• Home
  • 2022 Summer Micro Grants
    • 2022 Summer micro grants_Kerry Moran
    • 2022 Summer micro grants_Mary McMillan
  • Unearth Your Voice
  • Illustrating Nature with Sami Bayly
  • Quick Crime with JP Pomare
  • Unleash Your Inner Illustrator
  • Rachael McDiarmid workshop
  • The Illustrated Story
  • Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing
  • Illustration Prize for children's picture book illustration
  • Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
  • About
    • Our Board
    • Our Sponsors
  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • 2021 Archive
    • 2021 Illustration Prize Winners
    • Varuna Fellowship 2021
    • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 >
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 winning submissions
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 Judges Reports
    • 2021 Summer Micro Grants >
      • 2021 Summer micro grants_Trish >
        • Beetle Hunt Stories
      • 2021 Summer micro grants_James
      • 2021 Summer Micro Grants_Fiona
  • 2020 Archive
    • Thunderbolt Prize 2020 >
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2020 Judges Reports
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2020_Winning submissions
    • Illustration Prize 2020 Winners
    • Varuna Fellowship 2020
    • 2020 Historical Novel Prize >
      • About the judges
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Inside Story Book
    • By The Book video series
    • Stories Connect
  New England Writers' Centre

The Varuna-NEWC Fellowship

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.
See last year's Fellowship winner.

2022 Submission Dates & Guidelines

Submissions for the 2022 Varuna Fellowship (a week's residency to be taken in 2023), will be opening on August 1 and closing on October 1, 2022. 


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:
  • 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. 

Key dates

Applications for the 2022 Varuna-New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship will open August 1, 2022 and close at midnight on October 1, 2022. 

A panel of New England Writers’ Centre assessors will establish a shortlist of three entries, and Varuna will make the final choice between the three shortlisted entries.

The winner will be announced in November 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. 
​SITE MAP

Home
​Workshop Program
Thunderbolt Prize
Illustration Prize
Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
About
Membership
​Contact Us
Blog
Archive

Resources
Board
Sponsors
Picture
We gratefully acknowledge the support of Create NSW and our other generous sponsors
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which the New England Writers' Centre is situated and pay our respects to Aboriginal Elders past, present and emerging.
  • Home
  • 2022 Summer Micro Grants
    • 2022 Summer micro grants_Kerry Moran
    • 2022 Summer micro grants_Mary McMillan
  • Unearth Your Voice
  • Illustrating Nature with Sami Bayly
  • Quick Crime with JP Pomare
  • Unleash Your Inner Illustrator
  • Rachael McDiarmid workshop
  • The Illustrated Story
  • Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing
  • Illustration Prize for children's picture book illustration
  • Varuna-NEWC Fellowship
  • About
    • Our Board
    • Our Sponsors
  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • 2021 Archive
    • 2021 Illustration Prize Winners
    • Varuna Fellowship 2021
    • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 >
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 winning submissions
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2021 Judges Reports
    • 2021 Summer Micro Grants >
      • 2021 Summer micro grants_Trish >
        • Beetle Hunt Stories
      • 2021 Summer micro grants_James
      • 2021 Summer Micro Grants_Fiona
  • 2020 Archive
    • Thunderbolt Prize 2020 >
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2020 Judges Reports
      • Thunderbolt Prize 2020_Winning submissions
    • Illustration Prize 2020 Winners
    • Varuna Fellowship 2020
    • 2020 Historical Novel Prize >
      • About the judges
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Inside Story Book
    • By The Book video series
    • Stories Connect