Hooked on books

Many book authors will attest that they both love and hate the process of their work; although many hours are spent labouring over content, syntax and grammar, the result is well worth the effort.

While completing the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree at UWS, Mohammed Ahmad has been learning all about these processes, busily working as Chief Editor of On Western Sydney, an anthology of works authored by people from Western Sydney about Western Sydney, recently published in September by Westside Publications.

On Western Sydney was Mohammed’s concept and has been put together from scratch with the help of the Westside Writers’ Group and the UWS Writing and Society Research Centre of which mentor Professor Ivor Indyk, the Whitlam Chair in Writing and Society at UWS, played a large role. The book comprises many authors with strong ties to UWS, including doctoral candidate and co-editor Felicity Castagna.

Felicity works as the Education Officer at Westside Publications a couple of days each week and says the Westside Writers’ Group works closely with writers from the Western suburbs to develop their pieces for publication. “It took about two years to compile all the pieces for On Western Sydney and about eight months of editing and designing after that,” she says.

Mohammed says the result is a real depiction of Western Sydney’s culture. “The book contains literature that recognises the diversity of the region,” he explains. “Western Sydney is a unique place and is one of the country’s most rapidly changing landscapes. Typically, films and books about Western Sydney have negative connotations; this book has a more accurate representation.”

Mohammed found that there were two main challenges when working on the book: one was to create new Australian literature that recognises what’s at the heart of modern Australian culture and the second was to do this in non-tokenistic way.  “I was seeking a good-quality outcome with the responsibility of being both culturally responsible and aware,” says Mohammed.

Mohammed admits that compiling and editing the works has been hard, but the result is a joy. He credits UWS with giving him the capacity to live and work critically and in the future wants to use these skills to instigate change while working with the University. “While I’m not sure what format Westside Publications will take in the future, I would like to continue working closely with UWS in the long-term,” says Mohammed.

The Westside Writers’ Group has been established for five years. For more information about the group and to find out about its other publications, visit the Westside Publications website. (opens in a new window) To purchase a copy of On Western Sydney, email Westside Publications at in@byds.org.au