Presented by Text Publishing and Writing NSW
Applications close Monday 25 November 2019
Text Publishing and Writing NSW are proud to announce the 2020 Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship.
The mentorship was established in 2019 to discover and nurture a powerful new Indigenous voice in Australian literature. The mentorship was welcomed by the Indigenous writing community and submissions were received from all over the country.
Cathy Craigie, founding Director of the First Nations Australia Writers Network, states:
“Mentorships are an important link in First Nations writing. Either through informal or formal structures, writers gain skills and knowledge of their craft but also of the industry. For First Nations writers, mentoring by their peers can bring literary knowledge but also a cultural perspective in keeping our stories strong without losing the essence of the story.“
This joint initiative will provide a year-long structured mentorship to an unpublished Indigenous writer who has made substantial progress on a manuscript of fiction or nonfiction. The recipient of the Mentorship will be paired with a senior Indigenous writer working in the same genre, providing feedback on their manuscript and professional advice.
The successful applicant will also receive professional development from Text Publishing and Writing NSW.
Recipient of the inaugural Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship, Allanah Hunt says of her experience:
“Receiving the Boundless mentorship has not only made my novel a better one, but has made me a better writer overall. This mentorship has been priceless in terms of experience and growth. My biggest thanks to Text Publishing, Writing NSW and Tara June Winch for this wonderful opportunity that has lived up to everything I hoped it would be and more! I cannot wait to continue my writing career with the new knowledge I’ve been so generously given.“
The Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship is open now and will close on Monday 25 November 2019. It will be judged by multi-award-winning Wiradjuri author Tara June Winch, alongside representatives from Text Publishing and Writing NSW. Tara June Winch states:
“The opportunity to work with a master is not only significant for the emerging writer, but also for the mentoring author. The process they undergo is as old and sacred as our culture, the handing down of the skills and tools needed to one day be passed down again and again. Being able to teach and to learn in such a close and guided fellowship is a once in a career moment. We are looking for the next generation of our greatest storytellers.“
The Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship is an outcome of Boundless – the festival of Indigenous and culturally diverse writers: Saturday 26 October 2019, Bankstown Arts Centre.
For more information on the Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship go to writingnsw.org.au
The organisers acknowledge that we meet and work on what always was and always will be the land of the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora Nation.