Supporting diverse women writers

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​There are numerous initiatives, festivals and workshops designed to propel careers and bolster the voices of women but until now no centralised organisation for women in writing and publishing. Women in Literary Arts Australia (WILAA) aims to fill that need.

WILAA will be a ‘hub of information’ for women writers and support all women working in the literary industry.

The idea for the support network ​came from an industry round table in 2014 where women from all aspects of writing, publishing and literature met to discuss the state of the industry and the barriers women face. They realised that there is a lack of centralised information and formal networks of support for women writers.

‘WILAA is an attempt to remedy this. From networking opportunities, mentorships, events, workshops and marketing campaigns, we will endeavour to find practical ways to support women to excel,’ said co-founder Lefa Singleton Norton.

The organisation will draw attention to the opportunities that exist for all women writers and advocate for their needs that are not being met. Currently, women’s writing is under-represented as the winners of literary awards, reviews and school curriculum, creating a harmful feedback loop.