The Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund

The Neilma Sidney Myer Travel Fund recognises the unique value of travel in the development of new writing and literary careers.

In partnership with the Myer Foundation, the travel fund is intended to support emerging, midcareer and established Australian writers and literary sector workers. This includes writers, editors, agents, publishers, librarians, booksellers, employees and associates of literary organisations and journals, and other literary professionals currently living in Australia.

Applicants can apply for grants between $2,000 and $10,000.

The travel fund was launched in 2017 and was named in honour of poet, novelist and short story writer Neilma Gantner (1922-2015).

Application kit

Key Dates

Round 5  

Applications for Round 5 closed in October 2019. 

The Round 5 recipients have now been announced on this page. 

The proposed travel projects will take place between 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2020.

Round 6

Round 6 will open for applications in early 2020. Dates are yet to be confirmed.

To Apply

Applications are to be made through an online Submittable form, which is made available when applications open. 

Please download and read the application kit before preparing your application. It would also be beneficial to read what we learned from previous rounds, go through the FAQs and T&Cs, and watch the online Q&A video to answer any fund and application questions.

For more information email us.

Previous recipients

Round 1

Alexandra Collier, Andrew Bovell, Arwen Summers, Bren MacDibble, Eda Gunaydin, Mark O'Flynn, Michael Earp, Michael Green, Robert Dessaix, Vanessa Russell.

Round 2

Bruce Pascoe, Chris Andrews, Damon Young, Ellen van Neerven, Emma Viskic, Janine Mikosza, Jennifer Porter, Jessica Friedmann, Laura Woollett, Louis Klee, Melinda Smith, Rebecca Giggs, Sam Cooney.

Round 3

Allison Colpoys, Cassandra Pybus, Christine Sun, Eleanor Limprecht, Josephine Wilson, Katherine Collette, Lauren Chater, Sam Twyford-Moore, Tom Holloway.

Round 4

Annabel Brady-Brown, Cher Tan, Ellen O'Brien, Fiona Murphy, Heather Dyer, Melanie Joosten, Oliver Reeson, Sara Mansour, Sista Zai Zanda, Susie Anderson, Yvette Holt. 

Round 5

Cate Kennedy, Evelyn Araluen and Jonathan Dunk, Fiona Hardy, Madelaine Dickie, Maria Takolander, Mirandi Riwoe, Robert Lukins, Ruhi Lee, Sara Saleh, Tamara Lazaroff.