Tyswan

Writing

Tyswan Slater writes short stories, children’s picture books, middle-grade novels, graphic novel scripts, and adult novels with a literary/speculative focus.

She has received recognition in several short-story competitions, is published in anthologies, and has been selected for various mentorship and residency programs.

Tyswan has run workshops for teens and adults, and was invited to judge the final round of the 2025 Westwords Living Stories short story and poetry competition.

She is currently developing a community art project and interactive in-person treasure hunt for all ages. “Dragonfly 2780: an An Analogue Mystery Game” is part ArtStreet, part puzzle game, with participants follow cryptic clues embedded in public artworks displayed in Katoomba shop windows. More details to come in 2027.

Writing Curriculum Vitae

Achievements

  • Writer’s Space Online Fellowship 2026.
  • Highly commended, The Writer’s Space Fellowship 2026
  • Highly commended, 2025 Writer’s Space Online Fellowship.
  • Highly commended Zinewest 2025 short story competition.
  • Overall highly commended in the 2024 WestWords Living Stories competition.
  • Winner, Blue Mountains, 2024 WestWords Living Stories competition.
  • Second prize Zinewest 2024 short story competition.
  • WestWords-Varuna Emerging Writers’ Residency 2023.
  • Winner Regenesis Short Story competition 2023.
  • Short-listed for Varuna Publisher Introduction Program, 2017.
  • Nominated for the Penguin/Varuna Scholarship Award, 2010.
  • NSW Lit-Link Residency, 2008.
  • Winner Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award (FAW Vic National Literary Awards), 2007.
  • Short-listed for LAMP: Story Of The Future Residential Lab, 2007.
  • Mentorship, Varuna Awards for Manuscript Development, 2004.

Short stories published

  • Westwords’ anthology (upcoming Nov 2026)
  • Zine West Anthology (2025, 2024, 2023)
  • Westwords Living Stories Anthology (2024, 2023)
  • Regenesis Anthology (2024, 2023)
  • School Magazine (Blast Off! February 2024)
  • UTS Writers’ Anthology (2009, 2010)
  • Visible Ink Anthology (2008).

A unique work, well-crafted with fluid, moving images as the changes in form guide the reader down a beautiful hybrid of poetry and prose. This piece tackled and explored the theme in a refined way, that was both inspired and relatable

~Judges, Living Stories Competition, 2024

Tyswan Slater’s ‘Justin’ tells the first person story of another exceptional character: a mute (and presumed disabled by most, but actually fully cognisant) young man living in a care home. His love for his carer is terrible and beautiful; unable to let her know, he almost falls apart when she takes leave to get married. Slater underpins the surface narrative with a softly spoken conundrum: are we ‘better alive and unhappy’, or not?

~Sam Cooney, Crikey magazine, 2010

Read Tyswan’s short stories online