We’re thrilled to announce the results of the 2025 Literary Coasters Initiative! A total of 698 votes were cast during the public voting process, showcasing an incredible level of community engagement.

In an exciting addition, Writing WA has introduced the CEO’s Selection in both the prose and poetry categories. This new recognition highlights another author chosen based on the Selection Criteria, alongside the top two selections determined by public vote.

‘The Literary Coasters Initiative celebrates the depth and diversity of WA literature in a truly unique way. We were blown away by the community’s passion and engagement – it’s inspiring to see readers championing local voices. A huge thank you to everyone who voted, submitted, and supported this initiative. We can’t wait to see these powerful words travel far and wide!’ Project managers, Shannon Britza and Jess Checkland said.

Our Featured Living Authors:
Prose:
Author #1: Shaeden Berry
Author #2: Holden Sheppard
CEO’s Selection: Brendan Ritchie

Poetry:

Author #1: Lisa Collyer
Author #2: Natalie Damjanovich-Napoleon
CEO’s Selection: Charmaine Papertalk Green

Our Treasured Authors:
Prose: Daisy Utemorrah & Peter Cowan
Poetry: Alf Taylor & Katharine Susannah Prichard

The Literary Coasters will be printed and distributed from March 2025 as part of Writing WA’s 2025 project Changing the Conversation: Stories in All Spaces, generously funded by the State of Western Australia through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.