Matilda Bookshop, in partnership with Writers SA, and in association with Ultimo Press, offers an annual residency fellowship to a South Australian writer.

The fellowship provides support (time, writing space and mentoring) to work on a writing project of literary merit. Applications will be assessed by Writers SA staff, with the shortlist judged by Writers SA and Matilda Bookshop. Ultimo Press will provide consultation and manuscript assessment to the recipient.

The residency is for one week (seven nights) and includes the following:

• A travel/living subsidy of $500.
• One week’s accommodation at Grass Tree Gully in Deep Creek for uninterrupted writing time. Breakfast (vegetarian) will be provided daily, but please note that the food provided is for the resident fellow only.
• A one-and-a-half-hour mentorship session with South Australian author and experienced mentor, Rachael Mead, a week ahead of the residency or during the residency (either in-person or online), with a follow-up session at either one-month or three-months after the residency, as decided by the writer and the needs of their project. The mentor will have read the submission material, including outline/synopsis, ahead of the first mentoring session. Follow-up mentoring session in 2025 is a creative check-in, and will not involve a full manuscript assessment.
• An initial one-hour phone consultation with Ultimo Press, after reading submission material, followed by a full manuscript assessment and further one-hour consultation on delivery of finished work.

• A travel/living subsidy of $500. Writers living in remote areas may be eligible for a higher subsidy.

How to apply:

• Applications will open Friday 2 February 2024, and must be submitted via by  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/deepcreekres2024 11:59pm Tuesday 2 April 2024 (due to a typo, we will accept applications until Friday 5th April).
• The successful recipients will be notified Friday by June 28 2024.
• The week-long residency will take place from Monday 14^th – 21^st October 2024.
• There is no application fee, and no program fees apply. Regional writers may apply for a higher travel/living subsidy at the time of application and this will depend on the location they are travelling from. Offered annually to a South Australian writer,  this fellowship provides support (time, writing space and mentoring) to work on a project of literary merit.  

SUBMISSIONS OPEN 2 FEB & CLOSE 2 APRIL 2024 

Selection Criteria:

Applications will be considered according to: 

• The impact of the opportunity on the writer.
• The ambition and potential of the project.
• The quality of the support material.
• The residency is open to both emerging and established writers.

To apply:

Please submit the following materials to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/deepcreekres2024

• Your contact details.
• A brief, relevant bio (max. 150 words).
• A statement addressing how the opportunity will benefit you (max. 250 words).
• A summary/outline/synopsis of your proposed project to be undertaken during the Deep Creek residency (max. 1 page). Please note, we are only accepting submissions of adult literary fiction, memoir, biography, autobiography, and narrative non-fiction.
• Artistic support material: 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.
• Your documents must be saved in your name before uploading. Example: firstnamelastnamesynopsis.docx and firstnamelastnametitle.docx
• Please advise what stage of your development the manuscript/project is at. For example, completed first draft, ideas generating phase, editing polished manuscript.

Terms and conditions

By entering this application process, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

1. 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).

2. You must be a South Australian resident for at least 12 months.

3. You must be 18 years or older.

4. You must be able to take up the residency between 14-21 October 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.

5. The successful applicant will need to make their own way to and from the residency at Grass Tree Gully in Deep Creek, South Australia.

6. The final recipient will be chosen at the discretion of Writers SA and Matilda Bookshop. The decision will be final, and no discussion will be entered into with applicants. Previous applicants may reapply with the same or a different literary project. Previous winners can not reapply even if the project is new. Writers SA and Matilda Bookshop permanent and casual staff, and members of the Writers SA board, are ineligible to apply for this opportunity.

Additional Information

Grass Tree Gully accommodation does not have WiFi, so recipients are encouraged to bring their own dongle/hot spot if they are wanting to be online. The host, Justine, is available to talk through your options regarding WiFi access.

The house is reasonably accessible however the property is mostly rugged terrain. Please contact [email protected] if you need to discuss any accessibility queries or options in relation to the residency.

Undertaking the residency is not a guarantee of publication. Ultimo Press will consider the final manuscript at their discretion.

Please follow this link where you can also upload your documents.