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Letty Katts Fellowship

About the fellowship

The Letty Katts Fellowship supports the research and documenting of Queensland’s music history. It gives a musician, composer, scholar or researcher the opportunity to study, experiment and explore new thinking in their art or area of study, leading to the creation of new knowledge or work inspired by Queensland’s music history. It commemorates Queensland songwriter and musician Violet Mellick (stage name Letty Katts).

The recipient receives a stipend of $5,000, along with a personal workspace within the Neil Roberts Research Lounge for a period of six months, giving premium access to the extensive collections and expert library staff and advice.

This fellowship is biennial, applications for the next Letty Katts Fellowship open mid 2024.

Interested in applying and have questions? Read our FAQ, or reach out to us at fellowships@slq.qld.gov.au or on (07) 3840 7879 or (07) 3840 7887.

Generously supported through the Queensland Library Foundation endowed fund established by the late Dr Stanton Mellick OAM ED and his daughter, the late Professor Jill Mellick.

2022 Letty Katts Fellow

The 2022 Letty Katts Fellowship was awarded to Dr Leah Cotterell for her project, Sunday Nights at the Primitif.

Leah’s project is focused on a State Library collection of photos of musicians and variety artists performing at The Primitif coffee lounge in the late 1950s. The research seeks to add to the collection, by identifying as many of the musicians as possible and creating biographies from public records and interviews. It also seeks to explore the context in which The Primitif operated in order to develop a richer understanding of this formative period in Queensland’s music history and the role The Primitif played in the careers of a generation of jazz musicians.

Blogs:

Videos:

Research Reveals 2024 - Dr Leah Cotterell’s Sunday Nights at the Primitif

More information

Past recipients
Find out more about past recipients of the Letty Katts Fellowship.
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A young Letty at the piano.
Frequently asked questions
Find answers to common queries regarding research fellowships at State Library.
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Presentation on back of truck
Judging
Find out information about the judging processes and how applications are assessed.
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