WestWords Emerging Writers Fellowship Program

WestWords offers a range of fellowships for writers nearing completion of a major work. Partnering with Copyright Agency Cultural Fund these fellowships provide writers in the final stages of completing their first major work a programme of tailored mentorship and professional development.

The Fellowships are open to emerging writers working in genres including fiction, non-fiction, journalism, poetry and song lyrics, writing for performance, writing online or new media and other forms of creative writing. One of the Fellowships will be granted to an emerging writer specifically writing for children and/or young people. Illustrators with a demonstrated interest in the narrative through visual media may also apply. As part of your Fellowship, you will receive a tailored program of mentorship over a 6-9month period.

Previous mentors from the past two years have included Maxine Beneba Clarke, Melina Marchetta, Judith Beveridge, Bryan Brown, Sara Knox and Walter Mason.

There are three parts to each Fellowship:

• Development of your work as a writer
• Mentorship opportunities
• Working with young people in Western Sydney

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, you may:

• have been born and raised in Greater Western Sydney;
• have lived in Greater Western Sydney for more than 2 years;
• have worked in the region for a substantial length of time and within the past 5 years.

Benefits

• Three Fellowships of $4,000 each are offered to emerging writers from the Greater Western Sydney region.

How to Apply