The WestWords Podcast

Lowell Tarling is the author of over 100 books, many of which are ghost-written. He speaks with James Roy about the process, the pitfalls and the mental approach to giving sufficient mental and creat…

Our very own Hajer (associate producer) talks about some of the career skills an emerging artist might need, and why she developed the WestWords Academy.

The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported…

MATURE THEMES: Scot Gardner and James Roy share a conversation about some of the changes they've seen in YA writing over the last two decades, especially in the way young men are portrayed and repres…

Children's and Young Adult Librarian from Blacktown City Librarians and long-time member of the Australian Storytellers' Guild, Lee Castledine, talks about storytelling as an art-form in its own righ…

James Roy (WestWords) talks about his favourite three books on the writing craft, along with some honourable mentions.

The three books are:

Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott (Pantheon, 1994)

On Writing by Step…

Producer and freelancer Michelle Rickerby speaks with James about the benefits of private writing groups, how to go about setting one up, and some of the pitfalls to watch out for.

The WestWords Mini-…

South African-born crime writer Malla Nunn (When the Ground is Hard; Present Darkness; A Beautiful Place to Die)talks to James about writing with originality whilst honouring the tropes that make cri…

Former Australian publisher and children's literature expert Margaret Hamilton talks about picture books, but from the publisher's perspective.

The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cu…

Tanya Vavilova (We Speak in Code) talks about her approach to the personal essay, what "writing from the fringes" means to her, and why dogs would make good early-draft editors.

The WestWords Mini-Mas…

Author of poetry collections "and my heart crumples like a coke can" and "the lactic acid in the calves of your despair", ali whitelock, talks about different poetry forms, and offers her views on ev…

Nardean is a Western Sydney singer, poet and hip-hop artist. She was featured on Triple-J Unearthed, and her latest EP is titled "The New Era". She talks about the history of hip-hop, and shares her …

Author, academic and essayist Randa Abdel-Fattah (Australian, Arab, Other" (ed. with Sarah Saleh); When Michael Met Mina; Does My Head Look Big In This?" talks about her approach to writing when she …

Award-winning YA author Scot Gardner talks about how he found the headspace and physical space to be the best and most productive writer he could be. There's also a gratuitous reference to Danger Noo…

Editors are a writer's best friend, but it's important to send in the best draft you can. In this masterclass, James steps into the presenter's chair to offer a few easy tips that will help ensure th…

Popular Australian children's author and highly sought-after creative writing teacher Deborah Abela (Grimsdon; New City; The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee) talks about creating worlds that ar…

Amelia McInerney (The Book Chook; Bad Crab) speaks with James about that first idea, learning from the best, and letting go of the reins once the text goes to the illustrator.

The WestWords Mini-Maste…

Our very own James Roy (WestWords' program manager for Blacktown and the Blue Mountains) is also the award-winning author of 35 books, including Town, a collection of short stories which won the 2008…

Poet for adults and children, Harry Laing, shares his love of poetry, offers some useful tips for getting started, and explains why we should even bother.

The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supporte…

Bestselling author for young people, Tim Harris (Toffle Towers; Mr Bambuckle's Remarkables) talks with James Roy about how he uses setting to create believable worlds for his characters, and his read…

"The middle ground between tokenism and stereotype is just good storytelling". Australian YA legend Melina Marchetta (Looking for Alibrandi; Saving Francesca; Finnikin of the Rock; The Piper's Son) t…