The Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas encompasses many key literary organisations, providing a physical and intellectual home for Melbourne’s readers, writers and thinkers .
The Writers Victoria — formerly the Victorian Writers' Centre — is the leading provider of resources, information and skills development for Victorian writers, providing support and promoting writers, writers’ networks and the diverse writing cultures of Victoria.
Writers Victoria runs more than 200 workshops, courses and seminars on all aspects of writing and publishing, engaging writers at all levels of development – from emerging and developing to established. The organisation runs year-long courses, master classes, short courses and information-based seminars and forums.
A not-for-profit membership-based organisation, Writers Victoria has a dynamic website, regularly updated to report activities in the writing community, and provides its members with a regular magazine and a weekly enews. Its manuscript assessment service is one of the most respected in Australia. It also provides significant discounts on its activities for Writers Victoria members.
As a resource centre for writers, Writers Victoria has a reference library; sells a range of books on the craft of writing; offers writers studios at Glenfern (St Kilda East) at economical rates and residencies at Rosebank Retreat (Macedon Ranges).
A highly-skilled staff assists writers with specific questions, and when it can’t help, refer to someone who can provide the expertise.
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The Emerging Writers' Festival (EWF) exists to promote the interests of emerging writers, to improve their opportunities for professional development and their engagement with the broader public. The Festival mixes emerging literary professionals with more established writers to forge a better understanding between the past and future of Australian writing, and to bring a high level of intellectual endeavour to all the Festival’s activities.
Each year the EWF works with a small group of writers and industry professionals with strong local and national networks to ensure that festival programming remains relevant to the needs of emerging writers, and that appropriate writers are invited to the festival.
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SPUNC, the Small Press Underground Networking Community, is a representative body for small and independent Australian publishers.
Formed in 2006 to promote independent publishing and support the principle of diversity within the publishing industry as a vital component of Australian literary culture, SPUNC now represents more than 70 small publishers around Australia and is fast becoming a critical resource for the creation and promotion of new literary work.
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Express Media provides support and development opportunities for young Australians in writing and media, recognised as the peak organisation for young writers in Australia, it presents an annual artistic program that aims to develop creative skills and build capacity among young people.
It is a national, not-for-profit, incorporated association founded in 1985, the UN International Youth Year.
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Australian Poetry is a not-for-profit association established to promote reading, writing and publishing activities associated with Australian poetry in all of its forms.
Australian Poetry aims to strengthen the presence and profile of Australian poetry within Australia and abroad, as well as promoting the writing, reading, and appreciation of poetry as an integral part of personal and community life.
Visit the Australian Poetry website →
Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) is an internationally acclaimed festival that takes place yearly at Federation Square and selected venues around Melbourne.
Featuring over 300 writers from around the world, MWF celebrates some of the world’s finest writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. This year’s festival will explore the future of media in a digital world; celebrate the growing popularity of graphic novels; and focus on performance, from music to storytelling. Special events include a series of masterclasses, workshops and seminars for emerging and experienced writers, as well as the popular Big Ideas series at BMW Edge.
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The Melbourne PEN Centre is one of 145 centres worldwide. Members are united in a common concern for the art of writing and freedom of expression. The Melbourne PEN Centre focuses on writers in prison, reconciliation, women writers and international work especially in the Asia and Pacific region.
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Overload Poetry was formed in 2002 to bring Melbourne’s vibrant poetry scene into public view through an annual festival based around the regular readings. The festival grew into a 16-day event showcasing the best poets from Australia and overseas. Since 2004 Overload has hosted poets from Canada, Holland, Ireland and New Zealand, and the 2007 festival involved 96 poets and performers in 49 events and 26 venues across the city. In 2008 Overload welcomed a new management committee and director. Under new direction the festival has been compressed into 10 days (featuring 80+ poets), skype has been introduced to facilitate an international reading and a publicity company contracted to give the festival professional visibility.
Visit the Overload Poetry Festival website →
