NSW writers, illustrators, and playwrights can apply for a major new literary fellowship program, backed by $500,000 funding from Create NSW. The new Stories Matter: NSW Literary Fellowships signals a major commitment to strengthening the state’s literary ecosystem, ensuring NSW’s diverse voices and stories are celebrated and elevated globally.
Designed and delivered in partnership with Writing NSW, 10 Fellowship recipients will each receive $50,000 funding, combined with the essential industry support to help progress their work from page to publication and performance.
The opportunity is open to NSW-based prose writers, poets, illustrators, graphic novelists, and playwrights, at every career stage – with four fellowships for emerging creatives, three mid-career fellowships and three fellowships for established literature creatives. Emerging practitioners will benefit from structured mentorship and professional development to build industry knowledge, while mid-career and established practitioners will benefit from dedicated time and financial support to undertake major creative work.
To ensure under-represented voices are heard and celebrated, the program has been developed to be inclusive and accessible for First Nations writers, culturally-diverse practitioners and those living in Western Sydney, regional and remote NSW who often face additional barriers to access.
Applications are open until Monday 27 July 2026. Applicants will be competitively and independently assessed by members of Create NSW’s Literature Artform Board.
For more information and to apply click here.