Indigenous Writing Fellowships

The call for entries for the 2014 Indigenous Writing Fellowships will be announced in October 2013.

The two winners will each receive:

• $10,000 prize money
• manuscript development with black&write!'s Indigenous editors at SLQ
• publication by prestigious Indigenous publisher Magabala Books

Conditions of entry

• All entries must include a completed entry form  (DOC 71.0 KB)
• There is no entry fee.
• In general only single-authored entries will be accepted, with the exception of an illustrator for the Children's Book.  Co-authored entries will only be considered if both writers are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent and entrants must contact the black&write! project to discuss their entry prior to the closing date of the competition.
• Where a children's book is submitted with illustrations, the author and illustrator will be considered joint entrants and the fellowship prize will be split equally between the two entrants.
• All entries must be the work of the entrant.
• Adult Fiction manuscripts must be a minimum of 60,000 words.
• Young Adult manuscripts must be a minimum of 40,000 words.
• Poetry entries must be a minimum of 30 poems.
• Children’s book entries must be complete in story with, if illustrated, all illustrations submitted as copies – no original illustrations accepted at entry stage.
• There is no limit to the number of eligible entries per writer. However, each individual entry must comply with the entry conditions.
• Entries currently entered in other writing competitions or under contract to a publisher or agent or subject to contractual negotiations are not eligible.
• The winners of the fellowship will have their works edited to publication standard by the black&write! Indigenous editors.

All entries must be presented in the following format:

• double spaced lines
• 2cm minimum margins on both sides of page
• printed on one side of page only
• typed or word processed
• on A4 paper, loose-leaf format, no binding
• a Word document disk of the manuscript must be included with each entry
• the entrant’s name to appear only on the first page of the manuscript.

Deadline for entries

The deadline for entries for the 2014 fellowships is 31 January 2014.

Selection process

• The fellowships will be awarded by the State Library on the advice of a selection committee with extensive knowledge of Indigenous writing.
• Every entrant will receive assessment comments on their manuscripts.
• No correspondence will be entered into once the decision has been announced.  The Judges' decision on the eligibility of an entry will be final.  Judges may invite entries for consideration.
• All entries become the property of the State Library and will not be returned to the applicant.

The State Library reserves the right to:

• not accept any ineligible, incomplete or late entries
• not award a Fellowship during a particular round.

Expected outcomes:

Fellowship recipients will be expected to work co-operatively with the Indigenous Editors through to the completion of their manuscript. The awarded manuscript shall not be published prior to this process completion.

Previous Fellowship recipients

2013

• Jared Thomas, Calypso Summer
• Tristan Savage. Rift Breaker
• Scott Prince and Dave Hartley, Deadly D and Justice Jones: Making the Team

2012

• Teagan Chilcott, Rise of the fallen
• Jillian Boyd (Writer) and Tori-Jay Mordey (Illustrator), Bakir and Bi

2011

• Ali Cobby-Eckermann, Ruby Moonlight
• Sue McPherson, Grace beside me

More information

• Email:  indigenous.writing@slq.qld.gov.au
• Phone: 07 3842 9985

black&write! has been generously supported by:

• Copyright Agency Limited Cultural Fund
• Arts Queensland
• Queensland University of Technology through the Creative Industries Faculty (Writing) and the Oodgeroo Unit.