Whitlam Essay Residency 2025
Six fellowships are available for a week-long residency at the Whitlam Prime Ministerial home, at 32 Albert Street Cabramatta, with a focus on essay writing. Applicants can be Western Sydney University students, staff or alumni, and/or Varuna alumni.
Residency dates: 28 April to 5 May, 5 May to 11 May 2025
Places: Six writers will be selected, with each residency week accommodating three writers.
Who should apply: Essayists at any career stage, who are either Varuna alumni or WSU students, staff or alumni.
Fees: There are no application fees or residency fees for this program.
Please read the FAQ before you apply.
Applications are now closed.
Gough and Margaret Whitlam sitting in their home at 32 Albert Street, Cabramatta.
This residency is open to essayists at various stages of their career, who are either Varuna alumni or WSU students, staff or alumni. The essay form and focus is not restricted.
In honouring Whitlam’s legacy, we are particularly interested in essays that make research more relevant and accessible to the broader public, or that take a creative approach to exploring social or political concerns.
The Whitlam home at 32 Albert Street was an integral part of how Gough and Margaret connected with their community. Constituents were invited in to discuss matters of concern, and political functions and celebrations were a regular feature in the living room and backyard.
During the residency, participants will be invited to share their work, either at an evening Salon event open to the Cabramatta and Western Sydney arts communities, the Whitlam family and other dignitaries, or at an Author Talk for students at a local public school. Residents will be programmed into their residency week according to which event suits their skillset and area of focus.
Residency fellowships will be offered in two blocks from 28 April - 11 May 2025 and will include:
One week’s accommodation in a private room (with a shared bathroom) at the Whitlam Prime Ministerial Home, 32 Albert Street Cabramatta, including all meals.
Uninterrupted time to write, feedback sessions, and the companionship of your fellow writers.
The opportunity to participate in an evening Salon event or Author Talk for local students, sharing your work with the local community.
Your travel costs reimbursed.
A stipend of $500, which includes a $300 honorarium and a $200 payment for the public event.
Residents will also have the opportunity to pitch the essays developed over the course of the fellowship to the Sydney Review of Books.
Please note that the Whitlam Prime Ministerial Home is not wheelchair accessible. If you are an essayist who requires a wheelchair-accessible residency, we encourage you to apply for The Writer’s Space Fellowship, for which applications are now open.
HOW TO APPLY
You will need to complete a short application form and send us a sample essay of up to 5,000 words (either published or unpublished) demonstrating your writing style and area of focus, as well as a statement of intent describing your work, your previous writing experience, and how you would use the residency.
Assessors will be looking at your writing experience as an essayist, clarity of focus and objectives (how you will use your time), and the merit of your writing. They will also consider the balance of the group, with a view to ensuring the residency has a collegiate atmosphere.
This program is presented in partnership with the Whitlam Institute with support from Western Sydney Creative, Western Sydney University’s arts and culture decadal strategy.
