The Ann Moyal Non-Fiction Fellowship FAQ

ELIGIBILITY, COSTS AND KEY INFO  

When will I have to undertake my residency? 
The residency must be taken between 29 September  - 20 October 2025. These dates are not negotiable. 

What are the eligibility requirements for this fellowship? 
This fellowship is open to non-fiction writers researching and developing an original and compelling work with an Australian focus drawn from the broad fields of the humanities. You will need to have a proven record of publication either in printed book or e-book form, chapters in edited works, paper(s) in refereed journals, peer-reviewed essays or extended articles or other appropriate forms of production. 

Applicants must also be an Australian citizen or have a permanent residency visa, and be over 18 years old. Exemption may be given to permanent residency criteria, but only in the circumstances of recently arrived migrants/refugees. 

I am an Australian citizen living overseas. May I apply? 
Yes, but we do not cover international travel costs to attend a residency.  

I live in Australia but I am not a citizen or permanent resident. Can I still apply?
For our fellowship programs, exemption may be given to permanent residency criteria, but only in the circumstances of recently arrived migrants/refugees. Our Online Masterclasses, however, are open to all. 

What is the application fee for this program? 
There is no application fee for this program.  

Do I have to pay anything to stay at Varuna? 
You will need to cover your own travel costs to get to and from Varuna. If you have a Healthcare card or are experiencing financial hardship, you can apply to the Varuna Equity Fund for a $350 travel reimbursement.  

Do you provide any support for travel costs? 
If you have a healthcare card or are experiencing financial hardship, and you live interstate, you can apply to the Varuna Equity Fund for a $350 travel reimbursement. State and Territory funding bodies are often willing to provide a contribution for travel expenses to support professional development opportunities. 

Will I receive any payment in the form of stipends or per diems? 
No, you will not receive payment. Varuna includes all meals throughout your stay.  

I have missed the deadline. May I submit a late application? 
No. Unfortunately no applications will be accepted after the deadline date.  

How and when will I be notified of the outcome of my submission? 
You will be notified of the outcome of your submission by email within two months of the submission deadline.  

I have previously been awarded this fellowship. May I apply again? 
If you have received an Ann Moyal Fellowship in the last three years you may not apply again, however if you have been awarded a fellowship through one of our other programs in that time, for example a First Nations Fellowship or a Writer's Space Fellowship, you may apply. 

May I apply for multiple fellowships in the same year? 
Yes. If more than one fellowship program is open, you are welcome to apply for as many programs as you wish.

YOUR APPLICATION 

Am I able to submit more than one application? 
No. We ask that you only submit one application for this program.  

Can submit a manuscript that is under contract with a publisher? 
Yes. You may apply for a fellowship for work that has not yet been completed, but that is under contract with a publisher.  

Can I submit a project if I am working on it collaboratively with another writer? 
If your writing is genuinely a joint work, please contact maeve@varuna.com.au to explain your specific requirements. We will try to accommodate you if we possibly can. 

If selected, does this fellowship guarantee a publishing contract? 
No, the program doesn’t include a publishing contract. 

If selected, can my manuscript be offered to agents and publishers? 
Yes.  

Will I receive feedback on my application? 
You will be informed via email whether your application for a Fellowship has been successful via email. Unfortunately, we are not able to discuss the selection process or offer individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants - Varuna receives a high volume of applications and we simply do not have the staff time available to provide individual feedback.  

May I apply with same manuscript I submitted last year? 
While there is no limit to how often you may apply for a fellowship or how many different fellowships you may apply for, we request that you do not resubmit a work that you have already submitted to the same program in a previous year unless there has been substantial reworking/revision.  

May I apply without a complete manuscript? 
Yes.  

How should I format my writing excerpt? 
You will need to save your submission as a single PDF document. Please use the name of your project as the PDF submission name, ensuring the name of the file is 25 characters or less. To convert a Word file to a PDF, go to the File menu in Microsoft Word, select PDF as your file format, then select ‘Save As’.  

Please note the following when formatting your work: 

General: Submitted work should be predominantly in English 

Fonts: Ideally, your work should be in Times New Roman (font size 12). 

Spacing: For long-form work (i.e. fiction or essays), it is helpful if you can use double-spacing and include margins of 1 cm on both left and right. However, when work is double-spaced, it can be hard discerning where one paragraph ends and another begins. For this reason, please indent the first line of each new paragraph (you can set up a style in Word to do this automatically). 

Headers: Include an identifying title and the page number on the top-right-hand corner of each page.   

What is the word limit for my writing excerpt? 
The word limit is up to 4,000 words.  

May I submit multiple samples to show a portfolio of work? 
No, we ask that you include one sample of work per application.  

Can I provide end notes? 
Yes. 

How do I write about my previous experience without including identifying information? 
Try to indicate the level of your experience without being too specific. For example, you might write ‘I have had many essays published in journals, including Griffith Review and Meanjin, and my first academic or literary book was published by [name of publisher] in September 2016.’ In general, it is advised not to include the titles of any published works. You can however mention any awards or fellowships received. 

ACCESSIBILITY 

Is Varuna wheelchair accessible? 
Varuna has one wheelchair-accessible studio, The Jerra Studio. While the main Varuna house isn’t wheelchair accessible, we have a portable ramp we put in place whenever wheelchair-users come for a residency. We encourage writers with disability to email maeve@varuna.com.au to discuss specific access requirements which may be needed during a residency. More information can be found on the Accessibility page of our website.   

How will my access needs be met? 
Varuna has funds set aside to support the access needs of residents, which may include travel for a support worker, Auslan interpreters for a mentoring session, or meeting specific dietary requirements. As each individual resident is different, we ask that you get in touch to discuss your needs either before you apply, or after finding out you have been successful. We can then work together on a plan for how costs can be covered through a combination of NDIS supports and Varuna funding. 

Can I bring a support worker to Varuna, and who covers their costs? 

If you notify us in advance of your residency that you would like a support worker to stay with you, we can make arrangements for them to either stay in a nearby holiday house or on-site if space is available. If you receive NDIS funding, we can provide any information required to ensure your NDIS support can be used to assist your stay.

If you have further questions, please contact us at varuna@varuna.com.au or call us on (02) 4782 5674