Creative Writing Sydney

Speculative Writing Night @ Chatswood Library

**If you're coming, [please RSVP through the library](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wednesday-speculative-writing-night-tickets-813545274817) as well as here so they can set out enough places for us on the night.** Our aim is to provide a supportive community for speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy and horror etc) writers at all levels, offering a platform for networking, dedicated writing time, craft discussions, and publication tips. Whether you're just starting or an established wordsmith, join us on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Chatswood Library. **[RSVP through the library](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wednesday-speculative-writing-night-tickets-813545274817)** *In addition to RSVPing here on Meetup, please register at the link above so we can keep track of numbers as we are promoting across different platforms.* **Schedule:** **5:30 - 6:00 pm:** Introductions and casual chat **6:00 - 7:30 pm:** 'Focus & Write' session **7:30 - 8:30 pm:** Continue writing, or socialise and share your progress **What to bring:** Your work-in-progress, whether on screen or paper. Connect with fellow writers, explore the speculative fiction realm, and let your imagination soar at our regular writing meetups. Do note a 'yes' RSVP on Meetup does not confirm your place, **[please RSVP through the library](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wednesday-speculative-writing-night-tickets-813545274817)** so they can set out enough places for us on the night. \*\*\* **Our meeting room** We are in the **Creator Space**, straight down the main aisle from the front desk, though the sign may be obscured by books. If you are unable to locate the Creator Space, ask the staff at the front desk for its location; they are expecting us. **[How to get there](https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Locations-and-Hours/Chatswood-Library)** **Public transport**: Chatswood Library is located in The Concourse, 350m from major Chatswood transportation hubs, including Chatswood train station and Chatswood bus interchange. **Parking**: Parking is available at The Concourse car park accessible on Ferguson Lane via Archer St ONLY. Parking rates can be found [here](https://www.theconcourse.com.au/visit/parking/). The library has lift access from The Concourse car park and from The Concourse, ground and upper levels. Parking is also available at Chatswood Chase adjacent to The Concourse on the corner of Archer St and Victoria Ave. The first 3 hours parking are free. **Cycle**: Bicycle parking is available at library entrance. **Accessibility** For participants requiring stair-free access, this is available through the Ferguson Lane entrance through the parking garage. Ride shares or taxis should be directed to drop off at that location. If further assistance is needed please let the Meetup coordinators know in advance and we will do our best to assist. Please be advised that access from Victoria Ave does consist of a significant flight of steps up into the Concourse area. Did I mention you should **[RSVP through the library](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wednesday-speculative-writing-night-tickets-813545274817)** to make sure they know our numbers?

Speculative Writing in Focus: Make Talk Matter – Zena Shapter

**If you're coming, [please RSVP through the library](https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Zena-Shapter-%E2%80%93-Make-talk-matter-1990461566126#) as well as here so they can keep track of numbers.** Speculative Writing in Focus is a craft-focused day at the Willoughby Literary Festival. This year we'll present a series of free lecture-style sessions so as many people as possible can obtain the benefit of a workshop in the space of an hour. **Make Talk Matter** Explore how dialogue shapes character, voice and worldbuilding through practical writing techniques and tips. Speech can humanise stories, shape fictional worlds and give characters a distinct voice. This session explores how effective dialogue strengthens storytelling and helps conversations feel natural, purposeful and engaging. **[Please RSVP through the library.](https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Zena-Shapter-%E2%80%93-Make-talk-matter-1990461566126#)** **About Zena Shapter** Zena Shapter is a multi award-winning author of science fiction, fantasy, speculative and contemporary fiction, conjuring journeys into the beyond and unusual. Author of *When Dark Roots Hunt*, *When Dark Waters Burn*, *Towards White*, and co-author of *Into Tordon*, she’s a 'writer with a need for adventure' (*Midnight Echo* magazine), writing 'cold and brutal' stories (Tor.com), who 'deserves your attention' (Lillian Csernica, Tangent Online). She loves movies, frogs, chocolate, potatoes and living with her family on Sydney’s beautiful Northern Beaches, where she’s also an inclusive creativity advocate, writing mentor and editor. Find her online via [zenashapter.com](https://zenashapter.com/) and Instagram [@ZenaShapter](https://www.instagram.com/zenashapter/). ***Did I mention you should [RSVP through the library](https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Zena-Shapter-%E2%80%93-Make-talk-matter-1990461566126#) to make sure they know our numbers?***

