Donna J. Mazza

Donna J. Mazza is an award-winning fiction writer who teaches writing and literature at Edith Cowan University's Bunbury campus in Western Australia. She is affiliated with the School of Arts and Humanities and has established herself as a significant voice in Australian creative writing.

Her research interests focus on creative writing, Australian literature, environmental writing, and Australian Gothic fiction. Mazza's work often explores Western Australia's landscapes, cultural identity, and environmental concerns, particularly examining the Wheatbelt region, coastal environments, and human relationships with native wildlife. She has made notable contributions to understanding post-pastoral themes in Australian literature and the representation of animals in fiction.

Mazza's publications demonstrate consistent scholarly output across multiple formats including fiction, non-fiction, literary criticism, and public art signage. Her recent work shows a particular interest in micro-memoir forms and experimental writing. The themes across her publications reveal a strong engagement with Western Australian identity, environmental degradation, and the complex relationship between humans and the natural world.

• Award-winning fiction writer

Mazza actively contributes to literary discourse through radio appearances, festival panels (including the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival), and publications in prestigious journals. Her work bridges academic scholarship with creative practice, demonstrating the value of creative writing as research. She has collaborated across disciplines, notably with social work educators, showing the applicability of creative writing techniques to professional education contexts.

Mazza has contributed to public art projects through her work on signage for the Busselton Jetty Sculpture Walk and Koombana Foreshore, connecting literary practice with community engagement and cultural heritage interpretation.