The Spirit of Varuna

In 1936, Eleanor Dark wrote, “With a creative trinity, mind, body, spirit, one must yield something back to the generous earth”. Little did she know that after she and her husband, Eric Dark, had passed away, their son, Mick, would gift their home – that special place where she had written her award-winning novels – to the writing community of Australia.  And so, Varuna the National Writers’ House found its beginnings in this generous gift, and its spirit in the words of Eleanor Dark.

For over three decades, Varuna has marked a turning point in the lives and careers of many writers. The phrase that recurs in testimonials is “that Varuna magic” – that precious experience of being nurtured, of having a “room of one’s own”, of being surrounded by a supportive community of writers. Writers also speak of the enormous boost in confidence resulting from being considered and valued as a writer, sometimes for the first time in their lives.

The main house, along with Eleanor Dark’s writing studio nestled in the garden behind the apple orchard, provides accommodation and writing spaces for five writers. There is also a fully accessible self-contained studio and ramp access to the main house for writers.

Varuna’s Equity Access Fund

Varuna is passionate about equity and understands that for many writers, the initial feeling of elation when offered a fellowship is tempered by feelings of nervousness. Most writers have a “day job”, and a fellowship means between one to three weeks away from their primary source of income. Other writers need to factor in significant travel costs, and for others, the cost of the application fee is an additional stress.

The Varuna Equity Access Fund has been established in order to allow all writers to attend a Varuna fellowship residency, regardless of their financial situation. Your donation may cover the cost of an application fee, a precious one-hour mentoring conversation, or it may cover one week of a fellowship.

Varuna is a registered charity, and all donations are tax-deductible.