Speculative Writing in Focus: Writing for Different Formats – Zahid Gamieldien

**If you're coming, [please RSVP through the library](https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Zahid-Gamieldien-%E2%80%93-Writing-for-different-formats-1990532781132) as well as here so they can keep track of numbers.** Speculative Writing in Focus is a craft-focused day at the Willoughby Literary Festival. This year we'll present a series of free lecture-style sessions so as many people as possible can obtain the benefit of a workshop in the space of an hour. **Writing for Different Formats** When should an idea become a novel and when is it a short copy? What if it’s better as a screenplay or a game? This talk examines how genre connects to format through a speculative lens. **[Please RSVP through the library.](https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Zahid-Gamieldien-%E2%80%93-Writing-for-different-formats-1990532781132)** **About Zahid Gamieldien** Zahid Gamieldien is an author, screenwriter, editor and writing tutor. His short fiction has appeared in literary journals including *Overland*, *Meanjin*, *Kill Your Darlings*, *Island Magazine* and many others. He’s received two major arts grants from Create NSW and his unproduced screenwriting has been listed for awards in Australia and overseas. As an editor and writing tutor, he's helped several authors get their work into print. His debut novel, *All the Missing Children*, was published in 2024, and his next novel will be released in 2027. ***Did I mention you should [RSVP through the library](https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Zahid-Gamieldien-%E2%80%93-Writing-for-different-formats-1990532781132) to make sure they know our numbers?***

Misfits and Daydreamers Meetup

!!can't increase capacity for event cos free version of meetup so if no more spots just waitlist and come This group is for all the compulsive daydreamers, oddballs and weirdos, tender hearts, comedians, overthinkers and overanalysers, hyperactive minds and fantasy prone personalities. Safe space for neurodivergents, introverts, nerds and brainiacs, bookworms, maladaptive daydreamers, maniacs, eggheads and double-domes, wizards and conjurers, highly sensitive thin-skinned people, the chronically alienated, people who listen to the same song on repeat for a full day, people who cry during all the wrong parts of a movie, and all the people who don’t go outside but want to meet all the other people who don’t go outside. There will be A4 paper, scissors, pens, glue and tape. Come along and make something cool, paper sculptures, cut outs, drawings, make a puppet, origami, zines, write a letter, make a mobius strip... You can also bring whatever else you like, find other people to do your projects or games with, bring your bead collection, card game, stuffed toy, rubiks cube, action figures, new hat, finish your crochet, whatever, or just hang out and talk! Meetup at Burwood Chinatown. Next to train station and there is free street parking on Sunday on nearby streets. You will see neon lights and lanterns at the main entrance downstairs, then go up the stairs on the right to the food court and will meet at the top of the stairs. It's usually not too busy at the food court on Sunday afternoon and there are lots of empty tables so shouldn't be too loud/chaotic. If you are late see the comments section and I will post the table we are at or contact 0449285128. See photos below for map of directions.

