Sweatshop women reclaim their stories

Left to right: Shirley Le, Sydnye Allen and Winnie Dunn.

Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement, co-supported by Western Sydney University, has released a new publication which showcases the stories of culturally diverse women from Western Sydney. In the first volume of the urgent new series, over twenty writers share their stories of love, faith, home and history.

On Friday 3 May, Sweatshop Women: Volume One will be officially launched at the 2019 Sydney Writers’ Festival. The book is edited by Tongan-Australian writer and community arts worker from Mount Druitt, Winnie Dunn. As the general manager of Sweatshop, Ms Dunn has been a powerful advocate for women and people of colour throughout Australia.  She believes that art and writing are important tools in the fight against sexism, racism and Islamophobia.

“In this current climate where we are seeing the horrendous rise of White supremacist and far- right groups around the world, the stories and experiences of culturally diverse women can help challenge and transform people’s negative opinions and prejudices,” says Winnie.

Sweatshop Women: Volume One features short stories and poems by twenty-two Australian writers who come from Indigenous, African, Arab, Asian and Pasifika backgrounds. There is also a foreword in the anthology by award-winning writer Michelle Law who notes that: “this anthology showcases some of Australia’s finest and most exciting emerging writers.”

The new anthology is part of an ongoing push by Sweatshop to bring more stories from culturally and linguistically diverse communities to the forefront of Australian literature. This has been made possible through the support of I.C.E, Create NSW, Australia Council for the Arts, Western Sydney University and the Packer Foundation.

Sweatshop Women: Volume One is out now and can be purchased directly from the Sweatshop website: www.sweatshop.ws

The launch will take place at Carriageworks as part of the Sydney Writer’s Festival on Friday 3 May, 3-4pm. For more information go to: https://bit.ly/2DvoxHF

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

ENDS.

26 April 2019

Media Unit