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Westerly Magazine have launched a new website. After years of existing as a subsite within the website for the Westerly Centre, the research centre for Australian literature from which the magazine is published, it has finally created its own domain at westerlymag.com.au .

Westerly is one of Australia's oldest literary journals, and has published over 180 issues since 1956. It continues to be the flagship literary publication in Western Australia.

Although the magazine has always sought to provide a Western Australian-based voice,  its contributors and subject matter have never been geographically exclusive.  It covers literature and culture throughout the world, and has maintained the strong connection with the Asian region that was established at its inception.

Westerly has been instrumental in the careers of many of Western Australia's most prominent and internationally renowned writers. These include canonical Australian writers such as Randolph Stow, Dorothy Hewett, T.A.G. Hungerford and Elizabeth Jolley; highly-awarded contemporary writers, including Tim Winton, Kim Scott, and Sally Morgan; and important local poets like John Kinsella, Tracy Ryan, John Mateer, and Lucy Dougan.

With the launch of the new site Westerly has made their entire back catalogue available as free pdf downloads. Editor, Prof Tony Hughes-D'Aeth, has said:

"The new Westerly website marks a significant moment in the history of the magazine.  For the first time, all of the back-issues are available to the public at the click of a mouse, searchable and downloadable.  It is a remarkable literary archive, a continuous record of thought, art and culture from 1956 to the present day."

The new site will also feature ongoing digital publication, including highlights from past issues, previews from the current edition, and lively and intelligent articles that will be regularly updated on their blog.

To mark the occassion Westerly are offering subscriptions and single editions at greatly reduced prices. By subscribing to Westerly you not only ensure you will get the latest in Western Australian based writing, you also support their continuing efforts to maintain a thriving literary culture in the region.

Media references

Paul Clifford