Emerging Writers' Festival

Emerging Writers' Festival 10-18 Sept 2026

Did you know that the average salary of a published Australian author is less than 19k per year?Now imagine what it's li...
30/05/2026

Did you know that the average salary of a published Australian author is less than 19k per year?

Now imagine what it's like for writers who don't even have their books out yet? Finding time to take your writing seriously before you're making 'big bucks' is hard, and we have been trying to make it easier.
Thanks to our community's generosity last year, we have been able to raise our workshop fees by $100 per artist. We're hoping to raise that number again this year, and with your help we can make it happen!

👉 From now until 30 June 2026, any donation over $2 made to EWF is tax-deductible this year!

Support the future of new voices in the arts: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/donate/

Thank you for supporting our festival!

Photo credit: EWF

As your writing communities keep growing, we want to grow to keep up with you! ☀️🌷Platforming new literary voices, creat...
27/05/2026

As your writing communities keep growing, we want to grow to keep up with you! ☀️🌷

Platforming new literary voices, creating space for creative communities, and helping you develop your craft -- none of that would be possible without the ongoing generosity of EWF's supporters and our Bookmarkers.

Thanks to our community's generosity last year, we have been able to raise our workshop fees by $100 per artist. We're hoping to raise that number again this year to help make working as a writer and artist a more viable option in the current landscape. With your help, we can make it happen!
Any one-off amount makes a huge difference to what we can do at the Emerging Writers' Festival, or you can become a regular supporter as a Bookmarker and get access to VIP events, literary goodies and event discounts.

From now until 30 June 2026, any donation over $2 made to EWF is tax-deductible this year! Support the future of new voices in the arts: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/donate/

Thank you for supporting our festival!

Photo credit: Grace Auld

🤔 'Who can submit to the Richell Prize?'📝 'How do I format my submission?'😵‍💫 'What's the difference between the chapter...
24/05/2026

🤔 'Who can submit to the Richell Prize?'

📝 'How do I format my submission?'

😵‍💫 'What's the difference between the chapter breakdown & the synopsis?'

💻 'Why can't I submit if I live outside Australia?'

Check out the Richell Prize FAQs on our website for the answers to your burning submissions questions. Available here: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/richell-prize-2026/

Got a particularly tricky question for us? Email our Richell Prize Coordinator at [email protected] for an answer!

We are excited to see everyone's submissions coming through, and can't wait to see which incredible emerging writers will get discovered as part of this year's prize.

Submissions for the 2026 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers close on 13 July 2026, 11:59PM AEST.

Applications are now open for our 2026 Marketing Intern at the Emerging Writers' Festival.This a ten-week internship for...
14/05/2026

Applications are now open for our 2026 Marketing Intern at the Emerging Writers' Festival.

This a ten-week internship for someone looking to gain employable experience in arts events marketing and communications. Running one-day a week from mid-July to mid-September, here's your chance to gain experience amongst EWF's small team in-person at the EWF office in The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne, VIC. The EWF Marketing Intern will work closely with EWF’s Marketing & Philanthropy Coordinator on the ins-and-outs of arts festival marketing by assisting with the digital roll-out and promotion of the 2026 festival.

Please note this is an unpaid opportunity, and as such is suited to someone at the beginning of their arts work journey, who is keen for on-the-ground foundational experience towards future employment in the arts and cultural sector.

👉 For details and to apply, head to the EWF website: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/work-with-us/

🤔 If you have any questions about our 2026 Marketing Internship, please email us on [email protected]

Soak up the writing wisdom of some of Australia’s standout debut & seasoned romance authors. Learn what it takes to craf...
28/04/2026

Soak up the writing wisdom of some of Australia’s standout debut & seasoned romance authors. Learn what it takes to craft a romance worth reading in 2026, and meet other emerging romance writers to share your journey with.

💌 Dr Jodi McAlister, author of 'An Academic Affair' (2026), the 'Valentine' trilogy, and more!

💌 Keshe Chow, Sunday Times bestselling author of 'Strange Familiars' (2026), 'For No Mortal Creature' (2025), and more!

💌 Olivia Tolich, debut author of 'Side Character Energy' (2026).

