Applications call for Varuna First Nations Fellowships 2021. Each year, six fellowships, including accommodation, all meals, travel expenses, and manuscript consultations, are awarded to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers from anywhere in Australia.

Moreover, this fellowship program is open to writers of all genres of fiction, narrative non-fiction, poetry, children’s books, graphic novels, dramatic/screenwriting, writing for radio, translation, YA, essays, or short fiction. Submissions can be in the language. The fellowship week includes a one-on-one mentoring session as well as group reading sessions.

Benefits

• Fellowships include accommodation, all meals, travel expenses, and manuscript consultations.
• The fellowship week includes a one-on-one mentoring session as well as group reading sessions.
• First Nations Fellowships also include an optional publishing appraisal from Magabala Books, Australia’s leading Indigenous publisher, for any work that you complete as a result of this fellowship, available for up to 18 months following the period of your fellowship.

Eligibility

• Varuna First Nations Fellowships is open to writers of all genres of fiction, narrative non-fiction, poetry, children’s books, graphic novels, dramatic/screenwriting, writing for radio, translation, YA, essays, or short fiction.
• Also, those who identify as being of Indigenous or Torress Strait Islander descent and are over the age are eligible to apply.
• Furthermore, submissions can be in any language.

Entries

• You will need to send us between 4,000 and 10,000 words from the beginning of your manuscript.
• You can also submit your work in the form of recorded audio if you prefer. For poetry entries, please submit 10 poems.

Key dates

• The 2021 fellowship program will take place in the week beginning Monday, June 21, 2021.
• For 2021 fellowships, applications open mid-October 2020 and will close 10 December 2020.

APPLY