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Our migrant stories
To tell a story is to let other see
a part of themselves in you.
Our Migrant Stories – Calling all powerful migrant women!
At Professional Migrant Women, we are building a community of brilliant, resilient, kind women from all over the world. Women who have chosen to call Australia home. Women who show up every day to make Australia a better place.
We want to collect stories about powerful migrant women and women of colour. We invite you to tell yours and join us in celebrating your journey, your power, and the contribution you make to Australian society and workplaces. No writing experience is required – just your willingness to write it up and edit it! At the end, we will be choosing around 100 stories to publish in a book.
Who can apply?
Anyone who:
- identifies as a woman of migrant or culturally and linguistically diverse background.
*Note: We welcome applications from women all over Australia.
Writing your story
We want to know a moment in time that defined your life as a migrant woman. What was happening at that moment, how did you feel, what did you see, what did you hear, what were you doing, what were other people doing, what was the outcome? You can use one or more of the following themes to get you started:
- New beginnings
- Defining moments
- The fork in the road
- Hitting rock bottom
- A glimpse of new hope
- A better life
- A moment of celebration
- Visiting home. Going back your own country.
We’re expecting stories of no more than 500 words, but we’re looking for a wide range of formats.
Poem
Can you tell a story in rhyme? A haiku? Go for it – let your creativity shine!
A micro story
Can you tell a story in 150 words or less? Yes, it is quite an art form to achieve this, but the result can be very powerful. For the experienced, creative and daring writer, this is a challenge that you can take on!
Visual story
Can you communicate your story with a cartoon, an illustration or a meme? Or maybe you love capturing moments in photography. We would love to see your visual story too!
Optional Workshops
Sometimes, it can be easier to tell your story with others. We will be holding two face-to-face workshops in Melbourne CBD, bringing powerful migrant women together in a supportive environment to share ideas, writing tips and inspiration.
The workshops will be facilitated by writers, and will cater to all writing experiences. Whether you’re not sure where to start, or looking to learn from others, or even a confident writer wanting to spend time workshopping your story – we’ve got you!
The workshops are completely optional. The details are below – places are limited, so if you are interested in attending please fill out the form below as soon as possible! Please note you will be invited to both workshops, so that you have time to finalise your story ready for submission.
- Writing workshop – 23 July 2022 10am-4pm
- Editing workshop – 6 August 2022 10am-4pm
What happens to my story?
Once stories are finalised, we will turn these stories into a published book. We will be holding a book launch in October, and the books will be available for sale, both in e-book and printed format. The proceeds will be used to cover our costs of delivering this program, and any profits will be re-invested in programs to support and empower professional migrant women.
Do I get to keep my author’s rights?
You will always own all rights in your story, but you allow Professional Migrant Women to
share your story via the book.
Other information
We’re here to ensure that this book highlights and amplifies different voices. As there is limited capacity in this program, we reserve the right to allocate places or select pieces for publications, to ensure that the book reflects diverse identities and journeys.
This sounds amazing? How do I get on board?
Fill out the form below by 15 July 2022! You’ll have two options:
- upload your story – your story will go straight to the selection panel; OR
- express your interest in participating in the workshops – if so, please provide a brief summary of your story in the ‘additional comments’ section.
