The Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
Due to circumstances outside our control, the NEWC has had to defer the 2024 submission window for the Varuna Fellowship.
The NEWC team is working at every level to resolve the funding issue and reinstate the Fellowship for 2025 (for a place at Varuna in 2026).
The NEWC team is working at every level to resolve the funding issue and reinstate the Fellowship for 2025 (for a place at Varuna in 2026).
Submission window opens in August and closes in September.
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Inaugurated in 2019, with the generous support of the Copyright Agency, 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.
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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.
The Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship offers:
One week of full board and accommodation at Varuna including:
This fellowship also includes $350 towards travel and payment of the Varuna alumni fee of $99.
What New England Writers’ Centre are looking for:
New England Writers’ Centre welcome manuscripts at any stage of development from writers living in the Federal Electorate of New England (see https://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/nsw/new-england.htm) who are at any point in their career, and working in any form of literary creation. This includes fiction, drama, poetry, children’s books, and narrative non-fiction.
Artistic merit is the most important criterion for our assessors, who are looking for strongly written characters, sound structure, compelling themes and a distinctive and engaging voice.
Our assessors also consider the potential of the manuscript, based on the experience of the writer and their work plan.
The Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship offers:
One week of full board and accommodation at Varuna including:
- a prepared evening meal,
- uninterrupted time to write in your own private studio,
- the companionship of your fellow writers
- and a one-hour Varuna conversation with a Varuna consultant.
This fellowship also includes $350 towards travel and payment of the Varuna alumni fee of $99.
What New England Writers’ Centre are looking for:
New England Writers’ Centre welcome manuscripts at any stage of development from writers living in the Federal Electorate of New England (see https://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/nsw/new-england.htm) who are at any point in their career, and working in any form of literary creation. This includes fiction, drama, poetry, children’s books, and narrative non-fiction.
Artistic merit is the most important criterion for our assessors, who are looking for strongly written characters, sound structure, compelling themes and a distinctive and engaging voice.
Our assessors also consider the potential of the manuscript, based on the experience of the writer and their work plan.
You need to submit:
1. Completed application form with all required details (link above).
2. Sample of your manuscript in development as follows:
Do not put your name or other personal identifying marks on your manuscript submission, as these should only appear on the application form.
Formatting requirements:
You will need to save your manuscript submission (cover page plus your draft manuscript) as a single PDF or Word file (no other file formats accepted).
Your cover page should include the following headings and details:
1. Completed application form with all required details (link above).
2. Sample of your manuscript in development as follows:
- Prose (fiction or non-fiction): between 7,000 and 10,000 words from the beginning of your manuscript, along with a short synopsis of the entire work (see below)
- Poetry: A selection of 10 poems, plus a short synopsis of the proposed collection (see below).
- Short children's fiction/non-fiction (eg chapter-books, junior fiction): Between 2,000-5,000 plus a short synopsis of the entire work
- Picture books: The entire text (for author-illustrators, the text plus a sample of illustrations)
- Playscripts/screenplays: If a full-length play, one act, plus synopsis of the entire work. If a one-act play, submit entire work.
Do not put your name or other personal identifying marks on your manuscript submission, as these should only appear on the application form.
Formatting requirements:
You will need to save your manuscript submission (cover page plus your draft manuscript) as a single PDF or Word file (no other file formats accepted).
Your cover page should include the following headings and details:
- Name of manuscript: The title of your work
- Logline: A one-to-two line description of your manuscript
- Synopsis: A brief synopsis of the work (approx. 200 words)
- Work plan: Brief outline of your intended work plan while at Varuna, bearing in mind that a Fellowship will be taken some months after your application (approx. 100 words).
- If you are published, please note the numbers of works published and type (eg, books, short pieces, whether fiction, non-fiction, poetry or other, published in anthologies, magazines, journals and magazines). Please do not include the titles of your works as these could identify you.
- Fonts: Submitted work should be in English, typed in Times New Roman or Calibri (font size 12), double-spaces and with generous margins of 3cm on both left and right
- Headers: Include an identifying manuscript title and the page number on the top-right corner of each page.
- Editing: Please do take the time to carefully check your manuscript for spelling and grammatical errors.
Key dates for 2025
Applications for the 2025 Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship open in early August and close in early September, 2025 (dates to be advised).
A panel of New England Writers' Centre assessors will establish a shortlist, and Varuna will make the final choice between the shortlisted entries.
The winner will be announced in October 2025.
The Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship can be taken from Monday to Monday between January and July 2026, exact date to be negotiated between the recipient and Varuna.
Applications for the 2025 Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship open in early August and close in early September, 2025 (dates to be advised).
A panel of New England Writers' Centre assessors will establish a shortlist, and Varuna will make the final choice between the shortlisted entries.
The winner will be announced in October 2025.
The Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship can be taken from Monday to Monday between January and July 2026, exact date to be negotiated between the recipient and Varuna.