Cultivate Mentorship Program for Emerging Writers from Diverse Backgrounds
As part of the 2025 Cultivate program, up to five emerging writers from Indigenous or culturally diverse backgrounds will be given the opportunity to work on a short piece of fiction or non-fiction (2000-5000 words) under the guidance of author and editor, with additional support from Writing NSW. The aim of the program is to ready the works to be submitted to journals or other platforms for publication.
The program is open to emerging writers from Indigenous or culturally diverse backgrounds who have some record of publication but have not yet published a book-length work. Applicants must be NSW residents and over the age of 18.
Successful applicants will receive:
- Mentoring from writer and editor Huyen Hac Helen Tran, including the opportunity to receive feedback on two drafts of the work and advice on where to submit it for publication
- Membership and development opportunities from Writing NSW, including a free short course of their choosing (subject to availability)
Please read the Terms & Conditions in the application form before applying.
Applications are now open.
Huyen Hac Helen Tran is a Vietnamese-Australian writer and arts worker currently living and working on Gadigal land. Her writing and research revolve around digital poetics, cultural inheritance, the body, care, and personal narrative, and her works can be found in Liminal Magazine, Meanjin, The Suburban Review, The Big Issue, and more. She is currently completing a Masters Degree in Literature and Creative Writing at Western Sydney University. She is the Digital Communications Officer at Sydney Review of Books, and is the recipient of the 2025 Whitlam Essay Residency program.
Read about the past winners here.
