Creative Writing Sydney

The Imago Fellow in conversation: Sheila Ngọc Phạm

Sheila Ngọc Phạm's project for her Imago Fellowship is a creative non-fiction work about psychotherapist and author Anne Spencer Parry (1931–1985). Parry is now largely forgotten, but her fantasy world building still resonates in the context of current cultural, ecological and technological crises. Hear how research for a book blending biography, literary criticism, cultural history, reportage and bibliomemoir — from the perspective of a Vietnamese Australian reader and writer — seeks to rescue Parry from obscurity and ensure she receives the recognition she deserves. **FREE** but [registration required](https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/imago-fellow-conversation-sheila-ngoc-pham) *Please note a 'yes' RSVP does not secure your place. You need to register via the link above.*

Twisted Fiction readings

Twisted Fiction returns at The Shakespeare Hotel. Don’t miss out on a night of fantastical storytelling. With tales from: * Richard Swan; * Garth Nix; * Tim Weavers; and * Alexandra Burnham **FREE**

Romance Writers of Australia - Sydney Meetup

This is our monthly meet-up!! This is a social group for local romance writers to discuss all things craft, publishing, and overall a chance to connect with other writers and refill the creative well. This is a group designated for ROMANCE writers (romantasy, paranormal romance, historical romance, etc.). Please review the group's description for further information. We do not read sections/give feedback during these meetings unlike many other writing groups. Please save some trees and do not print/bring copies of your work during the meet-up.

Speculative Writing Night @ Chatswood Library

Our aim is to provide a supportive community for speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy and horror etc) writers at all levels, offering a platform for networking, dedicated writing time, craft discussions, and publication tips. Whether you're just starting or an established wordsmith, join us on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Chatswood Library. **[RSVP through the library](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wednesday-speculative-writing-night-tickets-813545274817)** *In addition to RSVPing here on Meetup, please register at the link above so we can keep track of numbers as we are promoting across different platforms.* **Schedule:** **5:30 - 6:00 pm:** Introductions and casual chat **6:00 - 7:30 pm:** 'Focus & Write' session **7:30 - 8:30 pm:** Continue writing, or socialise and share your progress **What to bring:** Your work-in-progress, whether on screen or paper. Connect with fellow writers, explore the speculative fiction realm, and let your imagination soar at our regular writing meetups. **[How to get there](https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Locations-and-Hours/Chatswood-Library)** **Public transport**: Chatswood Library is located in The Concourse, 350m from major Chatswood transportation hubs, including Chatswood train station and Chatswood bus interchange. **Parking**: Parking is available at The Concourse car park accessible on Ferguson Lane via Archer St ONLY. Parking rates can be found [here](https://www.theconcourse.com.au/visit/parking/). The library has lift access from The Concourse car park and from The Concourse, ground and upper levels. Parking is also available at Chatswood Chase adjacent to The Concourse on the corner of Archer St and Victoria Ave. The first 3 hours parking are free. **Cycle**: Bicycle parking is available at library entrance. **Accessibility** For participants requiring stair-free access, this is available through the Ferguson Lane entrance through the parking garage. Ride shares or taxis should be directed to drop off at that location. If further assistance is needed please let the Meetup coordinators know in advance and we will do our best to assist. Please be advised that access from Victoria Ave does consist of a significant flight of steps up into the Concourse area. **Our meeting room** We are in the **Creator Space**, straight down the main aisle from the front desk, though the sign may be obscured by books. If you are unable to locate the Creator Space, ask the staff at the front desk for its location; they are expecting us. Do note a 'yes' RSVP on Meetup does not confirm your place, **[please RSVP through the library](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wednesday-speculative-writing-night-tickets-813545274817)** so they can set out enough places for us on the night. Photo credit: [Cedrik Wesche](https://unsplash.com/@cedrikwesche)

