Creative Writing & Cultural Criticism Roundtable

Got something to say? Whether it be opinion piece or poem, review or reimagining, this writers roundtable is for you. Joined by an all-star panel of writers including Sara Saleh, Max Easton, Hossein Asgari, Annie Zhang and Sarah Sasson, we will be discussing how we may interpret and reflect the world around us as it shifts and crashes. Along with moderator Will Olteanu, editor-in-chief of University of Wollongong student publication Tertangala, we will reflect what it means to writer in the 21st century and how we may hone and develop our craft.

About Sara Saleh

Sara M Saleh is a writer, human rights lawyer, and the daughter of Palestinian, Lebanese and Egyptian migrants based on Bidjigal land. Her writing has been published widely and showcased at festivals, exhibitions, and events around the world. Sara made history as the first to win both the 2021 Peter Porter and the 2020 Judith Wright Poetry Prizes. Her debut novel Songs for the Dead and the Living (Affirm Press, 2023) was shortlisted for the 2024 NSW Premier’s Awards, and her poetry collection The Flirtation of Girls/Ghazal el-Banat (UQP, 2023) won the 2023 Anne Elder Award, and was also shortlisted for multiple national and international prizes. Sara has tirelessly organised within her communities to help empower and uplift hundreds of storytellers over the last decade.

About Max Easton

Max Easton is a writer from south-west Sydney residing on Gadigal land. He is the creator of the underground music zine and podcast series Barely Human, and the author of two novels: The Magpie Wing (2021) and Paradise Estate (2023), both published by Giramondo. 

About Hossein Asgari

Hossein Asgari studied physics and creative writing. His short stories have appeared in The Saltbush Review and Overland. His first novel, Only Sound Remains, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2024.

About Annie Zhang

Annie Zhang's work has been published by Island, Kill Your Darlings and The Big Issue, amongst others. She was awarded first place in the Overland 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize. She is a former WestWords Western Sydney Emerging Writer Fellow. She edited Honi Soit in 2019.

About Sarah Sasson

Sarah Sasson is a physician, academic and writer living on Gadigal and Bidjigal land. Her debut novel Tidelines was longlisted for the Queensland Writers' Centre Publishable Program, shortlisted for the Varuna House Publisher Introduction Program and was released by Affirm Press in January 2024. In 2021 Sarah edited Signs of Life (MoshPit Publishing) an international anthology themed on first- and second-hand experiences of illness and caregiving. Signs of Life was profiled by Kirkus Reviews and featured on their 2022 Indie Books Worth Discovering list. Sarah's work has appeared in Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, Ramona Magazine, Grieve Anthology, Grattan Street Press and Unsweetened, among other places.