Skip to content

Writing Programs

Ways of Being Here

Ways of Being engaged with the West Australians of African descent through the celebration of African literature and mentoring emerging writers from the local African community.

Ways of Being engaged with the West Australians of African descent through the celebration of African literature and mentoring emerging writers from the local African community. Over a period of six months, participants selected through a competitive process were mentored by established writers, attended workshops and produced a piece of writing for the publication Ways of Being.  All writers who participated in this program have gone on to be published in leading journals and by trade publishers, participated in major writing festivals and been shortlisted or won national literary prizes.

Funded by Department of Local Government, Sports and Cultural Industries.

Cover of Ways of Being Here, published by Margaret River Press.

Reflections on the journey

  • This collection is a seed; a sample; a sign of what will most certainly come to pass. Flooded with the rhythms, poetry and patterns of the mother continent, there is also something about these stories – their preoccupations and sensibilities – which feels familiar. These stories speak of duty, family, blood-ties, and history. These stories sing of love, loss, and loneliness. Here, there are tales of hybrid identity and cultural clashes, of both ostracism and embrace. – Maxine Beneba Clarke
    1
  • I am grateful for Centre for Stories. It is a great space for storytelling, for networking and mentoring. These are essential services for new and emerging writers. I believe stories create humans and people whose stories are unknown live outside public consciousness. I hope the Centre will keep on supporting people like myself to contribute their stories to the larger community. – Anonymous participant
    1

Ways of Being Here Alumni

  • Rafeif Ismail

    Rafeif Ismail is an award-winning emerging multilingual WA writer interested in exploring home, belonging, and identity. Rafeif’s work has since been published in anthologies and journals across Australia.

  • Tinashe Jakwa

    Tinashe Jakwa is a Zimbabwean-born African-Australian writer and researcher based on Noongar Boodjar. Tinashe is a PhD Candidate in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Western Australia.

  • Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes

    Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes is a writer, researcher and poet from the holy town of Lalibela, Ethiopia. His poetry was published in a book titled Yeteraroch Chuhet, The Cry of Mountains, which uses his native language of Amharic to reflect on Ethiopia’s history of loss and resilience.

  • Yuot A. Alaak

    Yuot A. Alaak is an emerging Western Australian writer. His memoir, Father of the Lost Boys was shortlisted for the 2018 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award. Yuot is a former child refugee from South Sudan and was part of the globally known ‘Lost Boys of Sudan’.

Back to Top

We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land the Centre for Stories is located on, the Whadjuk people. We respect their culture and the continuing contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.