Introducing Maya Hodge

MARION is thrilled to announce that Maya Hodge has been selected as MARION’s inaugural fellow for 2023.

The MARION team is alert to emerging writers from around the country who are committed to a writing practice that is creative and meaningful. In reviewing our vision and commitment to supporting emerging voices we are pleased to introduce an annual MARION Fellowship. This is an award which invests in an emerging writer and/or creative practitioner whose work we believe in and wish to support and champion. It provides the fellow with access across our professional programs. 

Maya Hodge is a proud Lardil and Yangkaal woman whose writing practice is not just a means of creative expression but also an extension of her healing journey, her connection to her family, and her lived experiences as an Aboriginal woman. With her work as a curator, arts and culture writer, and creative, Maya is dedicated to disrupting colonial narratives and uplifting First Nation’s sovereignty and storytelling.

Maya’s writing and poetry have been published by Australian Poetry, Kill Your Darlings, Craft Victoria, Hardie Grant, Cordite Poetry Review, and Overland. In 2021, she was selected as a runner-up for the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition and this year was shortlisted for the Oodgeroo Noonuccal Indigenous Poetry Prize.

Last year Maya penned an insightful article for Kill Your Darlings, exploring the challenges faced by First Nations voices in Writers Festival spaces. Maya’s article sheds light on the importance of representation, balanced line-ups, and respectful engagement with Aboriginal writers and authors. Her work emphasises that writers’ festivals have a responsibility to create inclusive and respectful spaces for all voices to thrive.

Maya has been focusing on honing her essay-writing skills with an upcoming publication for Tarnanthi Festival. Her essay explores the short history of clay-making and its significance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. In addition to her writing projects, Maya recently curated the Opening Night lineup for the Emerging Writers Festival in Naarm, Melbourne. 

Maya Hodge’s selection as MARION’s inaugural fellow is a testament to her talent, resilience, and commitment to uplifting Aboriginal storytelling. We look forward to following Maya’s continued success and celebrating her contributions to the literary world.

We encourage you to read Maya’s vital article on Kill Your Darlings: Why Are Writers Festivals Unsafe for Mob?