2027 Margaret Scott Tasmanian Young Writer's Fellowship

The Margaret Scott Tasmanian Young Writer’s Fellowship celebrates the strength and breadth of young Tasmanian writing.

It is named in honour of well-known Tasmanian writer, Margaret Scott (1934–2005).

This fellowship will be awarded to a young Tasmanian young writer (aged 30 years and under) deemed by the judges to have demonstrated the most literary merit. The winner will receive $5,000 and will also be offered a publishing opportunity in Island Magazine.

Publishing opportunity in Island Magazine

The writer can select one of their existing unpublished pieces, or work on something completely new. The work can be in any genre or form (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, script, or a hybrid piece) of up to 4,000 words.

The writer will work with Island Magazine’s editorial team to develop and finalise the piece. Copyright in the work will remain with the author, and they will receive a licencing fee. Publishing timelines are to be agreed between the recipient and Island Magazine. Extended editorial support or mentorship to develop the work can also be negotiated.

Entries are now closed.

About Margaret Scott

Renowned for her wit and warmth, Margaret Scott (1934–2005) was a poet, novelist, essayist, scholar, editor, critic and mentor. In later life, she delighted ABC viewers with her hilarious performances on Good News Week. Born in Bristol, she studied literature at Cambridge, after winning scholarships to both Cambridge and Oxford universities. She emigrated to Tasmania in 1959.

Scott’s works in prose include the novels The Baby-Farmer (1990), and Family Album: a novel of secrets and memories (2000), and the non-fiction work Port Arthur: A Story of Strength and Courage (1997), about the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Her poetry, which filled numerous collections, traversed many topics. A recurrent feature in Scott’s poetry was the everyday and the domestic illuminating the depths and complexities of human experience. Scott accumulated many awards in her life including the Emeritus Award of the Australia Council’s Literature Board. Her legacy continues to encourage emerging writers – every second year, the Margaret Scott Tasmanian Young Writer’s Fellowshipis awarded to a promising young wordsmith.

Biography used with permission from Libraries Tasmania. See www.libraries.tas.gov.au/slat/tasmanian-voices-the-writers-who-make-us/margaret-scott/

Image credit: Margaret Scott, Mercury Historical Collection, Tasmanian Archives: The Mercury 13/6/ 1993, Negative no. X9164/21A, NS4024/1/574