Debbie Westbury literary papers, 1970-1996

MLMSS 8059

fonds

1970-1996

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Photographs

411772

0.30 metres of textual material (2 boxes)

Deborah Jean Westbury, poet and sculptor, was born in Wollongong, NSW, in 1954. She attended Coniston Primary School, Lindsay Park School and Smiths Hill High School, and after attending Goulburn Teacher’s College, taught primary, secondary and adult education classes for many years. She completed a Master of Creative Arts Degree at Wollongong University in 1992. From 1977 to 1979, Westbury assisted in editing the literary magazine Poems in Public Places. She was one of the founding directors of poetry publisher, Five Islands Press, in 1988, and has played a major role in its editorial and design work. She has been writer in residence in several Western Sydney communities during the 1990s.

Since Westbury began writing poetry in 1974, her poems have been published in Australian magazines and major journals, including Southerly and The Age Monthly Review, and in magazines and journals in the United Kingdom, Canada and the USA. Her work has also been included in the anthologies Mother I’m Rooted edited by Kate Jennings (1974), That Moon-Filled Urge, edited by Michael Sharkey (1982), Up From Under (1987), Second Degree Tampering (1991) and Sting in the Wattle (1992), Outlook: Contemporary Australian Poetry for Secondary School Students (1992) and Anthology of the lllawarra (1994). Published collections of her poems include Mouth to Mouth (1990), Our Houses are Full of Smoke (1994) and Surface Tension (1998).

Reference:
Library correspondence file

BOX 1
'Poems (drafts) from "Mouth to Mouth" ', 198-, being successive drafts. Ms., typescript.

'drafts of "Our Houses are Full of Smoke" by Westbury pub by A & R 1994', ca. 1990-1994, being successive drafts. Ms., typescript.

'Drafts of poems in "Surface Tension" by Deb Westbury pub FIP [Five Islands Press] 1998', 1994-1996, being successive drafts. Ms., typescript.

'Hess', no date, being variant versions, and research notes

BOX 2
'Acceptance & rejection slips & related correspondence', 1982-1994, including correspondence with literary magazines and journals in Australia, Canada and USA.

'Community Writing Projects - 1990-1994'
File includes the following folders: 'Community Teaching Projects Hawkesbury Region 1994', including administrative material, student exercises and course outlines; 'Russell Vale Women's Writing Project 1990-1992', including correspondence and newscuttings; 'Campbelltown/Macquarie Fields Community Writing Project', 1992, including photographs; and 'Blue Mountains Residency', 1993-1995, including transcript of long interview with Radio 2 BLU FM, Feb. 1994, grant applications, student exercises, and letters of appreciation from students in creative writing courses

File: 'Your Friendly Fascist. Poems in Public Places. Wollongong Poets Union Newsletter. Bards & Balladiers at Bulli', 1978-1988
Includes Wollongong Poets Union newsletters and minutes of meetings, 1980-1983; Sydney Poets Union minutes of meetings, 1984-1985; four issues of Poems in Public Places, three of which include poems by Deborah Westbury; Bards & Balladiers at Bulli Pub. (Literary program organised by Deborah Westbury), 1987-1988, including administrative notes and fliers; poetry magazine: Your Friendly Fascist, 1978, including poems by Deborah Westbury; and Magazine, Magic Sam.

Folder: 'Five Islands Press History. Illustrative stuff. Redress Press', 1985-1994
Includes correspondence, newsletters, newscuttings, press releases and artwork regarding Redress Press, 1985-1987; newscuttings, news releases, artwork and correspondence regarding Five Islands Press; special poetry issue of the magazine fine line, no. 8, December 1990

'Poetry Readings - fliers of the 70s and 80s'

Our Houses are Full of Smoke. Poetry by Debbie Westbury. Major presentation for Master of Creative Arts, School of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, 1992. Bound typescript.

Record of Submissions Book, 1988-1998, recording poems submitted to publishing houses, date submitted, whether accepted or rejected. Includes lists of publishers: 'American Markets' and 'English Markets'

Copyright status:: In copyright
Approval for reproduction required: From the copyright owner