Inner West Writers Group - Write Club

Sat 27 June is an in-person event at the Library, starting at 10am. This group started in January 2020 in a beautiful private room granted by Marrickville Library. We have continued to meet in person fortnightly at the Library, with alternate weeks via Zoom. To keep up to date - sign up and receive our messages! The group is flourishing! You will need to RSVP each week for the following Saturday so we can organise the right number of Zoom rooms and Library space to ensure good quality feedback. RSVP's will receive the link. The intention is to give a supportive environment to get traction on your writing project, gain useful feedback, and exchange writing and publishing information with each other. Please note that if you are attending for the first time - you are welcome to observe and listen to how we work. Your turn to read and be critiqued will be invited in the second session. So come along, bring up to 1500 to 2000 words of your latest writing - fiction writers of all types, memoirists, biographers, graphic novelists, bloggists, poets - all writers welcome. You will have up to eight minutes to read out your work, an equal time of constructive critique and feedback from the rest of the group. If you want a tribe of fellow writers to be with you as you finish your writing project, build your author profile, want to get inspired by other writers, or want to just listen and give constructive feedback (we all need beta readers), you are very welcome. This is a free event, but membership is essential in wider to attend. Many thanks to Marrickville Library! For more information, contact Maria, mariaissaris@icloud.com, or Jamie Ramjan (jamie.ramjan@gmail.com) or Sunnie Mosphilis via DM.

Advanced Writers' Group

Our in person session at Marrickville Library, following the IWWG session.

Advanced Writers' Group (Online)

Zoom session, following the IWWG session.

Words on Tap

Are you working on a manuscript, short story, memoir, or idea that’s been simmering in your notebook or laptop? This group is for emerging writers and storytellers who want a supportive place to share their work and connect with like-minded creatives. Each MeetUp we offer the opportunity (optional, never pressured) for you to read a short excerpt of your work of up to 800 words in a safe, encouraging environment. This is not a critique group and not a workshop—it's about being heard, building confidence, and finding motivation through community. We will be meeting in the upstairs bar at The Flat Rock Brew Café, 290 Willoughby Rd, Naremburn NSW 2065, the first Wednesday of each month—a relaxed, welcoming space to talk writing, listen to stories, and nurture the creative process. (Many thanks to the Flat Rock Brew Café management - who have generously provided this space). Come along to: * Share your writing in a supportive space * Listen to others, sip a cool ale and get inspired * Connect with fellow writers and storytellers * Nuture your creativity and develop your author’s profile You’re welcome whether you want to read, listen, or simply be around people who “get it.” All writing styles and experience levels are welcome. And this is a free event.

Enshittification and the Power of Platforms: Is There a Way Out?

