from the editor's desk
Our New Editor for First Nations Writing: Casey Mulder
Our external editors contribute so much to our team here at Westerly! Unfortunately, this year, we have said an early goodbye to Timmah Ball, who leaves us as Editor for First Nations Writing, having offered astute and considered reading alongside a wonderful legacy of words. Sad as we are to lose Timmah, we also need to congratulate her, departing to focus on her own (brilliant) writing with support of funding from the Australia Council for the Arts!
With this sad goodbye comes an exciting welcome, as we announce the arrival of our new First Nations Editor, Casey Mulder! Casey is a Ballardong Noongar woman with Dutch and English heritage. She has previously worked with Westerly when she collaborated with us to co-host the First Nations Writers’ Circles in 2020-21, as a staff member of the School of Indigenous Studies at the University of Western Australia. This is also where Casey taught Creative Writing and Aboriginal Voices. She is an English teacher and a school leader, with a Master of Leadership and Management in Education and a passion for the education field.
Casey has recently joined the board of Night Parrot Press, where she is also completing an editing mentorship with the support of a Creative Development Scholarship from Magabala Books. During her mentorship, she has been co-editing Susan Midalia’s current collection of flash and microfiction, Miniatures, just recently launched in July. Casey is also currently working on a memoir with the support of a Centre for Stories Writing Fellowship. She aspires to continue to advocate for First Nations storytellers within the publishing industry and to empower Indigenous writers of all ages.
We are delighted to have Casey onboard as a member of the Westerly team and are looking forward to seeing her selections of First Nations storytellers in future issues of the Magazine!
