The Writing NSW Varuna Fellowship is awarded annually to a writer with a work of fiction, creative non-fiction, a play, or a suite of poems that is ready for the next stage of development. Applicants must be Writing NSW members and be willing to commit to developing their work.

The fellowship includes a week’s residency at Varuna, the National Writers’ House in Katoomba, with full board and accommodation including a prepared evening meal, uninterrupted time to write in your own private studio, and the companionship of your fellow writers. 

2024 winner, J. Marahuyo, says of the residency:

‘The Writing NSW – Varuna Fellowship came at the perfect time, in the midst of turmoil, it provided peace and time to process and heal with my creativity. I was able to delve a little deeper into each disclosure of violence I had in the making. Through the one-on-one conversation with my chosen mentor I was able to refocus and find the central question to each poem and work on looking at it from a narrative perspective, it affirmed my need to strengthen my story telling by being unafraid to hold my reader’s hand a little more. The consultation, the rainy haunted ambience and the conversations with my fellow writers provided fertile soil for ideas to blossom and space to breathe.’

Application Requirements

 In the application you will be asked to provide the following:

 1. A combined document (maximum two pages total) that includes:

• a one page statement on how the Fellowship will aid the development of your project, and
• a one page synopsis of your project.

This document must be supplied in PDF formatt, using the file naming convention manuscript_title_Statement.pdf. (e.g. My Story_Statement.pdf)

 2. An extract from your manuscript of no more than 10 pages.

This document must be supplied in PDF format, using the file naming convention manuscript_title.pdf. (e.g. My Story.pdf)

Get some tips on how to write a synopsis here.

Writers submitting a poetry collection should consider including the collection’s central themes, recurring imagery, and emotional touch points in their synopsis. Focus on what connects the poems rather than the poems as individual pieces. You should also explain where your submitted poems fit within the larger collection.

Your manuscript must be formatted as follows to be considered:

Line spacing: 1.5 or double, poetry should be single spaced with stanzas double spaced
Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
Margins: At least 3 cm on all sides (Word’s default margins are fine)
Alignment: Text should be left-aligned (not fully justified)
Page numbers: Include page numbers, consecutive from beginning to end
Anonymity: Do not include your name or any personally identifying information in the manuscript or accompanying documents

Once you submit your application you will be directed to a page to pay the $45 administration fee. Terms and conditions can be found on the application form.

Before beginning the application it is strongly recommended that you are logged-in as a member to the Writing NSW website.

Previous recipients include J Marahuyo, Alison Martin, Lucy Nelson, Hajer Al-awsi, Cleo Mees, Jordan Shea, Kylie Boltin, Eleanor Kirk, Kaya Wilson, Winnie Dunn, Tanya Vavilova, Karina Young, Adele Dumont, Christopher McDonald, Irma Gold, Alex Chalwell, Mark Brandi, Jacqui Dent, Helen Thurloe, Lucie Stevens, Alison Thompson and Greg Woodland.

Want to learn more about the fellowship? Read Mark Brandi‘s five favourite things about his time at Varuna here. Adele Dumont gives us a sneak-peek at her journal entries during her residency here, and Kaya Wilson walks us through his residency week here. Previous winners can be found here.