Event description
In 2023 I’m trying something new by offering 5 mini mentorships to writers around Australia*, staggered throughout the year. Four of these will be paid, and the fifth will be a solidarity mentorship, offered pro bono to a regional/marginalised writer.
About me
I'm the author of five books, most recently The Airways (Picador, 2021). I've been shortlisted for the Miles Franklin (and longlisted twice), the Aurealis (also twice) and the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature. I'm a widely published and respected critic and essayist, an experienced mentor and peer assessor, and was the fiction editor at Overland for six years. I am a Director of the Australian Society of Authors and an advocate for fair pay in the arts, working closely with MEAA. I am a very queer writer, I read widely, and I like to mess with genre. Although I am now based on Kaurna Yerta (in Adelaide) I have spent most of my career in regional Australia. I've been writing full time for 15 years.
What it costs
The four paid mini mentorships cost $750 each. The solidarity mentorship will be offered free of charge to a writer selected via a simple application process – more details to come.
What you get
- I will read up to 50,000 words of your fiction or non-fiction manuscript.
- I’ll give you two pages of written feedback, similar to a manuscript assessment, with advice about the work itself, the publishing industry, and how to navigate pitching and submissions.
- A one-hour Zoom meeting to discuss your work and answer all your questions.
- A deadline – the mentorships are staggered throughout the year, so you can plan ahead and use this as a motivational tool to get your draft ready
- Flexibility - meeting times will be arranged with individual writers
Eligibility
These mini mentorships are intended for writers who are early career or emerging, but have a well-developed manuscript.
*You don’t have to be based in Australia, but bear in mind that this is where my industry knowledge will be of most use.
Applications for the solidarity mentorship will be open to marginalised writers. This is a broad category, and it includes regional, LGBTQI+, First Nations, CALD/POC, and disabled writers. I’ll run a callout for this in the first half of 2023. If you're in a position to donate in support, you can (via "Get Tickets") - it would be greatly appreciated!
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