Westerly (magazine)
 The cover of issue 42.2, published in 1997 | |
| Categories | Literature, culture |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Biannual |
| Format | Online and print |
| Publisher | Westerly Centre |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Based in | Crawley, Western Australia |
| Website | westerlymag |
Westerly is a literary magazine that has been produced at the University of Western Australia since 1956. In June 2026, the magazine moved to a publishing schedule of two issues each year, while the website has continual updates.
History
Westerly was launched at the University of Western Australia in 1956.[1][2]
From November 2000, Salt Magazine, which had been founded in 1990 by Western Australian poet John Kinsella and later renamed Salt: An International Journal of Poetry and Poetics,[3] was published in affiliation with Westerly. Salt was published in the first half of the year, covering European and American literature, while Westerly, published each November, covered Asian and Australian literature. Salt ceased publication around 2003.[4]
In 2015, Westerly ran a campaign called "Word Matters", a response in publication to the funding cuts seen in the arts in federal and state budgets. The campaign published poetry from two young emerging poets, and sought reader engagement in the tweeting of responses online (#westerlywordmatters).[5] Around that time, Westerly developed a more extensive online presence with a new website and social media engagement. The magazine, with the redesign of their website, broadened their publications to include special issues and regular online pieces.
In early 2016, the magazine ran a successful crowdfunding campaign on chuffed.org[6] exceeding their target funding. Funding has also been received from the Copyright Agency Ltd. to support 'Writers Development Program,' which runs annually.[7]
In 2016 Westerly released its first online special issues.
Description and people
The journal maintains a specific focus on the Australian and Asian regions, but has published literary and cultural content from international authors. The magazine publishes fiction, poetry, cultural, autobiographic, and scholarly essays, and interviews.[8] The print magazine is published twice a year in July and November, with content published on the website on an ongoing basis.[2]
It is based at the Westerly Centre at the University of Western Australia in Crawley, Western Australia.[2]
As of June 2026 Daniel Juckes is editor of Westerly.[2]
The Westerly archives are housed in Special Collections in the University of Western Australia Library, with a complete digital version of the backset available at the website.[1]
Notable contributors
Notable Westerly writers include Randolph Stow, Dorothy Hewett, T.A.G. Hungerford, and Elizabeth Jolley; highly awarded contemporary writers, including Tim Winton, Kim Scott, and Sally Morgan; and acclaimed local poets John Kinsella, Tracy Ryan, John Mateer, and Lucy Dougan.[9] It has a remit to focus on Western Australian writing, with other interests including the Asia region and Australian literature more generally.
The Patricia Hackett Prize has been awarded by the University of Western Australia for the best original contribution to Westerly each year since 1965.[10]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Westerly Magazine launch new website". University of Western Australia. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 "About". Westerly Magazine. 5 June 2026. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
The print magazine is published twice a year in July and November, while the website publishes content throughout the year, including Online Special Issues available for free digital download.
- ↑ Kinsella, John (1 April 2003). "From Regional to International: The Story of Salt: An International Journal of Poetry and Poetics". The Journal of Commonwealth Literature. 38 (2): 5–18. doi:10.1177/00219894030382002. ISSN 0021-9894.
- ↑ Kinsella, John; Fremantle Arts Centre Press (1990), Salt (library catalogue entry), Kinsella-Anderson, ISSN 1324-7131 – via Trove,
Published: Applecross, W.A. : Kinsella-Anderson, c1990-2003.
- ↑ "Launching Westerly's 'Word Matters'". Westerly. 19 October 2015.
- ↑ "Supporting Creative Writing in WA". Chuffed.org.
- ↑ "Cultural funding to drive Western Australia's creative culture". Copyright Agency. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ↑ Taylor, Josephine. "Josephine Taylor reviews 'Westerly 60.1' edited by Lucy Dougan and Paul Clifford". Australian Book Review. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ↑ "About - Westerly". Westerly. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ↑ William Wilde et al, The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature Oxford University Press, Melbourne 2nd edition 1994 ISBN 0 19 553381 X
Further reading
- Bennett, Bruce [et al.] (1993 Westerly looks to Asia: A selection from Westerly 1956-1992 Nedlands, W.A : Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies in association with the Centre for Studies in Australian Literature, University of Western Australia, 1993. Monograph (Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies); no. 6. ISBN 1-86342-193-9
- Bennett, Bruce and Peter Cowan, eds. (1978) .Westerly 21: An anniversary selection Fremantle (W.A.): Fremantle Arts Centre Press. ISBN 0-909144-10-9
- Bennett, Bruce, (2005) Westerly through the rear-view mirror. (A brief history of the literary magazine). Westerly, Vol. 50 (2005), p. 13-17.