Writing NSW Fellowships
Writing NSW awards a single one-week Varuna residency to members of Writing NSW for manuscripts, plays or poem collections ready for the next stage of development.
Applications have now closed.
Places: One writer is selected.
Who should apply: Applicants must be Writing NSW members and be willing to commit to developing their work.
Dates: The fellowship can be taken in 2025, with exact dates negotiated directly with Varuna, the Writers’ House, according to Varuna’s existing schedule.
Fees: There is a $45 application fee for administration costs.
The Writing NSW fellowship includes a week’s residency at Varuna, with full board and accommodation including a prepared evening meal, uninterrupted time to write in your own private studio, and the companionship of your fellow writers.
The Writing NSW Varuna Fellowship is awarded annually to a writer with a work of fiction, creative non-fiction, a play, or a suite of poems that is ready for the next stage of development. Applicants must be Writing NSW members and be willing to commit to developing their work.
Previous recipients include Lucy Nelson, Hajer Al-awsi, Cleo Mees, Jordan Shea, Kylie Boltin, Eleanor Kirk, Kaya Wilson, Winnie Dunn, Tanya Vavilova, Karina Young, Adele Dumont, Christopher McDonald, Irma Gold, Alex Chalwell, Mark Brandi, Jacqui Dent, Helen Thurloe, Lucie Stevens, Alison Thompson and Greg Woodland.
Read Mark Brandi‘s five favourite things about his time at Varuna here
Adele Dumont gives us a sneak-peek at her journal entries during her residency here
Kaya Wilson walks us through his residency week here
“This fellowship — and the uninterrupted writing time it afforded — was the difference between a piecemeal draft and a complete manuscript. Varuna is even more magical than everyone says it is.”
“Thank you to Writing NSW and Varuna Writers’ House for giving me the opportunity to write for a week in this beautiful house. I was so lucky, it left me feeling rejuvenated and like a real writer.”
