Westerly

an Australian literary journal, which began in 1956 showing an early preference for prose. Beginning as a student magazine at the University of Western Australia, it won Commonwealth funding in 1963. Peter Cowan and John Barnes became involved towards the end of the 1960s, and the early ‘open’ forum began to take on a regional stance. In later years art and poetry, as well as historical, political, and social issues, have been encompassed. Special issues have been devoted to the 1930s and to ‘Regionalism in Contemporary Australia’. Western Australian writers win the largest share of the space and interest; in particular, they have been in the forefront of publishing the works of their Aboriginal writers. Westerly 21: An Anniversary Selection was published in 1978.