The Big Black Thing returns

Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement. Photo: Nate Palmer

Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement is pleased to announce the release of the second issue of the Western Sydney anthology series The Big Black Thing. The new book, titled, Chapter. 2 was launched at the Sydney Writers’ Festival earlier this month.

The publication is the second issue in a series of prose and poetry by emerging and established writers from Indigenous, migrant and refugee backgrounds.

Co-editor of the publication, and Director of Sweatshop Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad said the collective was tired of waiting to see more cultural diversity in mainstream Australian literature and media.

“This is why we decided to create The Big Black Thing. This new literary series gives voice to some of Western Sydney’s most exciting writers from culturally diverse backgrounds,” says Dr Ahmad, also from the University’s Writing and Society Research Centre.

The anthology was co-edited by Sweatshop Manager, Winnie Dunn. Award-winning Aboriginal author, Ellen van Neerven also worked on the publication as Editor for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.

The Big Black Thing: Chapter. 2 features short stories, poetry and artworks by members of Sweatshop: Amanda Yeo, Omar Sakr, Evelyn Araluen, Shirley Le, Stephen Pham, Tamar Chnorhokian, Peter Polites, Tien Tran, Monikka Eliah, Kane Harrington, Gabriella Florek, Samantha Hogg, Adam Phillip Anderson, Jason Gray and Emma Hicks.

The publication also features short prose by students from Sir Joseph Banks High School, Lurnea High School, Wiley Park Girls High School, Glenmore Park High School, Kingswood High School and St Clair High School.

Sweatshop is a literacy movement devoted to empowering Western Sydney writers from Indigenous, migrant and refugee backgrounds. Sweatshop works in partnership with the Western Sydney University Writing and Society Research Centre and WestWords: Western Sydney’s Literature Development Organisation, and is funded by Create NSW, and the Packer Foundation and Crown Resorts Foundation.

For media enquiries please contact Winnie Dunn e: winnie.a.dunn@gmail.com  p: 0422 560 781

ENDS.

21 May 2017

Media Office