Ally Burnham is the Creative Producer at Westwords, Western Sydney’s centre for creative writing. She completed a Master’s in Writing for Performance at the National Institute of Dramatic Art and won an AWGIE in 2020 for her short film screenplay ‘Metropius’. She is a...
books
Taking The World By ‘ONYX STORM’: A Book Review
Onyx Storm’s legacy is as tumultuous as its title. Following the explosive popularity of the series’ first instalment, ‘Fourth Wing’, and its sophomore addition, ‘Iron Flame’, ‘Onyx Storm’ easily became one of the most anticipated book releases of 2025. Despite...
Summer reading list: Books to dive into during break
The president of WSU’s Book Club, Lidya Rivai, thoughtfully put together a list of books that will keep readers entertained and inspired throughout the summer break until next semester rolls around. First off, we have... ‘Happy Place’ by Emily Henry (Picture...
‘Tis the Damn Season: It’s NaNoWriMo!
National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) is a one-way ticket for writers to enter four weeks of self-inflicted madness (or so many authors have said), and write in any spare moment they can. The need for a rush of words leaves little time to overthink, go back or...
The Talented Writers Department Part I – Interview with KT Major
Photo Credit: Ron Lach | “Person Typing on Green Typewriter on Brown Wooden Table” | Pexels “Who uses typewriters anyway?” is a lyric by American singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, from her song The Tortured Poets Department. Though author KT Major doesn’t use a...
WSUP’s Book Picks
Tash - The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon This fictional story is the fourth in the Bone season which is a dystopian and paranormal thriller. Being in the centre of a planned seven book series means that this is the integral part of the storyline. Compelling,...
The Secret Lives of Women Sydney Writers Festival
On May 24th, at the Sydney Writer’s Festival, a panel titled “The Secret Lives of Women” featured three cross cultural novelists. This panel discussed the inner worlds of their characters, where aspirations that are obscured by duty and expectations of the world. The...
Samantha Shannon: On the Roots of Chaos Series
Samantha Shannon, speaking at the 2024 Sydney Writers’ Festival, with Shelley Parker-Chan. Photo credit: Nataša Aster-Stater The Roots of Chaos event, which was held at the Sydney Writers’ Festival on May 25th, showcased the author, Samantha Shannon, speaking to a...
Build communication skills with the help of the WSU Library
Self-education has been a trend in books, podcasts, reality television, and social media for a long time, and is only growing - for university students, navigating the transition between high school and adult life can be overwhelming, to say the least, with no clear...
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Between Dreams and Struggles: The Challenges Faced by International Students – An Essay
For many of us at Western Sydney University who packed our entire lives into suitcases, said goodbye to our loved ones and moved to a foreign country, the feeling of confusion is quite normal. One day you are sleeping in your family home, and the next, you’re catching...
WSU Sacking 400 Staff: Stop the Cuts!
On the 16th of April 2025, Julie Hare reported in the Australian Financial Review that Western Sydney University is planning to cut 400 staff to stave off a projected $80 million deficit. In response, student advocates formed the ‘Stop WSU Cuts’ group on the...
“LIFE DOESN’T GIVE YOU A RUBRIC:” RACHEL MORLEY AND THE LEGO EFFECT
For more than fifteen years teaching full-time at Western Sydney University, Dr Rachel Morley is more than just an award-winning academic in communications and creative industries - she’s been a catalyst for curiosity, courage, and creativity. In her classroom,...
Bachelor of Sacrifice: Navigating Work Life Balance
There are 168 hours in a week. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians spend an average of 10 hours and 35 minutes a day on necessary things like sleeping, eating, personal care, health, and hygiene. That’s 74 hours a week. An average of 3...
CURIOUS ABOUT CURIOUSLY WEST FILM CLUB? SO ARE WE!
Check out Curiously West Film Club, a creative lab for film lovers, cofounded by Western Sydney University staff and alumnus Addy Fong and Diego Murillo. All you need is curiosity! What’s special about filmmaking workshops at CWFC? Unlike other film screening clubs...