The 2022 Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
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Inaugurated in 2019, the Fellowship is open to all writers, at any stage of their career, either currently living in the New England region or who have previously lived there for at least five years.
The Varuna-NEWC Fellowship offers a week's inspirational writing residency in the beautiful surroundings of Varuna, in the Blue Mountains, and includes full board and accommodation at Varuna, funds towards travel, a one-on-one consultation with a Varuna expert and more. 
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Congratulations Anne!
In passing along their final decision, Varuna Creative Director, Amy Sambrooke, said: “While all of the finalists were very strong, we could not go past Anne Greenwood's novel, "Torment's Mirror". The characters are so realised, the voice so authentic, the use of language so muscular. Congratulations to Anne, we look forward to seeing you for your residency in 2023.”
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“I’m feeling grateful and a bit lucky to have been selected for the 2022 Varuna NEWC Fellowship." Anne told us.
"Grateful because a week at beautiful Varuna - a place of inspiration and support - is an amazing opportunity. Lucky because I saw the shortlist and know the judges had an excruciatingly tough choice. "I have to say I would love to read Catherine Emerson’s work about history and secrets in The Memory Tree; Angela Earth’s real life drama Hidden, and Jodie Herden’s cultural, fun and authentic Fur, Feathers or Fins. They all sound like extraordinary projects. |
"The fact that the New England Writers’ Centre offers this fellowship each year means so much to writers here. It’s a chance to be read and a chance to one day be published. Those sorts of chances are hard to come by. Thank you so much to NEWC. The fact that my small town murder mystery Torment’s Mirror got the nod over such excellent company makes me determined to use the week at Varuna to the best of my ability.”
Anne Greenwood is a retired newspaper journalist and magazine writer and currently a contributing stock photographer with Getty and Shutterstock focussing on paddock to plate photography for magazines and cookbooks.
She has won the Romance Writers’ Association’s Emma Darcy Award for a completed unpublished manuscript and is an RWA anthology contributor. She lives in northern NSW.
She has won the Romance Writers’ Association’s Emma Darcy Award for a completed unpublished manuscript and is an RWA anthology contributor. She lives in northern NSW.
Thank you to our 2022 shortlisted writers
We all wish you the very best with your fabulous projects!
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Catherine Emerson grew up on a sheep property in northern NSW and is a writer of Australian historical fiction. She graduated from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Arts(History)/Bachelor of Laws double degree and was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a solicitor but quickly realised that it was not what she wanted. She also worked as a surveyor’s assistant then an early childhood educator while raising her young family and dreaming of a career as a writer.
Catherine has always been fascinated by the connections between past and present, by lost stories and the secrets we keep. She began writing full time in 2020, working on The Memory Tree, an historical mystery inspired by her love of the Australian bush. |
Catherine lives near the Sapphire City, Inverell, with her husband and two children and is currently writing her second novel, set in Victoria during the Federation era.
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Angela Earth is a writer and Steiner teacher who lives in Armidale NSW. As an educator she writes children’s stories for use within the classroom and wider community. In this capacity she has written poetry and helped design and produce first readers with children of the school. At present she is working collaboratively on an environmental curriculum that spans from Kindy to Year 9.
As a climate change activist, she has written and published articles for media outlets, newsletters and for campaign material. More recently she wrote of the impact of the black summer bushfires on her community and homeland, which was published in the Sydney Morning Herald. She has also written and performed poetry for theatre and for open mic events. |
She is currently working on her manuscript `Hidden’, a deeply personal story. Parts of this manuscript have been workshopped in professional writing settings, and with individual published authors. She is also currently working collaboratively with a composer and academic on an auditory and musical expression of ‘Hidden’.
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Jodie Herden is a descendant of the Fields/Kim families. A proud Gamilaraay woman born and raised in Tamworth NSW. Growing up she was strong in spirit and the connection to country and culture which was passed onto her from her father, aunts and uncles and it kept her strong!
Art is her passion, she knows it is her ancestors guiding her. With every brush stroke, she feels them, surrounding and guiding her, giving her the images for the artworks and the stories of her culture. Jodie has found a new passion for storytelling through writing, she has recently co authored and illustrated published children's book 'Star Dreaming' Jodie was awarded Aboriginal Artist of the Year in 2016 NSW LALC NAIDOC Awards and the 2018 Indigenous Women of the Year Award with Zonta International. |
Through her art and now writing of children's, books Jodie aims to highlight, educate and share the beauty of her culture sharing the narrative of her people and her country!
Key dates for 2022
Applications for the 2022 Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship opened on 1 August, 2022 and closed at midnight on 5 September, 2022.
A panel of New England Writers' Centre assessors established the above shortlist, and Varuna is making the final choice between the shortlisted entries.
The winner will be announced on 10 October 2022.
The Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship can be taken from Monday to Monday between January and July 2023, exact date to be negotiated between the recipient and Varuna.
Applications for the 2022 Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship opened on 1 August, 2022 and closed at midnight on 5 September, 2022.
A panel of New England Writers' Centre assessors established the above shortlist, and Varuna is making the final choice between the shortlisted entries.
The winner will be announced on 10 October 2022.
The Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship can be taken from Monday to Monday between January and July 2023, exact date to be negotiated between the recipient and Varuna.