2024 First Nations Writing Masterclass with Ellen van Neerven
Check out Varuna’s in-person residential First Nations Fellowships too. These Fellowships are open for applications until 14 May 2024. You can even apply for both the First Nations Fellowships and the online First Nations Masterclass - go for it!
Ellen van Neerven is an award-winning writer of Mununjali Yugambeh and Dutch heritage. Ellen’s first book, Heat and Light, was the recipient of the David Unaipon Award, the Dobbie Literary Award and the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Indigenous Writers’ Prize. They are the author of two poetry collections: Comfort Food, which was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Kenneth Slessor Prize; and Throat, which won the Kenneth Slessor Prize, the Multicultural NSW Award and Book of the Year in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Their latest book is Personal Score, published in 2023.
Led by award-winning writer, teacher and Mununjali author Ellen van Neerven, this small online class for First Nations writers of all genres uses reading as a tool to sharpen artistic vision and ambition. Each week, the group will look at and discuss exemplary extracts from contemporary Australian and international First Nations authors across genres and intersections. These readings will also serve as inspiration for drafting, writing and forming work.
Each fortnight we will examine and unpack a core subject thread: Country, Relative, Vessel, Power and Gesture. In the first session each fortnight, Ellen will present a gathering of ideas, writing and reading built around the fortnight’s subject.
Every second week will be dedicated to workshopping new writing shaped by these practices and processes. Each writer will be asked to produce their own new work to share with the class. Constructive and thoughtful feedback will be provided by the group and Ellen.
This course will be taught by Zoom over a ten-week period, in two-hour blocks from 4-6pm on Tuesdays. The group will use the writing platform WetInk for sharing work and extended discussion.
There will be up to eight participants in this class.
“I loved Ellen van Neerven's gentle manner of facilitating the course, their choice of content material/topics covered, & the smooth & fair way in which they handled the workshopping. I also loved the diverse nature of the group & the warmth & feeling of safety which bloomed very quickly among the group.” - 2023 participant
“I loved the community aspect, the motivation and accountability with writing through regular sharing and feedback, the support from Ellen and the structure… The ten weeks went by so quickly and none of us wanted it to be over. I also really love that the course wasn’t genre or form specific, which allowed us all to experiment with our writing.” - 2023 participant
HOW TO APPLY
Entry to this course is by application, and is open to First Nations writers only. Writers will be selected based on the creative potential of their work, commitment to craft, openness to collaborating with peers, and the balance in the group.
There are no fees for this program.
Feel free to call 02 4782 5674 or email amy@varuna.com.au to discuss your application.
Applications close at 5pm on 11 July 2024.
All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their submission by 31 July.
IMPORTANT DATES
Start date: Tues 24 September 2024
There will be a one-week break in the week beginning 21 October.
End date: Tues 3 December 2024
Zoom duration: 2 hour blocks from 4:00pm to 6:00pm on Tuesdays (AEST)
The writing platform WetInk will be used for sharing work and extended discussion.
Please let Varuna know if you need to miss one or two weeks so that we can facilitate any course material that is missed.
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Week 1: Introduction + Country
Week 2: Country workshop
Week 3: Relative
Week 4: Relative workshop
Week 5: Vessel
Week 6: Vessel workshop
Week 7: Power
Week 8: Power workshop
Week 9: Gesture
Week 10: Gesture workshop