The OOTA AGM will be held on Saturday 19 October 2024
1.30-3.30pm at Grove Library, 1 Leake St/Cnr Stirling Hwy, Peppermint Grove
We very much encourage you to consider nominating for the 2024-25 OOTA Committee and invite you to contact Committee members if you would like to discuss this.
We are seeking nominations for the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, and Ordinary Committee Members.
Written nominations from financial OOTA members who wish to be considered for election for one of the above positions are essential and must be sent to the OOTA Secretary by or before 20 September 2024.
Please complete the attached form and return to Rita Tognini by or before the due date via Email: rtognini@bigpond.com or
Post: PO Box 529, Fremantle, WA 6959.
As required by the Out of the Asylum Incorporated Rules (p.18, Part 4, Division 3, 31 & 32), nominations for the positions of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Ordinary Committee Members (at least 6) are open.
Elections will be held at the Meeting on Saturday 19 October 2024
2024-2025 EMERGING WRITERS PROGRAM
OOTA is honoured to announce that four of its members are among the 20 writers selected to participte in the 2024/2025 Emerging Writers Program.
The four OOTA members are:
Alison Davis
Lucy Czerwiec
Jennifer Hetherington
Nicole Roslon
The Emerging Writers’ Program is a new one-year professional development program for up to 20 emerging writers in Perth working on a debut full-length manuscript. In its first year under Writing WA management, this was a highly competitive round with an unprecedented number of 86 applications received and only 20 placements available. The judging team were impressed with the overall quality of the applications which made the assessment process extremely difficult.
The program is generously funded by the State of Western Australia through the Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries.
For more information click here.
OOTA WRITING CLASSES AND LITERARY EVENTS
OOTA Creative Writing Classes
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Bruce Russell’s prose writing classes will continue this year.
The classes will be held on the first Friday of each month, between 10am too 12pm, at Mattie Furphy House, Clare Copse, Swanbourne.
Class Dates: 2 February, 1 March, 5 April, 3 May, 7 June, 5 July, 2 August, 6 September, 4 October and 1 November.
Cost per session: $25 for OOTA members, $30 for non-members payable in cash at each session.
Bruce is planning an exciting program to stimulate and support your writing.
The overall goal of Bruce’s classes this year will be to build confidence is creating works that fit the forms of the traditional short story (1,000 – 3000 words), the essay or literary non-fiction. Longer forms, such as the memoir, novella and the novel will also be considered. The classes will begin with the study of extracts from published works written by masters of these forms. What makes these stories “work”? What draws us in, what makes us want to read to the end?
As in the past two years, Bruce will encourage new writing by setting short tasks in each class. Critiques will go beyond “I like it/don’t like it” to explore the above questions: what draws us in, what makes us want to read to the end … and further questions such as the role of research and the nuts and bolts of fiction: plot, character, voice, point of view, sentences, dialogue.
As the term progresses and some participants embark on the adventure of longer works, readings and discussion about the challenges of creative writing will continue, with particular emphasis on useful feedback.
Literary Events 2024
We are also pleased to announce that our Literary Fridays will continue in 2024 on the third Friday of each month between 10am and 12pm in the Seed Room at the Fremantle Arts Centre.
The next event will be on Friday 21 June, featuring poetry readings and discussion with OOTA poets Rita Tognini and Jan Napier.
These sessions are for OOTA members only and a contribution of $5 towards the cost of the room hire will be payable in cash on the day. RSVP to ootawriters@gmail.com if you intend to attend.
STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO COUNTRY
Out of the Asylum Writers acknowledges that this land upon which we meet and write is the traditional land of the Whadjuk people and we respect their spiritual relationship with their country.
We acknowledge the Whadjuk people as the Traditional Owners of the greater Walyalup area, and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still important to the living Whadjuk people today. We also pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.