Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership

The Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership was established in 2005 with seed funding from Griffith University in Australia. It was conceived originally as a broker of collaborative activities and research projects among universities and other organisations interested in exploring and supporting excellence in creative writing from the region.  

The Partnership grew into a think tank of individuals rather than institutions, though some members hold senior academic posts in universities. Writers interested in joining the Partnership did not want the initiative concentrating only on academic research. The Partnership consequently took on a double mandate of Research and Action. Its activities currently focus on supporting regional literary interactions. We seek partners institutions in the region for joint cutting edge research projects. 

Funding in the initial stage was also provided by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) through a founding partner, writer and professor of creative writing Catherine Cole. Australia’s Copyright Agency Ltd (CAL) also contributed generously to early activities and some assistance was provided by Asialink. Our first activities were panel discussions at literary festivals on writing from the region.  

A more engaged regional agenda was formulated at the APWP’s first international Board meeting in Bali in September 2007. This was funded in part by a grant from the International Centre of Excellence in Asia-Pacific Studies. 

Our first meeting was held in a thatched hut in the middle of a Bali rice paddy in conjunction with the Ubud Writers’ Festival. The Board voted to hold an annual meeting in conjunction with literary fora hosted by universities in the region and, where possible, held in collaboration with major local literary events.

 First Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership in Bali, 2007 

In 2008 The Partnership met in New Delhi, India, at a symposium hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) called ‘Asia-Pacific Writing the Future’. (See Writing the Future Wrap Up.) This was spearheaded by Board member Rukmini Bhaya Nair of IIT New Delhi. Creative Writing and Translation workshops were held off campus at participating institutions, including the Indian Academy of Letters in the hill station town of Shimla and Jamia Millia University.  

In early 2009, the Partnership relocated to the University of Adelaide’s Creative Writing program, chaired by Brian Castro, one of Australia’s pre-eminent Australian-Asian writers and scholars. See Relocation. 

Due to the world financial crisis, the Partnership did not hold an event in 2009. The key event in 2010 is ‘Writing Across Cultures’ in Hong Kong in March, (for details, click here) and later in the year a panel at the ‘Strange Bedfellows’ conference in Melbourne.  

To stay abreast of future plans, register (free) for membership and receive any updates via email. 

Glimpses of APWP Events

Brisbane Writers' Fest 2006	APWP panel at the Byron Bay Writers' Fest '06	APWP Panel at the Northern Territory Writers' Festival
Sitok Srengenge at Wordstorm	At the HK International Literary Fest	Our creative writing workshop in Shimla, India, 2008.

Sashi Deshpande, Jon Cook and Nicholas Jose at 'Writing the Future', New Delhi	'Writing the Future' participants, New Delhi, 2008.	APWP poetry workshop participants, New Delhi, 2009
Brainstorming in Bali before the Partnership's official launch.	First APWP advisory council meeting, Bali	In Bali, some Board members 'go crazy' following the Partnership's media launch.