History
The Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund will award $300,000 in grants over three years to writers, editors, agents, publishers, booksellers and other literary professionals.
The fund is supported by the Myer Foundation.
Latest Winners / Recipients
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Year: 2023
recipient Aimee Chan to tour literary exhibition, Juvenilia, to South Australia to reach a new audience of readers, educators and librariansrecipient Jack Kirne for travel to Sardinia, Italy for a writer’s residency as well as to complete revisions of an unpublished novel manuscriptrecipient Amy McQuire with Matt Chun (NSW), for travel to Tanna, Vanuatu for research, co-writing and artmaking for collaborative picture book project on the enslavement of Pacific Islanders in colonial Australia, aka ‘Blackbirding’recipient Matt Chun with Amy McQuire, for Matt Chun (NSW), for travel to Tanna, Vanuatu for research, co-writing and artmaking for collaborative picture book project on the enslavement of Pacific Islanders in colonial Australia, aka ‘Blackbirding’recipient Brian Obiri-Asare for travel to Ghana to undertake a residency and to engage in the study of West African theatrical form to further develop play-in-progress, Speak of the Devilrecipient Stefan Sabatini for travel to Ireland for research into a novel set in contemporary Dublinrecipient Karen Wyld for travel to Western Australia to research archives and exhibitions, experience immersive site visits and a self-hosted writer’s retreat, as well as travel to Philadelphia, USA to attend Palestine Writes and participate in mentoring with Palestinian novelist Susan Abulhawa. -
Year: 2022
recipient Susan Francis for travel to the National Library Australia to research the papers of Jill Jolifferecipient Eileen Herbert-Goodall for travel to Perth to participate in the 2022 Australian Short Story Festivalrecipient Aimee Knight for travel to the US to undertake research for manuscript ‘Big Henson Energy’ about Jim Hensonrecipient Jazz Money for travel to attend the 2022 Edinburgh International Literary Festival, and to embark on a UK and Ireland tourrecipient Micaela Sahhar for travel to Palestine to research and develop manuscript ‘Encyclopaedia of a Palestinian Family’recipient Sara Saleh for travel to Beirut for research on poetry manuscript ‘The Flirtation of Girls’recipient Eunice Andrada for travel to California, New York and Chicago to perform in various venues, participate in radical community study sessions with members of the Digital Sala collective and to collaborate with others for future community literary offeringsrecipient André Dao for travel to the UK for the book tour of his debut novel Anam (PRH), and to conduct preliminary research on his follow-up novel in Parisrecipient Hasib Hourani for travel to the Levant to embark on a writing and research retreat for his upcoming bookrecipient Katrina Trinh for travel to Brooklyn, New York, to research her upcoming drama/television series about the importance of nail salon work to Vietnamese diasporarecipient Daniel Ward for travel to Berlin to research their next poetry collection lavender poems, and to launch Natalie Mariko’s latest poetry collection. -
Year: 2021
recipient Amanda Anastasi to travel the Great Barrier Reef to write a series of poems to raise awareness of climate change impactsrecipient Madeline Gray to travel to Melbourne for professional development at the Melbourne Writers Festivalrecipient Shakira Hussein to undertake research in New Zealand for essay and memoir manuscript ‘Nine Elevenitis’recipient Miranda Luby to undertake research on Flinders Island for a contemporary young adult novelrecipient Brooke Maddison for a research trip to Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) for debut novel ‘drift’recipient Michael Ryan for travel to Adelaide for a nonfiction book about the unsolved murder that led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Australiarecipient Michelle Scott Tucker for travel to Cairns and Bamaga to work with Aaron Fa’Aoso on his memoirrecipient Annabel Strafford to undertake a research trip to Perth and Wyndham for nonfiction book ‘The Wanted and the Unwanted’recipient Lowana Tudor-Smith for travel to the Northern Territory for research for ‘Bina: First Nations languages old and new’recipient Kate Wild for travel to Darwin and Yuendumu to cover the murder trial of a police officer for the fatal shooting of a Warlpiri man. -
Year: 2019
recipient Sista Zai Zandarecipient Heather Dyerrecipient Melanie Joostenrecipient Yvette Holtrecipient Cher Tanrecipient Susie Andersonrecipient Annabel Brady-Brownrecipient Fiona Murphyrecipient Alison Whittakerrecipient Ellen O'Brienrecipient Cate Kennedyrecipient Fiona Hardyrecipient Madelaine Dickierecipient Maria Takolanderrecipient Mirandi Riwoerecipient Ruhi Leerecipient Sara Salehrecipient Tamara Lazaroff -
Year: 2018
recipient Bruce Pascoe to attend the UK release of his book on Aboriginal agricultural history Dark Emu (Magabala)recipient Chris Andrewsto give a paper at the International Conference on Comparative Translation in Buenos Aires, Argentina
recipient Damon Youngto undertake a publicity tour in the UK for his book The Art of Reading (MUP), and to undertake panel talks and workshops at the Edinburgh International Book Festival
recipient Ellen van Neervenfor travel to Japan to attend a poetry translation workshop at Tokyo’s Meiji University
recipient Emma Viskicto undertake a publicity tour in the UK to promote her book And Fire Came Down (Bonnier), and to attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival
recipient Janine Mikosza to undertake a research trip to Jervis Bay, NSW, and a residency in Bundanon, NSW, to work on her literary memoir manuscript ‘Homesickness: Trauma and the Power of Childhood Homes’recipient Jennifer Porterfor a research trip to Hobart to work on her manuscript, ‘The Reverend’, and to attend the Tasmanian Writers Festival
recipient Jessica Friedmannfor a research trip to Prince Edward Island and Ontario, Canada, to develop her manuscript ‘Priest Pond’, which acts as a parallel text to L M Montgomery’s ‘Emily of New Moon’ series
recipient Laura Woollettfor a research trip to Norfolk Island to work on her manuscript ‘Kingdom by the Sea’, a novel concerning child abuse on Pitcairn Island
recipient Louis Kleeto participate in the UNESCO City of Literature Poet in Residency program in Krakow, Poland
recipient Melinda Smithfor travel to Japan to attend a poetry translation workshop at Tokyo’s Meiji University
recipient Rebecca Giggsto attend a writing residency at the Rachel Carson Centre for Environment and Society in Munich, Germany
recipient Sam Cooneyfor travel to London to meet with publishers, editors and agents, and to attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
