2023 First Nations Fellowship Recipients

Congratulations to the 12 recipients of our 2023 First Nations fellowships. This prestigious program started in 2017 and Varuna acknowledges the support of the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund in its establishment. 

The judging panel was made up of two First Nations writers, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm from Canada and Rachel Bin Salleh, Publisher at Magabala Books. 

The 12 fellowship recipients for 2023 are:

• Bebe Backhouse for their collection of poetry if this is the end 

• Alison J Barton for their collection of poetry Not Telling 

• Tahnee Carter for their fantasy/speculative manuscript, Koa

• Alita Childs for their fiction manuscript, Third and Final Call

• Rosa Diarmada for their young adult manuscript, Salt 

• Julie Gough for their non-fiction narrative, Disclosure 

• Darby Jones for their essay, Unintelligible Bodies

• Ellen van Neerven for their poetry manuscript, Love Me (More)

• Maria van Neerven for their collection of poetry

• Lucy Norton for their collection of poetry, even sacred things come undone 

• Barrina South  for their manuscript of poetry

• Wesley Stubbings for their screenplay/script, The Seed

Each fellowship includes a one-week residency a Varuna, as well as up to $350 in travel costs to and from Varuna. The fellowship week also includes an optional one-on-one mentoring session, and group reading sessions. In addition, writers will be offered the opportunity to have a discussion with Rachel Bin Salleh, Publisher at Magabala Books for any work that they complete as a result of this fellowship.

Congratulations to all.

Photos: Top row - Bebe Backhouse, Alison J Barton, Tahnee Carter, Darby Jones, Barrina South, Julie Gough. Bottom row - Alita Childs, Maria van Neerven, Ellen van Neerven, Lucy Norton, Wesley Stubbings. Rosa Diarmada not shown.