trash to treasure lit was created to foster a community of writers who may not believe in their abilities but deserve to. for writers to learn from their words and others, and to open the conversation around why we reject our work before it’s given a chance. we encourage writers to have faith in their words and the stories they have to tell while uplifting their fellow writer

the publishing industry can be brutal, and it can so effortlessly destroy your will to continue writing. the aim of this publication is to encourage writers to keep pushing through those boundaries and roadblocks, to learn that we can be our biggest critics and that we too often discard our work so that others don’t get the chance to. trash to treasure lit is a safe space for all writers - published or not

every writer has a piece of ‘trash’ that we can treasure

Samantha Lee Curran
Founding Editor

Samantha Lee Curran (she/her) is a queer poet, writer, and award-winning artist living on Dharug and Gundungurra land. She is the author of the poetry collection 'exposure to existence' (Alien Buddha Press, 2023) and her work has been published in several online and in print literary magazines. Samantha was chosen as a Vessels of Love poet for the inaugural City of Sydney poetry event in 2021 and was an Artist in Residence at Chateau d’Orquevaux in 2023, and exhibited her debut solo show ‘the rot and the raw’ at Gallery NWC, September 2024. Her upcoming poetry collection ‘blue is how I know you’ with Illographo Press will be released in April 2025 and she will be attending a residency at Studio Kura Japan in July 2025. When she’s not writing (or trying to) you can find her at a bakery, having a picnic in the park, op shopping or napping.

Leigh Doughty
Reader/Editor

Leigh Doughty is a writer and a language tutor based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. His previously published work can be found in the Hooghly Review, The Gorko Gazette, Corporeal, VnExpress, and Twist and Twain magazine.