Affirm Press Fellowship
Writers of fiction and non-fiction with an unpublished manuscript inspired by history are invited to apply for a one-week residential fellowship at Varuna, with editorial feedback from Affirm Press.
Applications open: 5 May 2026
Applications close: 9 June 2026
Residency dates: 23 - 30 November 2026
Places: Up to four writers will be selected
Who should apply: Writers developing fiction or non-fiction that is inspired by history, that is not under contract to a publisher.
Fees: There is an application fee of $70, or $40 if you have a Healthcare card. Application fees are used to pay a team of professional assessors to read your work.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you can have your fees waived via the Varuna Equity Access Fund.
FAQs: Please read the FAQs before you apply.
“I cannot recommend the Affirm Fellowship highly enough. The chance to receive thoughtful feedback from a publisher, combined with time and space to begin working through that feedback alongside like-minded writers, has been invaluable. And the beautiful setting is an added bonus!”
ABOUT THIS FELLOWSHIP
Melbourne-based publisher Affirm Press is dedicated to publishing great Australian stories and building relationships with emerging local writers.
Affirm is looking for stories that venture into our past in order to tell us more about our world today. Entries may be fiction or non-fiction but should be well-researched and based around a real historical story, with a setting or central focus that took place no later than 1970. They must be full-length projects (at least 60,000 words total), either completed or in development with a minimum 30,000 already words written. Poetry and short story collections are not eligible.
“What we're craving are those fascinating, unknown tales from the past, brought to life with great storytelling and excellent research.”
- Ruby Ashby-Orr, Publisher at Affirm Press
The Fellowship includes:
A one-week residency at Varuna the National Writers’ House, 23 - 30 November 2026, including all food and a prepared evening meal, with uninterrupted time to write in your own private studio, and the companionship of your fellow writers
Editorial feedback from Affirm Press, with meetings over zoom at the beginning and end of the week, as well as manuscript feedback as necessary.
General advice after the residency up to completion of a completed or reworked draft.
It is important for applicants to note that this program does not come with a guarantee of publication. Affirm Press will have first right of refusal on your manuscript when the first draft after the fellowship is completed. Affirm will have 90 days to make an offer to publish the work after submission to their editors, and the work may not be submitted to any other publishers during this period.
Travel costs are at the fellowship recipient’s expense, but if you have a healthcare card or are experiencing financial hardship, you can apply to the Varuna Equity Fund for $350 to support costs.
For more information about staying at Varuna, visit our Residencies page.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications open 5 May 2026
You will need to complete a short application form and send us between 7,000 and 10,000 words from the beginning of your manuscript, along with a synopsis of the entire work.
Entries may be fiction or non-fiction but should be well-researched and based around a real historical story, with a setting or central focus that took place no later than 1970. They must be full-length projects (at least 60,000 words total), either completed or in development with a minimum 30,000 already words written. Poetry and short story collections are not eligible. Submissions of works outside this description will not be accepted.
Please refer to Varuna’s general submission guidelines for any questions on formatting your work.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIPS, COURSES AND EVENTS
