. The audience went home.... It was hard work. It was worth it. Energising and inspiring.
Faery Emma’s Sparkly Garden Treasure Hunt
I knew we were in for a treat. It’s as though she had just stepped out of a fairyland storybook herself. The children were so excited to see her and being such a wonderful storyteller, she quickly engaged them (and even some the adults), into her magical imaginative narrative and adventure around the Coolart gardens.
The Complex Female Character
The University of Southern California has conducted a study where they found that men are four times more represented as characters in literature than women. There is a gender bias towards male characters although most readers of fiction are female, and many women writers struggle to be taken seriously.
