By Dawn Farnham
When six women scattered across Western Australia realised they shared more than a passion for murder mysteries and razor-sharp heroines, a new kind of local crime syndicate was born: the WA chapter of Sisters in Crime — a group tailor-made for the state’s geographically far-flung women crime writers and devoted readers.
Begun in mid-2025, the group is a grassroots offshoot of Sisters in Crime Australia, the long-established national organisation supporting women who write, aspire to write, and love to read crime fiction, true crime, and thrillers. But in WA, where towns can be separated by six or more hours of driving, forming a cohesive community has always been a logistical nightmare.
Western Australia is vast — it covers a third of the Australian continent — and its population is heavily concentrated around Perth and the south-west corner. For everyone else, geographic isolation poses real challenges. WA’s diverse landscapes and rich histories offer fertile ground for crime stories, yet its sheer size can make building and sustaining a network feel almost impossible.
To overcome this, members rely heavily on digital tools — Zoom, WhatsApp, Messenger — but these can’t replicate the connection and energy of face-to-face gatherings. Poor internet, screen fatigue, and the constant juggling of day jobs, caregiving, and writing commitments interfere with momentum. A casual café meet-up is a fantasy when your fellow writers live 800 km away.
But this group of six — from Perth, Fremantle, Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Geraldton, and Bridgetown — are refusing to be daunted by distance. Instead, we embrace it, uniting WA’s regional communities with the capital and proving that sisterhood knows no bounds.
Lindy Cameron, National Convenor of Sisters in Crime Australia, says:“The Victorian chapter is largely Melbourne-based, with most members coming in from nearby suburbs. We rarely hold events outside the city. What the WA group is attempting is both innovative and exciting — a true extension of the Sisters’ ethos.”
To launch this ambitious vision, Sisters in Crime WA will debut at the Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival in Geraldton in October 2025. The festival has warmly welcomed the initiative, and the group is thrilled to be part of the event. You’ll find the program and speakers at: https://library.cgg.wa.gov.au/big-sky-2025.aspx
In the spirit of Sisters in Crime, the WA chapter’s launch will feature a panel of women connected to crime both fictional and true – published and emerging crime novelists alongside local women police detectives – and the evening will blend storytelling with socialising. After the discussion, audience members will have the chance to share a drink and meal with the panellists in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Sisters in Crime events are informative, inclusive — and above all, fun. And yes, our ‘brothers-in-law’ are welcome.
WA’s new chapter hopes to demonstrate that community isn’t about geography — it’s about shared passion, intention, and connection. Whether you’re looking out your window at farmland, bushland, ocean, red dirt, or city streets, you’re welcome in this sisterhood.
Interested in joining us?
Crime fiction writers, professionals, and readers across WA and beyond can connect via Sisters in Crime Australia, follow the fledgling WA chapter on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sistersincrimewa/ or write to sistersincrimewa@gmail.com. We welcome volunteers to help organise events across WA and be part of the fun.