Follow the Salt
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Research Statement
Research Background
Follow the Salt is the result of a research project funded by State Government of Western Australia Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport. As chief investigator, Donna Mazza took 11 writers and a photographer for a 4 day retreat at Grande Olde Dumbleyung Inn in the Wheatbelt region of WA. The retreat included contact with a local environmental scientist through Landcare and Wuddi Indigenous Tour of Lake Dumbleyung. Additional writing mentorship workshops supported development of stories by the emerging authors. Mazza selected then edited work for inclusion and contributed an extensive introduction and two short stories.
Research Contribution
Follow the Salt focuses on environmental impact of agricultural practices and land clearing in and around Lake Dumbleyung, the largest once-freshwater lake in the state, which is now hyper-saline. The project tested the creative methodology of immersive practice and collects together research-informed creative responses to narratives of Aboriginal dispossession and environmental impacts of colonisation. The work captures the narrative of marginal land around a fading town and its shrinking community.
Research Significance
Night Parrot Press are a small independent publisher established in 2019 and based in Perth, who have a commitment to experimental and non-traditional work. The book was launched at State Library of WA with 150 in attendance, followed by a tour of libraries, was subject of a panel presentation at Australasian Association of Writing Programs conference at University of Melbourne 2025, at Totally Lit Festival, Fremantle and Fiction Festival Perth. These included readings and discussion of the research process. Donna Mazza was invited to discuss the book on ABC Radio Great Southern (WA) and RTR FM Perth and works were selected for Raine Square Short Story Dispenser’s ‘Sustainable September’ campaign.
Keywords
creative writing, environmental humanities, agricultural impacts, land clearing, salinity, Lake Dumbleyung, immersive practice, place-based research, Aboriginal dispossession, colonisation, environmental history, regional communities, collaborative writing, literary practice, ecological storytelling, Wheatbelt Western Australia, community narratives, environmental change, independent publishing, research-informed creative work
Non-Traditional Research Output
Original Creative Work
Document Type
Non-Traditional Research Output
Date of Publication
2025
Publisher
Night Parrot Press
School
School of Arts and Humanities
RAS ID
95347
Links and/or Documentation
https://www.nightparrotpress.com/product/follow-the-salt-short-fiction/
ISBN
9780648706380
Recommended Citation
Mazza, D. (2025). Follow the Salt. Night Parrot Press. https://www.nightparrotpress.com/product/follow-the-salt-short-fiction/
Documentation Statement
This record presents a documented representation of the research output, including the research statement and associated contextual metadata. The creative work itself is not included. Where available, external links are provided to representations of the work.
Content Type
Documentation only