About
We are thrilled to announce an exciting new Fellowship program for South Australian writers!
Writers SA and State Library of South Australia have partnered to offer the inaugural SA Literary Fellowships program to support emerging, established, and First Nations writers.
With investment from Creative Australia (Australia Council for the Arts), Arts South Australia and the Libraries Board of South Australia, this program will offer five annual creative writing fellowships with a cash component, desk space, and access to the Library’s collections. It is open to all writers living in South Australia to encourage the original and imaginative use of the Library’s spaces and collections to develop new literary works.
The program was developed in direct response to the needs of the local literary sector, addressing a gap in South Australia’s current fellowship and prize opportunities. Through the awarding of Fellowships and the presentation of a series of public events, this program aims to grow audiences of readers, promotes libraries and literature, and furthers the development of South Australian authors.
Applications open 30 August and close 20 October 2023.
Fellowship categories
Mid-Career
2 x $10,000
First Nations
1 x $10,000
Emerging
2 x $3,000
Annual Fellows receive:
- Writing prize (2 x $10,000 Mid-Career; 1 x $10,000 First Nations; 2 x $3,000 Emerging)
- A travel stipend for writers from regional parts of the state to undertake a residency in Adelaide
- Up to three months residency with a desk in the State Library, access to items in collections from Writers SA, State Library and National Archives
- Presentation of a public workshop, and a public reading event each to be held at the Institute Building presented by Writers SA and the State Library
- Introduction to a national network of literary agents, publishers and literary festival directors via Writers SA.
How to apply
Applications will open on 30 August and must be submitted via the entry form by 11pm 20 October 2023.
To apply:
Please follow this link to the expression of interest form where you can fill in your details.
You will be asked to supply:
- your contact details
- a brief, relevant bio (max. 100 words)
- a 500 word description of the manuscript or creative project to be undertaken during the Fellowship, including any SLSA collections that you will draw upon for research or in the writing process.
- artistic support material (an excerpt of the current project or previous creative works: one chapter of manuscript, or twenty pages of writing if still in early development stage. Please outline the connection of the support material to your proposed project.)
More information
The SA Literary Fellowships program offers creative writing fellowships and is open to all writers living in South Australia. With dedicated desk space at the State Library, access to State Library staff and collections, and Writers SA staff and services, the program encourages the original and imaginative use of the Library’s collections for new work.
These reference collections include:
- Aboriginal family history
- Indigenous collections (Mountford-Sheard Collection; Ara Irititja)
- Immigration and shipping
- Newspapers
- Pictures, photos and objects from Australia’s cultural institutes
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Church records
- Cemetery records
- Symon library
- Rare books
- Wine literature of the world
- Children’s literature research collection
- Paul McGuire maritime library
- Royal Geographical Society library.
Fellowship applications will be selected by two three-person panels of independent judges selected from the literary sector, including authors, editors, publishers, booksellers and literary academics. One panel will be dedicated to the First Nations fellowship and will consist of First Nations literary sector representatives.
Applications will be judged upon track record of professional practice, the originality of the creative project to be undertaken and the applicant’s capacity to achieve it, and degree to which they will make use of available collections and fellowship activities.
All Fellows will be engaged in a series of public events, including work-in-progress readings, information sessions for future applicants, and an end of year celebration and reading event.
Terms and Conditions
By entering this application process, you agree to the following terms and conditions:
- You must be a writer with a work in progress (the submission can be in early stages of development, but we want to see that you have a viable and dynamic project in mind)
- You must be a South Australian resident for at least 12 months.
- You must be 18 years or older.
- You must be able to take up the Fellowship between 1 February-30 May 2024, and if circumstances beyond your control prevent you from attending during this time, you must notify Writers SA of this immediately so another applicant can be offered the fellowship.
- The final recipient will be chosen at the discretion of the judges. The decision will be final, and no discussion will be entered into with applicants.
- The annual Fellow will have the option of a desk space at Writers SA and the State Library for between one and three months, and will be engaged in a number of events during this period.
- Emerging is unpublished and mid-career is a minimum of one published book or collection.
Presented by Writers SA and State Library of South Australia, with investment from Creative Australia (Australia Council for the Arts), Arts South Australia and the Libraries Board of South Australia.