Scribes Open Mic @ WestWords Parramatta

[WestWords](http://westwords.com.au/) has partnered with Sydney Speculative Scribes to take your word from the page to the stage. Come read a short story or an excerpt from your longer work and listen to other speculative fiction writers in an intimate and supportive environment. Our featured reader this session is **Adam Richard.** **Adam Richard**'s career has spanned stand-up comedy, radio and television – both in front of the camera and as a writer. His spec-adjacent work includes writing and starring in the TV series *Outland* (2012), about a queer sci-fi fan club, and as a panellist on the ABC's *Whovians* (2017-2020) featuring *Doctor Who* fans. He has a podcast, 'Adam Richard Has a Theory', and his fiction has appeared in the 2025 UTS Writers’ Anthology *Light the Lanterns*. Find him at [www.adamrichard.com.au](https://www.adamrichard.com.au/). **[FREE! RSVP required](https://events.humanitix.com/sydney-speculative-scribes-westwords-may-open-mic)** *In addition to RSVPing here on Meetup, please register at the link above so we can keep track of numbers as we are promoting across different platforms.* **If you'd like to read, sign up to the open mic list when you [RSVP via Humanitix](https://events.humanitix.com/sydney-speculative-scribes-westwords-may-open-mic). If there are slots available, you may also add your name to the list on the day.** Your reading should be: * Speculative fiction (that's sci-fi, fantasy, horror, alt-history...) * Ideally 5 mins, no more than 8 mins long (about 1500 words) * Either a whole piece (microfiction) or a sensible chunk of a longer work (e.g. a chapter of a novel or a segment that leaves us wanting more from a longer short story) * Rehearsed and ready for sharing. **How to get there**: **Public transport**: WestWords is located at the corner of Marsden and Hunter Streets in Parramatta, 300m from the major Parramatta transportation hub, including Parramatta train station and Parramatta bus interchange. **Parking**: Some limited on-street parking and paid [parking stations](https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/living/parking-and-transport/car-parks). The Westfield also has parking, but please be aware it is very crowded on weekends. If you are a Club Parramatta member, there is free parking next to the club, which is a couple of blocks from the venue. **Cycle**: Bicycle parking is available on premises at your own risk, or at the south entrance of Parramatta Station. **Accessibility:** Please notify us if you require accessible parking as there is limited space on-site. The auditorium is located on the ground floor of the WestWords building but the venue has a few stairs leading into the building (and onto the stage). If you require ramp access, let us know in advance and we will do our best to assist. Unfortunately this heritage building does not have an accessible toilet.

Ashfield Writing Group #2

Bring along 750-1500, share your work and prepare to get some feedback! In the first hour of the session we'll follow this format where participants will read out their work and get feedback. I'll select some pieces from the google drive for the second hour, and we'll go through each piece and give some feedback. Ideally I'd like participants to read through some of these pieces prior to attendance! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1s9opV-9ML9jzwTIUaKJHg8Z6ksB8yfXA?usp=drive_link

Advanced Writers' Group

Our in person session at Marrickville Library, following the IWWG session.

Advanced Writers' Group (Online)

Zoom session, following the IWWG session.

Global Book Crawl x Teahouses of Sydney

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." So said author CS Lewis of the strong link between books and tea. For the [Global Book Crawl](https://www.globalbookcrawl.org/cities-sydney) (20-26 April 2026), I'm pairing some book browsing sessions with tea meetups. Come join me? **10am:** Abbey's/Galaxy Bookshop, 131 York Street, Sydney **11am**: The Palace Tea Room, QVB **Noon**: Kinokuniya, The Galeries (+ Dulcet Cafe) *Browsing books is free, tea at your own expense.*

Words on Tap

Are you working on a manuscript, short story, memoir, or idea that’s been simmering in your notebook or laptop? This group is for emerging writers and storytellers who want a supportive place to share their work and connect with like-minded creatives. Each MeetUp we offer the opportunity (optional, never pressured) for you to read a short excerpt of your work of up to 800 words in a safe, encouraging environment. This is not a critique group and not a workshop—it's about being heard, building confidence, and finding motivation through community. We will be meeting in the upstairs bar at The Flat Rock Brew Café, 290 Willoughby Rd, Naremburn NSW 2065, the first Wednesday of each month—a relaxed, welcoming space to talk writing, listen to stories, and nurture the creative process. (Many thanks to the Flat Rock Brew Café management - who have generously provided this space). Come along to: * Share your writing in a supportive space * Listen to others, sip a cool ale and get inspired * Connect with fellow writers and storytellers * Nuture your creativity and develop your author’s profile You’re welcome whether you want to read, listen, or simply be around people who “get it.” All writing styles and experience levels are welcome. And this is a free event.

