Western Australia (WA) boasts a rich and diverse literary tradition, despite its relatively small population of 2.6 million people. With much of the population concentrated in the fertile south-west—home to the famed Margaret River wine region—and the vibrant capital city of Perth, the state has nurtured an impressive array of writers who have left their mark on Australian literature.
WA is also home to several notable independent publishing houses, including Fremantle Press, the University of Western Australia Press, Margaret River Press, Magabala Books, and Upswell Publishing. These institutions have played a crucial role in fostering and promoting local literary talent, ensuring that voices from this part of the world are heard far and wide.
From fiction to non-fiction, poetry to memoirs, WA writers have contributed significantly to the national literary canon. Some have explored the rugged landscapes of the state, weaving tales steeped in its natural beauty and cultural history, while others have delved into deeply personal narratives or universal themes that resonate across borders.
Notable Western Australian Writers and Their Works
Below is a comprehensive list of books by WA writers—whether they currently reside in the state or originate from there—arranged alphabetically by the author’s surname:
- David Allan-Petale – Locust Summer (fiction, 2021)
- Peter Burke – The Silk Merchant’s Son (historical fiction, 2023)
- Alan Carter – Prime Cut (fiction, 2011); Heaven Sent (fiction, 2018)
- Claire G. Coleman – Terra Nullius (fiction, 2017)
- Carrie Cox – Storylines (fiction, 2023)
- Viki Cramer – The Memory of Trees (non-fiction, 2023)
- Amanda Curtin – Elemental (fiction, 2016)
- Brooke Davis – Lost & Found (fiction, 2014)
- Wendy Davis – Don’t Make a Fuss: It’s Only the Claremont Serial Killer (memoir, 2022)
- Zoe Deleuil – The Night Village (fiction, 2021)
- Madelaine Dickie – Red Can Origami (fiction, 2019)
- Robert Drewe – The Bodysurfers (short stories, 1983); The Shark Net (non-fiction, 2000)
- Ron Elliott – Spinner (fiction, 2010)
- Sara Foster – The Hush (fiction, 2021)
- Alan Fyfe – T (fiction, 2022)
- Madison Godfrey – Dress Rehearsals (memoir, 2023)
- Paul Grace – Operation Hurricane (non-fiction, 2023)
- Jill Griffiths – What’s For Dinner? (non-fiction, 2023)
- Alice Grundy (editor) – Stories of Perth (short stories and essays, 2019)
- Glenda Guest – A Week in the Life of Cassandra Aberline (fiction, 2018)
- Karen Herbert – The River Mouth (fiction, 2021)
- Dorothy Hewett – Bobbin Up (fiction, 1959)
- Michelle Johnston – Dustfall (fiction, 2018)
- Elizabeth Jolley – The Newspaper of Claremont Street (fiction, 1981); Mr Scobie’s Riddle (fiction, 1983); The Well (fiction, 1986); The Orchard Thieves (fiction, 1997)
- Gail Jones – Sixty Lights (fiction, 2004); Sorry (fiction, 2007); Five Bells (fiction, 2011); A Guide to Berlin (fiction, 2015); Our Shadows (fiction, 2020)
- John Kinsella – Cellnight (verse novel, 2023)
- Mudrooroo (Colin Johnson) – Wild Cat Falling (fiction, 1965)
- Ngarta & Jukuna – Two Sisters (non-fiction, 2016)
- Avan Judd Stallard – Spinifex & Sunflowers (fiction, 2018)
- Mimi Kwa – House of Kwa (memoir, 2021)
- Roland Leach – Approaching Zero (short stories, 2023)
- Lynne Leonhardt – Finding Jasper (fiction, 2012)
- Joan London – The Good Parents (fiction, 2008); The Golden Age (fiction, 2014)
- Kenneth Mackenzie – The Refuge (fiction, 1954)
- Martin McKenzie-Murray – A Murder without Motive (non-fiction, 2016)
- Emily Paull – Well-Behaved Women (short stories, 2019)
- Reneé Pettitt-Schipp – The Archipelago of Us (non-fiction, 2023)
- Katharine Susannah Prichard – Coonardoo (fiction, 1929)
- Brendan Ritchie – Eta Draconis (YA fiction, 2023)
- Kim Scott – True Country (fiction, 1993); Benang (fiction, 1999); That Deadman Dance (fiction, 2010); Taboo (fiction, 2017)
- Craig Silvey – Jasper Jones (fiction, 2009); Honeybee (fiction, 2020)
- M.L. Stedman – The Light Between Oceans (fiction, 2012)
- Laurie Steed – You Belong Here (fiction, 2018)
- Randolph Stow – To the Islands (fiction, 1958); The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea (fiction, 1965)
- Alf Taylor – Cartwarra or what? (poems & short stories, 2022)
- Ros Thomas – How to Shame the Devil (fiction, 2021)
- Alexander Thorpe – Death Leaves the Station (fiction, 2021)
- David Whish-Wilson – Line of Sight (fiction, 2010); True West (fiction, 2019); Shore Leave (fiction, 2020); Perth (non-fiction, 2020); The Sawdust House (fiction, 2022)
- Josephine Wilson – Cusp (fiction, 2005)
- Tim Winton – The Riders (fiction, 1994); Dirt Music (fiction, 2001); Breath (fiction, 2008); Eyrie (fiction, 2013); Island Home (non-fiction, 2015); The Shepherd’s Hut (fiction, 2018); Juice (fiction, 2024)
- Emma Young – The Disorganisation of Celia Stone (fiction, 2023)
This extensive literary heritage showcases the immense talent emerging from WA, affirming its place as a cornerstone of Australia’s literary landscape.