The Next Chapter - 2027

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

Each Next Chapter writer will receive a $15,000 stipend and be paired with a handpicked mentor to work closely with them over a twelve-month period as they progress a major writing project. The program also offers meaningful opportunities for the recipients 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 writers selected, there will be one fellowship place dedicated specifically to a poet, The Malcolm Robertson Fellowship.