Stromatolights - Who We Are

About Us!

WA has a reputation for strong writing communities. With writers' festivals, workshops, and various magazines, not to mention the Fremantle Arts Centre Press and many other publishers, it's no wonder WA writers enjoy such a good standing.

Stromatolights is a writing group dedicated to Science Fiction and Fantasy. We got started in 1997(?) when we all met at a workshop during the Fremantle Writers' Festival.

Until then, none of us had heard of a Perth-based writing group dedicated solely to SFF. Acknowledging the lack, we formed our own.

Several years later, we're still going, if just! We're resuming face-toface meetings in 2007, and look forward to scheduling workshops, crit circles and more.

Part of our appeal is the variety of our activities. We operate a "crit on request" critique circle via the mailing list. We share books on writing, contest and market information, and the latest tips from the Internet. Many of our members also belong to other writing groups and classes. We attend festivals and conventions, often participating in panels. We hold readings. (Did I mention the double mocha lattes?) We learn new writing techniques. We rejoice when a member gets published, and commiserate over the purple heart of a rejection letter. (Surprisingly, we've had a lucky streak when it comes to publishing. Most of our members have gone to press!)

Most importantly, we promote Science Fiction and Fantasy in Western Australia. SFF is a popular fiction genre in Australia. As science fiction moves from a geeky rocket-ship pulp reputation to it's rightful status as first-class literature, we're there to make sure it arrives.