Writers Victoria is pleased to announce that applications for Round 6 of the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund will open on 1 April 2021.
The Travel Fund was named in honour of poet, novelist and short story writer Neilma Gantner (1922-2015). Launched in 2017, it supports emerging, midcareer, and established Australian writers and literary sector workers in pursuing professional development opportunities through travel. Past recipients have included Bruce Pascoe, Cate Kennedy, Ellen van Neerven, Fiona Murphy, Mirandi Riwoe, and Robert Dessaix.
Round 6 was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; more information is available in this statement. We are now excited to be opening applications in April 2021, for projects that will occur between July 2021 and June 2022. Applications will close on 4 May 2021.
We continue to take COVID-19 and community safety seriously, and all Neilma Sidney Travel Fund recipients will be expected to follow public health restrictions in pursuing their projects. Round 6 invites applications for projects that focus on domestic travel opportunities, conducting research and professional development within Australia. We will still consider applications that include international travel, but we recommend that the project outline demonstrate why it is necessary for the applicant’s work that they travel overseas at this time.
For more details about the Neilma Sidney Travel Fund, including T&Cs and how to apply for a grant, visit this information page.
If you have any questions about the Travel Fund, please email Deanne.