Varuna Trans and Gender Diverse Fellowship
Emerging trans and gender diverse writers are invited to apply for a week-long residency at Varuna in 2026, benefiting from one-on-one mentorship and group reading sessions, supported by community.
Applications open 3 February 2026
Applications close: 5pm AEDT 3 March 2026
Residency dates: 3-10 August 2026
Places: Six writers will be selected
Who should apply: Emerging trans and gender diverse writers working in any genre; we welcome all writers whose assigned sex at birth does not match their gender identity, be they transgender, transsexual, non-binary, agender, gender fluid, sistergirl, brotherboy, two spirit, or other identifications under this umbrella.
Fees: There is an application fee of $35 for this program. Those experiencing financial hardship can have their fees waived via the Varuna Equity Fund.
This fee helps to cover the administrative costs of this program and pays our assessors for their time reading your work.
FAQ: Please read the FAQ before you apply.
Six fellowships will be awarded to emerging trans and gender diverse writers from anywhere in Australia. This fellowship program is open to any writer who identifies as trans and/or gender diverse, in that their assigned sex at birth does not match their gender identity. This program is focused on aspiring and emerging writers, with a view to creating opportunities for new voices.
We welcome writers of all genres including fiction, narrative non-fiction, poetry, children's books, graphic novels, play/screen writing, writing for radio, young adult, essays or short fiction.
The fellowship includes:
A one-week residency at Varuna, 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, 3 - 10 August 2026
Travel costs reimbursed between your home and Katoomba
A one-on-one conversation with a Varuna mentor
The fellowship week will also include an event for the local LGBTQI+ community.
For more information about staying at Varuna, visit our Residencies page.
HOW TO APPLY
You will need to send us up to 5,000 words from the beginning of your manuscript, as well as answer questions about your experience and practice.
For poetry, you need to send us a selection of 10 poems.
For plays and screen plays, you may send a sample of 10 pages, or more if it doesn’t exceed 10,000 words.
For graphic novels a sample of 10 pages.
For children’s picture books you may send us a full manuscript.
Assessors will be looking at the artistic merit of the work sample that you submit, your commitment to the writing craft, and how this fellowship will benefit your professional development. They will also consider the balance of the group, with a view to ensuring the residency has a collegiate atmosphere, and that the fellowship recipients represent the diversity of the community.
Assessors will be established trans and gender diverse writers.
Please refer to Varuna’s general submission guidelines for any questions on formatting your work.
This fellowship is made possible by donations from Grace Projects, as well as Kate and Leigh Shane. The inaugural program in 2025 was also supported by members of our community who donated via GiveOut Day 2024, including Bronte Atlast, Stephen Blood, Karen Cornford, Kevin Doohan, Tony Duffin, Brooke Dunnell, Denise Francisco, Darren Hardman, Gaby Hartig-Franc, Kim Knight, Kate Leaver, Robyn McLean, Zac, Ava and Devin Moran, Clinton Morris, Ellie Nielsen, Jasmine Nightingale, Gemma Noon, Naomi Parry Duncan, Yves Rees, Ben Reid, S Sanders, Orlando Silver, Tim Sinclair, Veechi Stuart, Sarah Vincent and many others who elected to remain anonymous. We are endlessly grateful for your support.
UPCOMING COURSES, FELLOWSHIPS AND EVENTS
