Last week, RUSSH hosted its third annual Literary Showcase celebration, welcoming more than 250 guests to the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Domain Theatre for an afternoon dedicated to storytelling and the people behind it.

First launched in 2024, the Literary Showcase was created to champion women and other under-recognised voices, and create meaningful pathways into Australia's literary landscape. While women are actually over-represented in writing and literary spaces, accounting for two thirds of authors and writers in Australia, they remain some of the most financially marginalised. They earn just $18,200 from their writing and have to undertake additional jobs just to survive.

What first began as an initiative to platform emerging writers has steadily evolved into a growing community. This year we received a 30 per cent increase in submissions, and over 1,000 votes cast in the Readers' Choice category.

The afternoon opened with a thoughtful welcome from RUSSH Editor-in-Chief Jess Blanch, who reflected on the importance of fostering spaces where new perspectives can be heard. This year's Showcase continued its commitment to elevating writers whose stories challenge, expand and enrich Australia's cultural conversation.

It was fitting, then, that this year's finalists reflected the breadth of voices emerging across the country. Lebanese-Australian writer and community worker Shayla Zreika was named Readers' Choice finalist for her exploration of culture, history and diaspora in Al Bint La 3Inda Makan [The Daughter Has No Place]. Writer Alev Altanhan received the Editor's Commendation for her work examining identity, desire and contemporary family life in The Long Way To Her, while Pakistani-Australian writer Faiza Bokhari returned to the competition after previously being shortlisted, and was awarded Judges' Choice finalist.

Following the opening remarks, Bokhari took to the stage to read an excerpt from her winning piece, Commute. Observant, witty and deeply human, the work offered guests an intimate glimpse into the calibre of storytelling recognised through the Literary Showcase, setting the tone for an afternoon centred on the power of voice, perspective and lived experience.

Then, guests were treated to a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by award-winning journalist and author Elfy Scott. Joining her on stage were Nakkiah Lui, Shirley Le and last year's Judges' Choice finalist Sheree Joseph, whose conversation moved beyond questions of representation alone and towards the structural realities shaping — often insidiously — Australia's publishing industry.

What emerged was an effervescent discussion about access and power. The panellists explored the importance of not only diversifying who enters creative spaces, but who occupies positions of influence within them. As the conversation unfolded, attention turned to the systemic barriers that continue to affect underrepresented writers and the need for greater diversity at every level of the publishing ecosystem. It was clear-eyed and nuanced examination of the work still to be done in the literary world, while celebrating the progress already being made.

The thoughtfulness of the discussion could be felt long after the panellists left the stage, in guests' conversations that filled the foyer over champagne and shortbread. And upon leaving, they were invited to select a book of their own from the 7L bookstand, meaningfully gifted by CHANEL for the occasion — an extension of Librairie 7L, which was founded by Karl Lagerfeld in 1999 in Paris, as a celebration of a shared love of books and creative expression.

This project would not have been possible without the support of CHANEL.

CHANEL is committed to continuing the artistic patronage initiated by Gabrielle Chanel. She was never without books and it was from literature that undoubtedly drew the strength to accomplish her work as a designer and that undoubtedly drove her to invent an allure that is eternal yet inscribed in perpetual modernity. CHANEL’S continued support of RUSSH as an independent company has again on this occasion helped us to realise our dreams and create pathways for shared experience, diverse learnings and social progress within our creative minds community and beyond.