Writing WA held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 19 August 2026, where members reflected on the year’s achievements, discussed future priorities and voted on the governance of Western Australia’s peak body for writers. The membership discussed a range of topics, including the unique strengths and challenges of the Western Australian writing sector, the importance of having a Western Australian voice in national advocacy conversations, how to attract sustainable funding, and how to improve support for regional communities. The election was competitive, with more candidates nominating than there were available seats on the Board. The AGM attendees elected four new members to the Board and re-elected two existing members:
Newly Elected Management
Mikaela Castledine is a professional artist and writer born in the WA wheatbelt and living in the Perth Hills. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science, a certificate in Interior Design and a Master of Arts in Literature and Writing. She uses creativity to make sense of the world and of her place in it, jumping between disciplines as needed. She and her husband have run their own highly successful and awarded design and fine art partnership since 1994.
Shoma Mittra is a ghostwriter, developmental editor, memoir coach and publishing strategist based in Perth, Western Australia, where she runs her company, WriteClick Writing Services Pty Ltd. Across more than thirty years in journalism, writing and strategic communications, she has guided over 350 works to publication.
Kate Pickard is Publisher at UWA Publishing (UWAP), Australia’s second-oldest university press. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia and a Graduate Diploma of Editing and Publishing from RMIT University. Before joining UWAP, she worked as a Project Manager at Lonely Planet and held roles at Dorling Kindersley/Penguin Books.
Clare Reid is the founder of communications agency Longform Creative and Editor of Literature and Creative Industries for The Metamorphosis Project Journal. Before launching Longform in 2026, Clare was the CEO of Lush, The Content Agency, a branding, communications and film studio. During this time, Clare spent two years as Lead Copywriting Representative of Perth Advertising and Design Club (PADC) where she led the sector of commercial writers in WA.
Re-elected Management
Rachel Bin Salleh is a Nimunburr/Yawuru woman from Broome and the Publisher at Magabala Books. Rachel started her career in publishing at Magabala Books in the 1990s and became Publisher in 2014. She was awarded the 2025 Pixie O’Harris Award by the Australian Publishers Association (APA) as part of the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA). Rachel was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for outstanding contributions to First Nations literature. She is the author of Alfred’s War (2018).
Alison Davis is an experienced copyright lawyer, holding a Master of Laws, specialising in Media, Communications and Information Technology Law, from UNSW. She has a longstanding interest in the arts, with previous roles at Condé Nast Publications in New York, Becker Entertainment, Sydney Festival and the Arts Law Centre of Australia. She has also worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Autism West (now Spectrum Space). She writes short fiction and has had works published in Night Parrot Press publications as well as anthologies in Australia and overseas. In 2026, she published her debut collection of short fiction, Freckles of Light.
The elected Members will be joining continuing members who were not due for re-election this year. The Board will determine leadership roles at the next Board meeting held in September.
With expertise drawn from across the writing, publishing, governance, and not-for-profit sectors, the Board is exceptionally well-equipped to guide Writing WA as it continues its commitment to acting as the peak body for writing in Western Australia – advocating on behalf of the writing sector; building capacity and connection within the writing community; promoting diversity in genre, form, culture and identity; and celebrating Western Australian writers and storytellers.