ASA/Varuna Ray Koppe Young Writers Residency

About the Award

Each year, the Australian Society of Authors awards a two-week residential fellowship to a writer under the age of 35 who is as yet unpublished. The fellowship is comprised of a two-week residency (including accommodation and all food), a one-hour consultation with a Varuna consultant, a year’s membership to the Australian Society of Authors, and travel subsidy if the recipient lives outside of NSW.

The residency has been established by the Koppe family as a tribute to their mother, Ray Koppe. Ray, who for many years managed the business affairs of the ASA, was always passionately interested in and supportive of, young writers. (Read more about Ray here)

The recipient will be asked to acknowledge The Ray Koppe Young Writers’ Residency in any published work associated with time spent at Varuna.

Past winners include Sarah Stivens (2021), Tim McGuire (2020), Hayley Scrivenor (2019), Holden Sheppard (2017), Nick Couldwell (2016), Chloe Higgins (2015), Danielle Binks (2014), Hannah Bent (2013), Dimitra Harvey (2012) and Renae Gibson (2011).

This flagship fellowship is part of the Varuna Residential Fellowships program:https://www.varuna.com.au/fellowships/raykoppe

“In October of 2019, I found out I’d won the 2019 ASA / Varuna Ray Koppe Young Writers’ Residency. This was a much-needed boost to my writing, not only because of the external validation, but because of my experience at Varuna itself – I will cherish the time spent and the community found there for the rest of my life. I strongly encourage others to apply for this fantastic opportunity.”

Hayley Scrivenor

Key dates

Applications for the 2023 residency program will open June 15, 2022 and close midnight on July 29, 2022.

Residential Fellowships can be taken between January and the end of June 2023.

Entry requirements 

You will need to submit between 7,000 and 10,000 words from the beginning of your manuscript, along with a synopsis of the entire work. For poetry, you need to send a selection of 10 poems.

Fees

Application fees are $65 per application, unless you are a financially current Varuna alumni member using your annual fee waiver. Application fees are used to pay professional assessors to read your work. If you have a Healthcare card, the application fee is $35.

Further information: