Writing and Society Research Centre

20/05/2026

Writing and Society Research Centre Seminar
'The Last Sweet Bite - Resilience, Memory and Culinary Cultures '
29 May, 11am - 12:30pm, Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University
Full details and RSVP here: https://events.humanitix.com/writing-and-society-research-centre-writing-by-the-river-event-michael-shaikh-the-last-sweet-bite

18/05/2026

The Institute for Australian and Asian Arts and Culture (IAC), in collaboration with the Writing and Society Research Centre, both at Western Sydney University present Tracey Holmes discussing her memoir 'The Eye of the Dragonfly'. Full details and registration here: https://uws.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aPrGjETtSBSeDX_nGAKGow #/registration

07/05/2026

Writing and Society Research Centre, Seminar Program 'Writing by the River'
Upcoming seminar with Professor Michael Shaikh and Raaza Jamshed, '"The Last Sweet Bite": Resilience, Memory and Culinary Cultures'.
Friday 29 May, 11:00am - 12:30pm, Western Sydney Uni, Parra South Campus. Full details and rsvp see Centre Website: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/writing-society/events/seminars

01/04/2026

Writing and Society Research Centre
Seminar Program 'Writing by the River'

Upcoming seminar with Professor Tim Mehigan on 'J.M. Coetzee's "Lost" Year: The Difficult Road to a Philosophy of Language'.

Full details and rsvp here, https://events.humanitix.com/writing-and-society-research-centre-writing-by-the-river-event-j-m-coetzee-s-lost-year-the-difficult-road-to-a-philosophy-of-language

04/03/2026

WSRC Research Seminar: Celebrating 5 Years of Hatch!
Friday 13 March, 11:00-12:30pm
Western Sydney Uni Parra City Campus, 169 Macquarie Street, Parramatta (Level 9)
For catering please rsvp to Melinda: [email protected]

26/01/2026

Whitlam Essay Residency - applications now open (close 10 Feb). Details here:

Applications close 10 February 2026 Six fellowships are available for two-week-long residencies at the Whitlam Prime Ministerial home, at 32 Albert Street Cabramatta, with a focus on essay writing. Applicants can be Western Sydney University students, staff or alumni, and/or Varuna alumni.

22/10/2025

Our Caribbean Echoes podcast launch party is tomorrow evening! 🎉🎉🎉 Join us for an in conversation with Sienna Brown, Ben Etherington, Zahra Newman, and Alana Valentine. We'll have food, we'll have storytelling, we'll have a DJ! If you haven't grabbed your free tickets, or for more details, check out the link below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://events.humanitix.com/caribbean-echoes-podcast-launch-party

15/10/2025

Who was the Caribbean-Australian cabaret star who could bring down the house — and come back at racism with a joke?
“Come sit by me, we don’t eat people anymore.”
Listen to episode 3 of the Caribbean Echoes podcast on Nellie Smalls here: https://bit.ly/4oiGJbH and don't forget to RSVP for the Caribbean Echoes podcast launch party happening next Thursday! The link is in our comments below ⬇⬇⬇

13/10/2025

Did you catch this article on boxing champion Peter Jackson by our associate professor Ben Etherington? You can grab your free tickets to the Caribbean Echoes podcast launch here:
https://events.humanitix.com/caribbean-echoes-podcast-launch-party

At his peak in the early 1890s, Peter Jackson was easily the most famous living Australian in the world. But he was more than boxer.

👉 Read the full story: https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-peter-jackson-the-black-australian-boxing-champion-youve-never-heard-of-265757

03/10/2025

We can't believe it's already been a week since our Caribbean Echoes event with Sienna Brown and Ben Etherington! If you weren't able to catch this event, make sure to join us for the podcast launch party on 23rd October! RSVP here for free tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/caribbean-echoes-podcast-launch-party

17/09/2025

Who was the Caribbean-Australian performer who performed to packed houses for decades? And how did a Black boxer become a national icon — before being forgotten? Join historical novelist and Jamaican Australian Sienna Brown discussing a series of podcast documentaries she has produced with scholar Ben Etherington that delve into the lives of two Caribbean-Australians.
https://sydneyfringe.com/events/caribbean-echoes-recovering-west-indian-australia-lives/