Applications close 28 January 2025
In this nine-month online workshop series Kris Kneen will lead a small group of writers to work together with the aim of each writer finishing a draft of their memoir. Commit to your memoir and make 2025 your year to get it done!
Applications close Tuesday 4 February 2025
In partnership with Red Room Poetry, this fellowship for six poets includes a residency at Varuna, one-on-one mentorship, and a poetic commission as part of the national Poetry Month in August 2025.
Applications close 11 February 2025
Expand and nurture your practice as a poet in this 4-month program. We’ll create an encouraging and inspiring community, and support the development of original work, from single poems to sequences, and explore how to build a collection for publication.
Self-paced online course
Bring the Varuna magic to you with this nine-part online, self-paced course on point of view with Jane Messer. Explore this important element of writing craft, analysing sample readings from well-known authors and being prompted with a series of exercises.
Online self-paced course
Bring the Varuna magic to you with this eight-part online, self-paced course on writing for wellbeing. This revitalising program enables you to explore writing as a practice for your own wellbeing, including techniques for getting started (or re-started!).
Save the Date
The Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival returns 31 October - 2 November 2025.
Applications now closed
First Nations writers are invited to apply for the opportunity to connect with Adivasi writers from India, first in residence at Varuna, then at a four-week residency at Sangam House in Bangalore.
The recipients of Whitlam Essay Residency for 2025 have been announced, with six essayists receiving a week-long residency at the Whitlam Prime Ministerial home in Cabramatta.
The recipients of Affirm Press Fellowship for 2025 have been announced, with four writers receiving a week-long residency at Varuna.
Listen to Yuwaalaraay storyteller Nardi Simpson delivering the 2023 Mick Dark Talk for the Future, to celebrate the release of Nardi’s new book, The Belburd, and her upcoming appearances at Blue Mountains Writers' Festival 2024.
The winners of this year's Whitlam Institute's What Matters? Writing Competition have been announced. Varuna is proud to have been involved in selecting the winner of the Artistic Merit Award.
Announcing the inaugural First Peoples India-Australia Exchange set for November 2025, which involves an exchange between two Adivasi writers from India and two First Nations writers from Australia.
The recipients of the Shanghai Western Sydney Writing Exchange for 2024/2025 have been announced.
Congratulations to the 37 writers who have been awarded a Varuna Residential Fellowship for 2025, as well as those marked highly commended.
The nine recipients of the inaugural Roderick Centre Fellowship for Regional and Remote Writers have been announced.
Tickets are already selling fast for the next Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival, which runs 1 - 3 November 2024 and features more than 80 writers, including Markus Zusak, Noni Hazlehurst, Liane Moriarty, Dr Karl, Gina Chick, Yumi Stynes, Pip Williams, Tony Birch, Shankari Chandran, Chris Hammer, Nardi Simpson, Sara M Saleh, Benjamin Stevenson, Alexis Wright, Michelle de Kretser and more.
We are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 First Nations Fellowship.
Congratulations to our WestWords-Varuna Emerging Writers’ Residency recipients; Ruth Larner, KT Major, Lucia Nguyễn and Danielle Osifo
Congratulations to Carol Major, Frances Olivia and Hoa Pham, the three Australia writers selected for Lamplight Online Residency - Shanghai.
Congratulations to Anna Hickey-Moody, Jennifer Martin and Patricia Pender for being awarded 2024 Ann Moyal Fellowships.
The recipients of the 2024 International Lamplight (Online) Residency - Ireland have been announced.
