CLOSING DATE
5pm 10 August 2020
$15,000 mentorship
Description
It’s really hard to make it as a writer.
Writers earn next to no money for their books. Even the most successful, most celebrated and acclaimed literary works in Australia can struggle to find an audience. Great books disappear without a trace every day.
When the markers of success and failure are that unforgiving, having the ability to take a chance on becoming a writer is a privileged position. And if it’s hard to succeed, it’s doubly hard to take risks with the craft of writing; to learn, to play, to develop and to explore. You might find your voice. But who’ll hear it?
Ten outstanding writers will be selected from applications and nominations, each receiving $15,000 to develop their work. The recipients will be matched with a mentor, and work closely with them on bringing their writing to life, connecting them with other writers, publishers, booksellers and readers – and guiding and training them through that experience.
This program is for the stories that aren’t being told, the voices we’re not hearing, and the ideas that need patience, care and work to introduce to the world. It’s for writers.
WHO CAN APPLY OR BE NOMINATED?
The author must:
• Permanently reside in Australia, but does not have to be an Australian citizen. We encourage people who came to Australia as a refugee to apply.
• Be at least 18 years of age; and
• Not be a current staff or board member of the Wheeler Centre, or an employee of one of its resident organisations, or of Aesop. Casual staff and volunteers are welcome to apply.
• Only enter one work per year for consideration.
Eligible works:
• Must be entirely the author’s original, own work;
• Must not have had more than 25% of the work previously published through one or multiple outlets, including online, unless previously self-published (ie. published independently at your own expense);
• Must not be already under contract with a publisher;
• Must be presented in English (bilingual editions where one of the languages used is English are also eligible); and
• Must be a work of prose, poetry, fiction or non-fiction or graphic novel aimed at readers aged 13 years and above.