The Fowler Trust Fellowships for Fiction
Generously supported by The Fowler Trust, this program supports four two-week fellowships for fiction writers, including women’s fiction, crime, fantasy, historical fiction, speculative fiction and YA.
Applications are now closed
Residency dates: The fellowship can be taken between January - August 2026.
Places: Four writers are selected every year as part of the Varuna Residential Fellowships program.
Who should apply: Fiction writers, including women’s fiction, crime, fantasy, historical fiction, speculative fiction and YA
FAQs: Please read the FAQs before you apply.
This is a flagship fellowship as part of the Varuna Residential Fellowships.
Each of the four recipients will receive:
A two-week residency at Varuna, with full board and accommodation including a prepared evening meal, uninterrupted time to write in your own private studio, and the companionship of your fellow writers.
A one-hour consultation with a Varuna mentor, Carol Major, Mary Anne Butler or Tegan Bennett-Daylight.
A travel subsidy of $350 for writers living more than 400 km away from Varuna.
The recipient will be asked to acknowledge The Fowler Trust in any published work associated with time spent at Varuna.
For more information about staying at Varuna, visit our Residencies page.
TESTIMONIALS
“I love the way that our creative work is prioritised and every aspect of Varuna is focused on that. It is the perfect combination of quiet reflection, time to write, fresh mountain air and interesting conversation with other writers.”
HOW TO APPLY
The Fowler Trust Fellowships are awarded to four writers who submit fiction manuscripts of outstanding quality when applying for a Varuna Residential Fellowship. There is no separate application process.
Please refer to Varuna’s general submission guidelines for any questions on formatting your work.