‘Romantasy’ is a hybrid genre of fiction rising in global popularity. When it comes to combining fantasy with romance, Australian authors are no exception. Read more about Australian authors at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival romantasy session here. ...
Culture Vulture
Is Blacktown becoming the Cultural Heart of Western Sydney?
You may have heard of the Bankstown Poetry Slam, the Ramadan Nights Lakemba markets, and even the upcoming Powerhouse Parramatta Museum. It is becoming increasingly clear that with the creative industries, Greater Western Sydney is a force to be reckoned with. ...
Lottie McLeod LoveLoveLoved her Time on Tour
After the release of her newest album ‘Bug’ at the end of May, Australian singer songwriter Lottie McLeod toured the nation with LoveLoveLove from the 10th to the 26th of July 2025. You can read about ‘Bug’ here. ‘LoveBug’ was “Unreal” says McLeod After she...
Is TikTok the Future of Journalism?
(Hamish Macdonald and Rully Kurniawan speaking during event. Photo credit: Garish (Luci) Kugathasan, 2025) Early in 2025, acclaimed journalists Hamish Macdonald and Rully Kurniawan attended Western’s Parramatta South campus for a journalism masterclass. They discussed...
Jacinda Ardern: A Different Kind of Powerful Woman
(Front cover of ‘A Different Kind of Power’ by Jacinda Ardern. Photo credit: Natasa Aster-Stater, 2025) Reading this memoir made it clear that Jacinda Ardern has been one of the people that she is trying to serve. She isn’t from a dynasty like the Kennedys or the...
Using AI: Good vs Bad
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a common tool for university students and lecturers today. Yet, confusion and limited awareness of what counts as ethical use of AI remains. Academic Integrity teams are working alongside Subject Coordinators, Academic Program...
Aussies have the Love-Bug for Lottie McLeod: On Her New EP and Tour
On May 30th, 2025, Australian singer Lottie McLeod released her newest album, ‘Bug’, after her father’s nickname for her. McLeod embarked on an Australian tour with musical act LoveLoveLove from the 10th to the 26th of July 2025. McLeod’s father taught her how...
How Country Music Won Australia’s Heart: “There’s a Story with Every Song”
This article was originally published by The Western Weekender on the 4th of June 2025. Country music has the power to speak to the soul, the mind, and the heart of the individual. It provides a platform for people to choose their story through the power of...
‘Looking For Alibrandi’: Multicultural Classic Ascends to Theatres
Brink Productions’ highly anticipated theatrical production of Melina Marchetta’s beloved novel ‘Looking for Alibrandi’, enthralled audiences at the Riverside Theatres from June 11-15, 2025. The most recent adaptation of ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ is the outcome...
Carrying my Vietnamese Roots with Me at University
Studying abroad has always been a dream for many young Vietnamese, including myself. It’s a golden opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, to grow into independence, and to embark on a journey to the wider world. When I first arrived in Australia, I struggled...
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What’s On at WSU
Bianca’s breakthrough: How WSU helped her find her voice in the newsroom
When Bianca Tropiano started studying a Bachelor of Communication at Western Sydney University, she hadn’t picked a major. She undertook the ‘Introduction to Journalism’ subject. Whilst she didn’t really like it, she's now set to graduate with a major in journalism, a...
Western’s Annual Lifeblood Challenge, Now Open to More Donors!
The Lifeblood Challenge is a yearly competition organised by the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood where each team attempts to collect as many blood donations as possible in a set amount of time. From August 1st to October 31st, Western Sydney University (WSU) is working...
Queer Social Club Celebrates 2 Years
Josh Bouman (he/him) is the Queer Social Club (QSC) co-founder. The QSC runs events such as, picnics, hiking, queer trivia, beach days, game afternoons, brunches, trips to a café, craft-days, karaoke and craft-days. ‘[The Queer community] is very important...
Penguin Fantasy Fest Comes to Sydney
July 2025 saw Penguin’s ‘Fantasy Fest’ arrive in Australian cities, readers enjoying exclusive previews of upcoming fantasy novel releases and extensive author panel discussions. In 2023, Penguin Random House Australia, one of Australia’s ‘big five’ publishing...
Diversity Fest in Jeopardy: An Absent Crowd, but a Present Message
Diversity Fest was once the booming heart of Western Sydney University’s social life. This year, the campus was silent, with attendees few and far between. This begs the question: Has Diversity Fest lost its spark or has a shift occurred with how students...