EARLY DAYS
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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.
We partner with other organisation to hold joint events — symposia, roundtables, creative writing and translation workshops, and other interactions that foster literary and cultural exchange.
Our earliest activities were simply panel discussions about writing from the region at literary festivals in Australia and in Hong Kong. This was made possible thanks to funding from Australia’s Copyright Agency Ltd (CAL).
The APWP’s first international Board meeting was held in Bali in September 2007, supported in part by a small grant from the International Centre of Excellence in Asia-Pacific Studies. That meeting took place in a thatched hut in the middle of a Bali rice paddy at the time of the Ubud Writers’ Festival. The Board voted to hold future events in Asia in conjunction with literary gatherings hosted by universities and, where possible, held in collaboration with local literary events.
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First Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership in Bali, 2007
In 2008 The Partnership met in New Delhi at a symposium hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). A report of that event, called ‘Asia-Pacific Writing the Future’, can be seen at this link: Writing the Future. It 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.
Our key event in 2010 was ‘Writing Across Cultures’ in Hong Kong. A report of that gathering can be found be clicking HERE. A major outcome of that event was the production of a special issue of of the on-line peer-reviewed publication TEXT on Teaching Creative Writing In Asia (available HERE).The Partnership’s event in 2011 was held at the University of Western Australia in conjunction with the 14th Biennial Symposium on Literatures and Cultures of the Asia Pacific Region. A report of that meeting will be posted on this website.
At our 2011 gathering of the Board it was decided to register the Asia-Pacific Writing Partnership as an independent not-for-profit entity. This will be done prior to the next gathering of our Board.
Our event in 2012 will be held in Bangkok, Thailand in the first week of November. Register for membership for email updates for details.
 Brisbane Writers' Fest 2006 |
 APWP panel at the Byron Bay Writers' Fest '06 |
 APWP Panel at the Northern Territory Writers' Festival
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 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. |
 Board meeting in Perth, 2011 |
First APWP advisory council meeting, Bali
Participants at Writing Out of Asia.