The Next Chapter - 2026

The Next Chapter program elevates Australian stories that aren’t being told and nurtures a new wave of writers to tell them.   

In 2025, The Next Chapter will select a group of ten writers and provide each of them with a stipend of $15,000, a handpicked mentor to work closely with them on bringing their writing to life and opportunities to connect with peers, agents, publishers and readers.  

Participants will also receive the opportunity to attend a residency at Varuna, The National Writers’ House, and attend an end-of-year publishing intensive at The Wheeler Centre. 

Of the ten writers selected, there will be one fellowship place dedicated specifically to a humour writer, The John Clarke Fellowship, and one fellowship place dedicated to a poet, The Malcolm Robertson Fellowship.