We Need To Talk

We are delighted to be able to present new work that demonstrates the value of creative writing as research and articulates its methodologies with clarity, showcasing the importance of the creative act and evoking its complexities with careful attention to process. This clear articulation of creative writing research is synonymous with advances in the discipline, as seen at conferences such as the Australian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP), where this dynamic has grown and intensified, especially through the efforts of PhD candidates. Indeed, many of these articles were first presented as papers at the 28th Annual Conference of the AAWP (Canberra, 2023), which we had the honour of directing. This issue of Axon: Creative Explorations is titled ‘We Need to Talk’, and the concept behind this title galvanised the work of the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research (the publisher of Axon) throughout 2023. The project emerged from a collaboration between the University of Canberra, Ulster University, and the British Council in 2022, which was titled ‘Difficult Conversations: What is the role of art and creativity in a polarised society?’ This involved artists, academics, and artist-academics in framing discussions about their own experiences of and/or research into how art practice and creative thinking can address wicked problems, engage in the ongoing debates on ‘difficult’ topics, and both raise and investigate controversial questions that impact on, and also animate, our communities.