2025 Fellows Will Receive

• $1000 stipend each
• A one-week residency at Varuna, with all meals and accommodation provided (Monday 25 August - Monday 1 September 2025). Please note these dates are not transferable.
• A one-on-one mentoring consultation and group workshop
• A public reading opportunity as part of Poetry Month 2025
• Online publication of a poem as part of Poetry Month 2025

Anywhere Remote Fellowship

A sixth Fellow will undertake the residency remotely during the same dates, and will receive:

• $1000 stipend
• A one-on-one online mentoring consultation
• An online public reading opportunity in 2025
• Online publication of a poem in 2025

Eligibility:

• Poets must be an Australian citizen or have a permanent residency visa, and be based here.
• Poets must be 18 years or older to apply.
• All submitted works must be original.
• Poets must have been previously commissioned or programmed by Red Room Poetry, except for those applying to the Emerging Poets Residency in which case this eligibility criteria is waived. More information on this point is outlined in the Frequently Asked Questions.
• Availability is required for a one-week residency at Varuna (Monday 25 August to Monday 1 September 2025) or, if applying for the Anywhere Remote Residency, to complete the residency remotely in the same week. These dates are non-transferable.
• Poets must be prepared to record, publish, and speak publicly about your poetry and creative process.

At least one of the six places is reserved for a First Nations poet, and at least one place for a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse poet, and at least one place for an Emerging Poet.

All applications will be assessed by the Judging Panel against the same selection criteria - including the Emerging Poets and Anywhere Remote Fellowships. This criteria is equally weighted.

1. Impact - Show potential for this grant to benefit your creative development and advance the proposed poetic project you intend to work on as part of the residency
   
   (Hint: The place to demonstrate this is in the question 'How will this opportunity benefit your creative development, and what are your goals for your time at Varuna?')
   
2. Project Merit - The creative concepts, processes and work submitted show a high degree of originality and contribute to the wider culture of contemporary poetry in Australia
   
   (Hint: The place to demonstrate this is in the project description, and your work sample.)

Please complete the online application form via Varuna's website here including:

• Project description (1-2 sentences, 500 characters)
• How will this opportunity benefit your creative development, and what are your goals for your time at Varuna? (1000 characters)
• Three recent poems (3 pages max) or an audio poem/s (3 mins max)
• Hi-res Artist Headshot and 50-word Biography (to be used on our digital channels only if you are one of the selected Fellows)