Online Photography - The letter W

Why War Rather Than a Deal? How Bargaining Can Break Down

As the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran unfolds in real time, it raises one of the oldest question in politics: why do wars start? The familiar answers are tempting — greed, power, hatred, the darker instincts of human nature. But they are often too simple. War is ruinously expensive for both sides, and almost any deal is better than destruction. The costliness of war is precisely why it remains the exception rather than the rule — rivals usually prefer to loathe one another in peace rather than fight. The book we will be looking at in May takes that observation seriously. Instead of asking why humans are warlike in general, it asks a sharper question: if peace is usually the better choice, why do deals collapse and wars break out anyway? By mapping the specific strategic breakdowns — miscalculations, hidden uncertainties, promises that can't be kept — that derail even willing parties, it offers a diagnostic framework for understanding why conflicts erupt despite overwhelming incentives to avoid them, and how those same insights can be used to chart a path to peace. Come along and let's dig in. **Primary Reading:** ***[Why We Fight Summary](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQCksASUdxdGRogAVU6VPwJjAeOtxA7Gdo9LgvTDTezGwjs?e=jwHnwr)*** (A 38-page guide prepared for this meetup) **The Book:** ***Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace* (2022) by Christopher Blattman.** Christopher Blattman is a professor at the University of Chicago who has spent decades doing something rare in conflict studies: actually going to war zones and high-violence communities to run rigorous field experiments and test his theories against reality. Drawing on political science, economics, and psychology, he builds a framework that applies equally to international wars, civil conflicts, drug cartel turf wars, and street gangs — the same underlying logic, he argues, explains them all. His central claim is that war is almost never inevitable — peace and compromise are almost always available, and almost always better for both sides. When wars do break out, it is because one of five specific mechanisms has caused the logic of peace to collapse: **(1) Unchecked interests** — leaders pursuing personal gains at their people's expense; **(2) Intangible incentives** — goals like honour, ideology, or religious duty that no material deal can satisfy; **(3) Uncertainty** — where private information and the temptation to bluff make it rational to call an adversary's hand; **(4) Commitment problems** — when a rising power cannot credibly promise not to exploit its future advantage, making conflict feel safer than a deal that won't hold; and **(5) Misperceptions** — when leaders systematically misjudge their enemy's strength, intentions, or resolve. The guide we prepared should give you a solid grounding in all of these ideas, but I hope it leaves you wanting more and that you will track down the book. It is easily available as an ebook and audiobook, and likely in libraries. If you want to buy a physical copy, you may need to order one, so don't leave it too late. One honest caveat: although Blattman writes for a general audience — enlivened by his firsthand accounts of fieldwork in war zones and gang-controlled neighbourhoods — this is a substantial book that requires some effort. One request, though: only arrive having done some reading. The summary guide is there precisely for this — it won't take long and it will make the evening far more rewarding. We've all sat through discussions that devolve into "well, Netanyahu is just..." or "the Ayatollahs are simply..." and while those conversations have their place, they're not what the Big Ideas Book Club is for. Blattman's whole project is to get beyond personality and prejudice to the structural forces that drive conflict. Come ready to think at that level, and the discussion will be genuinely illuminating. Join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 4th May, on the 2nd floor of the Keg & Brew Hotel in Surrey Hills (i.e. up two flights of stairs). The venue is conveniently located near Central Station and the Light Rail. Do the reading and bring along your favourite war to discuss, and maybe we can also help deescalate the parking-spot war you are currently waging with your neighbours. 😊 Hope to see you there! P.S. Please adjust your RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to other people if there is a waitlist. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- These are just some optional links to consider to supplement the main reading. But please do the reading! Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section. **Video & Audio** * Talks and Podcasts with Blattman: [Blattman Presentation on the Book (1 hr)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d57pqL-9cg&t=1096s) [Vox’s Weeds podcast with Blattman on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tC2NJ1WaMO4MlYi3zdEuX) [Interview at the U.S. Institute of Peace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_vyJj-l3nY&t=182s) (Now the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace!) **Written** * Blattman's writing on the book: [5 Key Insights -- The Next Big Idea Club](https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/fight-roots-war-paths-peace-bookbite/34151/) [The Roots of War - Boston Review](https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/the-roots-of-war/) [Five Reasons War Happen](https://mwi.westpoint.edu/the-five-reasons-wars-happen/) [Blattman on the prospects of war with China](https://chrisblattman.com/blog/2022/10/26/the-prospects-for-war-with-china-why-i-see-a-serious-chance-of-world-war-iii-in-the-next-decade/) * Summary of the book: [Tosummarise book summary](https://www.tosummarise.com/book-summary-why-we-fight-by-chris-blattman/) * Other books. If you are interested in how historians rather than political scientists approach the causes of war, two books worth knowing about are listed below. Geoffrey Blainey — one of Australia's most eminent historians — argues in his 1973 classic work (now updated to 2025) that wars typically begin when nations hold conflicting beliefs about their own relative power, a thesis that maps onto Blattman's uncertainty and misperceptions mechanisms. Richard Overy's recent book takes a broader and darker view, surveying the deep biological, psychological, and cultural foundations that make humans a persistently warlike species — essentially the kind of sweeping "why are humans aggressive?" question that Blattman deliberately sets aside in favour of his sharper diagnostic approach. \- Blainey \(2025\) The Causes of War \- Overy \(2024\) Why War?