Eight Western Australian authors will have their work showcased at the State Library and at Raine Square during this year’s Pride festivities.
Writing WA have launched Changing the Conversation: Stories in All Spaces, a groundbreaking project funded by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
This dynamic program builds new bridges between writing and other creative fields, offering a series of immersive, often experimental experiences designed to reshape how literature is perceived across the community.
Their first activation in the series is a showcase of micro-stories about Pride, authors were given the challenge of sharing a personal account, fictional work or poetic piece on the theme of Pride. Their challenge was to share the story in just 100 words or less.
The winning entries in the competition include Sparks by Alice Macri, A Sisyphean Task by Brittany Lee, There’s Been Complaints by Ellie Cottrell, On Their Anniversary by Josh Radwell, To Be Loved Is To Be Known by Peter Fowlie-Morris and Prismatic by Sarah Birch.
Acclaimed poet and performer Scott-Patrick Mitchell has contributed Love Mum. Mitchell was a writer at OUTinPerth for many years and remains a contributor, while the final author in the program is current OUTinPerth co-editor Graeme Watson who wrote a personal reflection titled 15 November 2017.
These incredible stories will be published in the Raine Square Short Story Dispenser and showcased in a physical display on the outer walls of the Writing WA office during November 2024 to celebrate PrideFEST in Perth.
The Stories with Pride selection panel, Shannon and Jess, from Writing WA, said it was a privelelge to read through all the submissions they received.
“It was truly a privilege to read all submissions which contained various interpretations of pride ranging from sweet to sad and everything in between. We thank everyone for submitting their precious works, which were all a high standard, and as such, it was incredibly difficult to find a top eight.
“In the end, the selected works were chosen because of their diverse representation of LGBTQIA+ perspectives AND because they made us swoon, smile, or raised the hair on our forearms (and sometimes – all three!).
“They are stunning works, encapsulating not only some history of this community but the beauty and bravery that exists within it. To do this within 100 words is an incredible feat. Our sincere congratulations to the selected authors.” the judges said.
The stories will be revealed in November.