💌 Leearna Shaw, debut author of 'A Farm in Golden Clouds' (2026).

💌 Joshua Hortinela, debut author of 'Hate You to Love You' (2026).

Join this Saturday online or in-person at The Wheeler Centre for Masterclass: Romance Writing, 11AM-4:15PM. In-person and online livestream tickets available

🚨 Spots are limited so book now: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/romance-writing-mc/

ONE WEEK LEFT TO SECURE YOUR SPOT!🗣️ Dr Jodi McAllister discusses ways the romance genre is more important in today's wo...
24/04/2026

ONE WEEK LEFT TO SECURE YOUR SPOT!

🗣️ Dr Jodi McAllister discusses ways the romance genre is more important in today's world than ever.
🗣️ Olivia Tolich, Josh Hortinela and Leearna Shaw contest misconceptions, discuss their craft, and deconstruct the genre's place in Australia's publishing landscape.
🗣️ Sunday Times bestelling author Keshe Chow leads an exclusive workshop on common tropes, genre expectations, building intimacy between characters, and how to write satisfying romantic scenes for any book.

EWF and Romance Writers Australia are teaming up for a one-day masterclass for writers of romance -- hear from some of Australia’s standout debut and seasoned romance authors. Learn what it takes to craft a romance worth reading in 2026, and meet other emerging romance writers to share your journey with.

📅 When: 2 May 2026, 11AM-4:15PM
📍 Where: The Wheeler Centre & streamed online
👉 In-person and online tickets available
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🚨 Spots are limited for in-person tickets, so book now: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/romance-writing-mc/

Hear from Leearna Shaw at this year's Masterclass: Romance Writing!Leearna Shaw is a contemporary rural romance author o...
23/04/2026

Hear from Leearna Shaw at this year's Masterclass: Romance Writing!

Leearna Shaw is a contemporary rural romance author of 'A Farm in Golden Clouds' (2026), inspired by the chaos of living on a small farm in north-east Victoria.

EWF and Romance Writers Australia are teaming up for a one-day masterclass for writers of romance -- hear from some of Australia’s standout debut and seasoned romance authors. Learn what it takes to craft a romance worth reading in 2026, and meet other emerging romance writers to share your journey with.

📅 When: 2 May 2026, 11AM-4:15PM
📍 Where: The Wheeler Centre & streamed online
👉 In-person and online tickets available

🚨 Spots are limited so book now: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/romance-writing-mc/

Hear from Olivia Tolich at this year's Masterclass: Romance Writing!Olivia Tolich is the author of 'Side Character Energ...
23/04/2026

Hear from Olivia Tolich at this year's Masterclass: Romance Writing!

Olivia Tolich is the author of 'Side Character Energy' (2026), and is based in Melbourne (Naarm). She has made books her entire personality from a young age and has terrible eyesight to show for it. She works as an educational publisher and has a dog named Poppy who really hates that her human’s main interest involves sitting around staring at a computer.

EWF and Romance Writers Australia are teaming up for a one-day masterclass for writers of romance -- hear from some of Australia’s standout debut and seasoned romance authors. Learn what it takes to craft a romance worth reading in 2026, and meet other emerging romance writers to share your journey with.

📅 When: 2 May 2026, 11AM-4:15PM
📍 Where: The Wheeler Centre & streamed online
👉 In-person and online tickets available

🚨 Spots are limited so book now: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/romance-writing-mc/

EWF is proud to open entries to the 2026 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers, in partnership with Hachette Australia.Entr...
23/04/2026

EWF is proud to open entries to the 2026 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers, in partnership with Hachette Australia.

Entry is open to unpublished writers of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction. The winner will receive a year’s mentoring with a Hachette publisher, who will work with the winning writer to develop their manuscript towards publication, as well as $10,000 in prize money from Hachette.

For the first time, long- and short-listed writers will also be eligible to apply for a Casa Morphosi Residency in Abruzzo Italy.

Submissions to the Prize are now open until 13 July 2026, 11:59PM AEDT. So dust off those hidden, bedroom-drawer masterpieces, polish off your beloved debut draft and get submitting!

More info & full terms and conditions available: https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/richell-prize-2026/

Address

176 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61 3 9094 7877

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