ClosedFellowship
black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships
DE · Australia
The black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships support First Nations writers through an unpublished manuscript competition. Two fellowships are awarded each year, with each winner receiving $15000, editorial development, and a publication opportunity with University of Queensland Press.
Funding
$15K – $15K
Duration
from May 2025 to at least December 2025
Location
Queensland
Who Can Apply
• Applicant must be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.
• Applicant must currently reside in Australia.
• Applicant must be available to complete the manuscript development process from May 2025 until at least December 2025.
• Applicants of all ages are welcome.
• Applicants under 18 years of age must provide written consent from a parent or guardian.
• Previously published authors may apply, but the submitted 2025 fellowship manuscript must be unpublished.
• Manuscript must be new work and must not have been published previously, including self-published.
• Previous publication of individual poems or short stories within the manuscript is accepted, subject to judges' assessment.
• Manuscripts currently submitted to other competitions, under submission or contract to a publisher or agent, or under contractual negotiation are not eligible.
• Manuscript must be an original work of the entrant or entrants.
• Fiction manuscripts of any genre are eligible.
• Non-fiction manuscripts are not eligible.
• Fiction and short story collections must be at least 50000 words.
• Young adult manuscripts must be at least 40000 words.
• Poetry manuscripts must contain at least 30 poems.
• Children's book manuscripts have no word count requirement.
• Manuscripts may be in English, Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language, or a combination including bilingual text.
• In general, only single-authored entries are accepted.
• Joint-authored works may be considered if discussed with black&write! before submission.
• Joint entries are accepted for children's books with separate author and illustrator, with one fellowship prize split equally.
• For joint entries, both entrants must meet eligibility requirements.
• For children's book joint entries, both writer and illustrator must complete an entry form and provide confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent.
Applicants must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people currently residing in Australia and available to complete the manuscript development process with black&write! from May 2025 until at least December 2025. All ages may apply, but applicants under 18 must provide written parent or guardian consent. Previously published authors may apply, but the submitted manuscript for the 2025 fellowship must be unpublished, original, and not under submission, contract, or negotiation elsewhere. Eligible manuscripts are new fiction works, short story collections, poetry, young adult, or children's books; non-fiction is not eligible. Minimum manuscript requirements apply by genre, and joint entries are generally limited, with special provisions for children's books with separate author and illustrator, both of whom must meet eligibility requirements and provide confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent.
What's Funded
Development of an unpublished fiction, poetry, young adult, or children's manuscript by First Nations writers, including participation in editorial development with the black&write! team.Before you apply
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Get a 48-hour grant fit auditExpected Outcomes
Completed manuscript development, participation in the fellowship process from May to at least December 2025, and potential publication with University of Queensland Press.Grant not accepting applications
Applications for this round are closed. A new round may open in the future.
Browse open grantsKey Information
Applicant Types
individual
Stage
any
Funding Purposes
communityresearchother
Keywords
First NationsIndigenous writerswriting fellowshipmanuscript competitionfictionpoetryyoung adultchildren's books
Frequently Asked Questions
1
What is the black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships?
The black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships is a fellowship grant offered by DE in Australia, providing $15K – $15K in funding. The black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships support First Nations writers through an unpublished manuscript competition. Two fellowships are awarded each year, with each winner receiving $15000, editorial development, and a publication opportunity with University of Queensland Press.
2
How much funding does the black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships provide?
The black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships provides $15K – $15K in funding. The typical project duration is from May 2025 to at least December 2025.
3
Who is eligible for the black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships?
- Applicant must be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.
- Applicant must currently reside in Australia.
- Applicant must be available to complete the manuscript development process from May 2025 until at least December 2025.
- Applicants of all ages are welcome.
- Applicants under 18 years of age must provide written consent from a parent or guardian.
- Previously published authors may apply, but the submitted 2025 fellowship manuscript must be unpublished.
- Manuscript must be new work and must not have been published previously, including self-published.
- Previous publication of individual poems or short stories within the manuscript is accepted, subject to judges' assessment.
- Manuscripts currently submitted to other competitions, under submission or contract to a publisher or agent, or under contractual negotiation are not eligible.
- Manuscript must be an original work of the entrant or entrants.
- Fiction manuscripts of any genre are eligible.
- Non-fiction manuscripts are not eligible.
- Fiction and short story collections must be at least 50000 words.
- Young adult manuscripts must be at least 40000 words.
- Poetry manuscripts must contain at least 30 poems.
- Children's book manuscripts have no word count requirement.
- Manuscripts may be in English, Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language, or a combination including bilingual text.
- In general, only single-authored entries are accepted.
- Joint-authored works may be considered if discussed with black&write! before submission.
- Joint entries are accepted for children's books with separate author and illustrator, with one fellowship prize split equally.
- For joint entries, both entrants must meet eligibility requirements.
- For children's book joint entries, both writer and illustrator must complete an entry form and provide confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent.
4
What activities are funded?
Development of an unpublished fiction, poetry, young adult, or children's manuscript by First Nations writers, including participation in editorial development with the black&write! team.
5
How do I apply for the black&write! Indigenous Writing Fellowships?
Start by checking your eligibility using the free Beta Docs eligibility checker. If eligible, Beta Docs' AI-powered platform can help you draft, review, and refine your application to maximise your chances of success.
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