Affirm Mentorship Program 2016

Thank you to the editorial team at Affirm Press for selecting the writers that will participate in the Affirm Mentorship Program 2016. These writers and their manuscripts are:

Angela J Williams for her Creative non-fiction/memoir - Snakes and Ladders: A memoir of the prison game

Stephen Gray for his literary fiction novel: The Family Plot

Sonia Orchard for her adult literary fiction: About the Fire

Varuna received 109 manuscripts from writers across Australia for the 2016 Affirm Mentorship Program. Many of these manuscripts were of an extremely high standard. The Affirm editorial team made their decision partly based on the strength of the writing, and partly on their potential as trade books (and their general, subjective ‘us-ness’).

This Affirm Mentorship Program includes a one-week residency at Varuna including the opportunity to work with Affirm Press editors Ruby Ashby-Orr and Kate Goldsworthy while in residence. 

Thank you to all of the writers who submitted such a wide and diverse range of new Australian writing.

Thank you also to the Affirm editorial team Martin Hughes, Ruby Ashby-Orr and Kate Goldsworthy who were diligent and dedicated throughout the process and to Varuna readers Carol Major and Helen Barnes-Bulley.