Brenda Tournier Associate Director Alumni & Community Relations University of Western Australia Dear Ms Tournier, The University of WA announced last week that it intends to close down UWA Publishing (UWAP) current operations and move to a digital/Open Access model. I am writing to you today to share my dismay at this announcement and to ask the Alumni to bring their influence to bear on the University, by whatever means they chose, to show their support for the ongoing operation of UWAP and the retention of its staff. My dismay is shared by many others Australia-wide and further afield. This very positive response, accompanied by calls to retain the publishing house and its staff, is being expressed in print, online and social media. I, like many others, have also written directly to key representatives of the University. I am a UWA graduate (MA 2007), receiving a scholarship from the UWA Centenary Trust for Women (2005). My long association with the University also includes working as a Poetry Consultant for Westerly, and a sessional tutor (English) at the UWA Albany Campus during its first two years. The UWA Albany Campus recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary, and I was proud of my small association with this achievement. I am also a writer and past-winner of the WA Premier’s Book Award for Poetry (2002). As a long-time member of the Western Australian writing community, I am acutely aware of the devastating impact that the loss of such an essential and influential publisher will have at home, nationally, and abroad. Western Australian writers, including students and academics, will struggle to find alternative publishers. The loss of the poetry publishing program and prestigious Dorothy Hewett Award will be an additional blow in an industry renowned for its lack of publishing opportunities and rewards for writers. I believe traditional print and digital publishing are not mutually exclusive, and they can both be components of a vital, modern publishing program. Many contemporary publishing houses preserve print and also produce digital e-text and audio publications. I have personally known Terri-ann White for three decades and hold her in high regard. I respect her knowledge of the industry, the dedication she has shown, and admire her enormous contribution to the University, UWAP and Australian literature overall. I ask the Alumni to actively support the campaign to #SaveUWAP and to communicate their thoughts and feelings to the University by emailing key people, for example: The Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Operations), and members of the University Senate. It will be a significant loss to the University and all its stakeholders if UWAP does not continue in its current role. Yours faithfully Barbara Temperton ***** Support UWAP by signing the petition at Change.org Comments are closed.
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