Aboriginal Writer's Fellowship 2027

The Aboriginal Writer’s Fellowship is open to all unpublished and published Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers living in Tasmania.

It will be awarded to the writer deemed by the judges to have demonstrated the most literary merit. The winner will receive $10,000 and support from Island Magazine towards a publishing opportunity.

Entries open on 6 July 2026 and close 7 September 2026.

The Tasmanian Literary Awards are administered by Creative Tasmania on behalf of the Tasmanian Government.

Entrants for the Aboriginal Writer’s Fellowship must:

• confirm that they meet the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s eligibility for Tasmanian Government Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs and services,

• be living at the date of application and the date of the announcement of the award of the fellowship;

• be resident in Tasmania. This means that the entrant must have lived in Tasmania for six of the past 12 months as at the date of entry into the awards;

• not have previously won the Aboriginal Writer’s Fellowship. 

• An entry must be submitted through the digital entry form on the Tasmanian Literary Awards website on or before 7 September 2026. Late entries will not be accepted.

• The entry must be submitted by completing the information required by the digital entry form and submitting a writing sample. The writing sample: 

• • must be a maximum of 10 pages;

• • must be in PDF or Microsoft Word format;

• • must be typed and double-spaced;

• • can be from one work or include several different pieces of work;

• • can include a genre, such as non-fiction or fiction for adults, non-fiction or fiction for children and young readers, graphic novels, poetry, play scripts, screenplays, short stories, or literary essays; and

• • if it incorporates or uses any Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), must have complied with clause 14.3 in the terms and conditions; and

• • must be the writer’s own original work. This means that (amongst other things):
    • the work has not been ghost written by or co-authored with another author; and
    • the work must not be generated by artificial intelligence (AI). To assist judges with their determination of originality and eligibility, entrants must acknowledge where AI has been used in the production of the work (for example formatting or editing assistance).

• Creative Tasmania will send the entrant confirmation of entry.

• The judges may shortlist up to four writers. The judges may request that shortlisted writers submit a larger writing sample to be judged.

• Entries for the Aboriginal Writer’s Fellowship must be submitted by the writer. Entries may not be submitted by an agent or publisher on behalf of a writer.

• Entrants for the Aboriginal Writer’s Fellowship may also enter other categories of the Tasmanian Literary Awards.