Looking for motivation and direction for your writing? Check out our upcoming online programs
Upcoming Courses, Fellowships and Events:
Applications close 20 May
The Ann Moyal Non-Fiction Fellowship encourages excellence in non-fiction writing and aims to support writers developing an original work drawn from the broad fields of the humanities and social sciences.
Applications close 23 May
For over 20 years, Conor Kostick has been teaching his popular 10-week Finish Your Novel course at the Irish Writers Centre and Varuna are delighted to offer it in Australia and New Zealand for the first time.
Applications close 14 May 2024
Each year, five fellowships, including accommodation, all meals, travel expenses and manuscript consultations, are awarded to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers from anywhere in Australia.
Applications close 11 July
This small online masterclass for First Nations writers of all genres uses reading as a tool to sharpen artistic vision and ambition.
Applications close 13 May
An international online residency with writers from Ireland and Australia, held in collaboration with the Irish Writers Centre.
Expressions of Interest close 7 June 2024
A prestigious two-month international residency in Shanghai, China that will run from September to October 2024. Alumni from Western Sydney University and Alumni from Varuna, the National Writers’ House, are invited to apply.
Applications close 14 June 2024
This program is presented in partnership with the Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing (RCALC). Open to emerging or established writers, living in regional and remote parts of Australia.
Applications open 10 May 2024
The WestWords Varuna Western Sydney Residential Program offers four emerging writers from diverse backgrounds from Western Sydney the opportunity of a six-day residency.
Applications for 2025 will open 17 June 2024
Varuna’s most prestigious award, running since 1991. Awards up to 30 fellowships to emerging and established writers across Australia, including several flagship three-week fellowships.
Applications open 17 June 2024 (as part of Varuna Residential Fellowship)
Offered in partnership with the Australian Society of Authors, and generously supported by the Ray Koppe bequest, this is one of the Varuna flagship fellowships and is offered to a writer under the age of 35 who is as yet unpublished.
Congratulations to our 2024 Varuna Scribe Fellowship recipients, Anne So, Sarina Singh, Bianca Millroy and Alex Karaconji.
Congratulations to Scotland’s Cove Park Fellowship 2024 recipient Sean Wai Keung, who will take up residency at Varuna in October-November 2025 and appear at Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival.
A special salon event held in conjunction with the inaugural Whitlam Essay Residency held at 32 Albert Street, Cabramatta, the former family home (1952-1978) of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Phoebe Grainer (Djungan), Theresa Violet Sainty (Pakana), Aunty Kerry Bulloojeeno Archibald Moran, Natalie Damjanovich-Napoleon, Ella Jeffery and Aloma Davis have been selected for the 2024 Red Room Poetry Fellowship.
Congratulations to the two recipients of our 2024 Pitch Me! fellowship: Anne Myers for her memoir, The Little Ones and Izzy Roberts-Orr for her poetry collection, Medusa is a Modern Woman.
Congratulations to Cove Park Fellowship 2024 recipient Brooke Robinson, who will be heading to Scotland in September to take part in a four-week residency in Scotland.
Kim Huynh, Dr Kath Kenny, Dr Farjana Mahbuba, Deborah Prospero, Heather Taylor-Johnson and Dr Jessica White selected for the inaugural Whitlam Essay Residency, to take place March 2024.
Seven fellows selected for the inaugural Climate Fellowship, supported by The Bridge Awards, are in residence during March 2024.
Varuna is delighted to announce our 2024 call out for Pitch Me!. Applications are now open to be part of a program that connects Australian writers with publishers and agents.
Congratulations to the 33 writers who have been awarded a Varuna Residential Fellowship for 2024.
ANN MOYAL NON-FICTION FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED
Sarah Holland-Batt, Cathy Perkins and Geordie Williamson have received the inaugural three-week Ann Moyal Fellowship for 2023.
We are delighted to announce the recipients 2023 International Lamplight Residency - Fiction.