Ever wonder why so many digital services you rely on seem to be getting simultaneously worse and more expensive? More ads. Sponsored search results. Subscription creep. Auto‑renew traps. Dubious 'surge' charges. Sneaky fees. Forced sign-ins. Cancel buttons hidden. There's a term for this phenomenon: enshittification — the gradual degradation of platforms that once seemed like technological miracles offering us convenience, connection, and democratisation. But enshittification - the Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2024 - is just the surface symptom of something far more corrosive. Beneath the declining user experience lies a fundamental reshaping of our economy where a handful of tech platforms have positioned themselves as inescapable gatekeepers, extracting unprecedented wealth from workers, businesses, and consumers while accumulating dangerous concentrations of power — what some are now calling technofeudalism. What happened to the internet's promise of widespread prosperity and a stronger democracy? How did we end up locked into systems that seem designed to serve everyone except us? And most importantly: what can we do about it? Come join us for a vital conversation about reclaiming our digital future and building an economy that works for everyone, not just the platform owners. **Book: *Enshittification – Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It* (2025) by Cory Doctorow** **Book (Alternative): *The Age of Extraction – How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity* (2025) by Tim Wu** **Pdf Resource:** ***[Infographics and Summary Tables](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQB0CITwHhHJSaFBbJDhZmMEAcDSAace_BN1Q6aSYILezCI?e=edqfP9)*** (A prepared document of selected ideas from the two books) This month you have two options to read depending on your preference towards the level of analysis, style of writing, and your ease in accessing the book. *Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It* by Cory Doctorow is a punchy, provocative, and highly readable take on why so many digital platforms seem to decline over time. Doctorow, who coined the term ‘enshittification’, argues that platforms follow a predictable lifecycle—starting out user-focused, then shifting to business customers, and finally extracting for themselves—in each stage squeezing the group it previously courted. The book is fast-paced, example-rich, and written in an accessible, almost conversational style, making it ideal if you enjoy sharp arguments, memorable concepts, and contemporary tech critique. It’s particularly appealing for readers who like books that spark immediate reactions and connect directly to everyday experiences online. *The Age of Extraction* by Tim Wu takes a broader, more analytical approach. Wu situates the problems of digital platforms within a larger historical and economic pattern, arguing that we are living in an “age of extraction” where powerful actors systematically draw value from users, workers, and society. The tone is more measured and reflective, with a focus on big-picture thinking and long-term trends. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy connecting ideas across economics, history, and politics, and who prefer a more structured, conceptual framework over a punchy polemic. Please read one (or both), depending on your interests. *The Age of Extraction* is 226 pages (or 6 hours) and *Enshittification* is 340 pages (or 10 hours, not available on Audible but is available on other platforms). Join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 6th July, on the 2nd floor of the Keg & Brew Hotel in Surrey Hills (i.e. up two flights of stairs). The venue is conveniently located near Central Station and the Light Rail. Bring along an example of an app or digital service you used to really like that has since become enshittified—something you can have a quick rant about to kick off the conversation! 😊 Hope to see you there! P.S. Please adjust your RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to other people if there is a waitlist. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- These are just optional links to consider to supplement the reading of the books. Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section. **Videos & Podcasts** * Two-for-one: Cory Doctorow and Tim Wu together! (Curiously, as kids they were classmates in the same small primary school in Toronto!): [The Ezra Klein Show – We Didn't Ask for This Internet (1.5hrs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yepnhe1T-9U&t) [The Oxford Internet Institute - Enshittification and Extraction (1.5hrs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYxMQJ9c94) * Cory Doctorow Interviews: [Prospect Magazine (28mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9XRREj1DSo&t) [Doctorow on The Daily Show (15 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2e-c9SF5nE) [The Guardian (24 mins)](https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2025/nov/24/enshittification-how-we-got-the-internet-no-one-asked-for-podcast) * Tim Wu Interviews: [The Majority Report (40 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpnMk3IhV6U) [The Commonwealth Club (1 hour)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mRvMEzjTVw) * Explainer Video: [Why Every App is Getting Worse on Purpose (10 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjEGRXVKQCQ) **Written** * Pdf Resource: [Infographics and Summary Tables](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQB0CITwHhHJSaFBbJDhZmMEAcDSAace_BN1Q6aSYILezCI?e=edqfP9) (A prepared document of selected ideas from the two books) * Enshittification Summaries and Reviews: [Wikipedia summary of Enshittification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification) [Transcript of Doctorow Lecture on Enshittification](https://doctorow.medium.com/my-mcluhan-lecture-on-enshittification-ea343342b9bc) [CounterFire Book Review ](https://www.counterfire.org/article/enshittification-why-everything-suddenly-got-worse-and-what-to-do-about-it-book-review/) * The Age of Extraction Reviews [Prospect Book Review](https://prospect.org/2025/12/10/internets-tollbooth-operators-wu-review/) [HowAustraliaReallyWorks Book Review](https://www.howaustraliareallyworks.com/2026/02/book-summary-age-of-extraction-how-tech.html) [Washington Monthly Book Review](https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/02/age-of-extraction-tim-wu/)

Open Mic Night @ Soultrap Surry Hills

✨ Open Mic Night @ Soul Trap – Surry Hills ✨ We’ve locked in a venue — and it’s a good one. Join us at Soul Trap, Surry Hills, a small, classy, intimate spot that’s perfect for a relaxed nighttime open mic and social hang. 🎤 Want to get on the mic? Share music, poetry, acting, or anything you feel like trying out. 🍷 Mostly want to hang out and meet people? Absolutely welcome. Come watch, chat, connect, and enjoy the vibe — you don’t need to perform to be part of the night. 🎟 Free entry 🤝 Friendly, social atmosphere ✨ Come solo or bring a friend This is about community as much as creativity. Low pressure, supportive energy, good conversations, and a room full of interesting people. Hosted by Jack Davis local artist. @starsight.live

Sunset at La Perouse

ELIZABETH BAY HOUSE - Treading Feintly