Westerly
I am currently the Poetry Editor of Westerly magazine, which, since 1956, has been publishing lively fiction and poetry as well as intelligent articles.
The magazine has always sought to provide a Western Australian-based voice, although its contributors and subject matter have never been geographically exclusive. It covers literature and culture throughout the world, but maintains a special emphasis on Australia, particularly Western Australia, and the Asian region. Submissions are invited for two issues each year.
Meniscus
Meniscus publishes poetry, short fiction, and creative essays, in two issues per year. It is named for the curve that forms at the top surface of a container of liquid. The curve is caused by surface tension, which not only holds the fluid in, but also allows the passage of objects through the surface. It creates uncertainty for anyone attempting a precise measurement because of the parallax effect. The combination of tension, openness and uncertainty can be read as an analogy for creative writing.
An inaugural editor of Meniscus, I am now on the Advisory Board.
The National Association of Writers in Education
NAWE’s mission is to advocate for Creative Writing: enhancing knowledge and understanding of the subject, supporting writers and good practice in teaching and facilitation in all settings. It is a membership organization, offering an annual conference and other events.
I served as Director for NAWE, and edited all publications (including 74 issues of Writing in Education), from 1984 to 2018.
Poetry by Heart
Poetry by Heart is a national poetry recitation competition for schools and colleges in England, initiated by Andrew Motion and Julie Blake in 2012. It is also a website for teaching and learning about poetry – by heart and out loud, and with plenty of choice for young people to explore poems and find the ones they love.
I have been a judge at the competition finals, and helped to develop support events for teachers, also evaluating the effectiveness of the project in its early years.
International Poetry Studies Institute (IPSI)
IPSI is part of the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra. IPSI conducts research related to poetry and publishes and promulgates the outcomes of this research internationally. The Institute also publishes poetry and interviews with poets, as well as related material, from around the world, in IPSI’s online journal Axon: Creative Explorations.
I have commissioned and edited all titles in the IPSI chapbook series.
Axon: Creative Explorations
Axon: Creative Explorations is an international peer-reviewed journal that focuses on the characteristics of creativity and the creative process. It is published twice a year (March and September) and encourages research into and discussion of the broad domain of creativity. Axon publishes new poetry by invitation only. I have been Associate Editor for Axon, with specific responsibility for international liaison, since 2015.
Royal Literary Fund
The Royal Literary Fund Fellowship scheme places professional writers in higher education institutions to offer writing support to students.
I was Fellow in the Environment Department, University of Leeds, 2019-20, and envisage continuing in that role next year.
Paul Munden 