Write It Fellowship recipients 2023

The recipients were selected from a shortlist of talented writers by the Write It team at Penguin Random House (PRH) and Bilal Hafda, an experienced creative writing teacher and spoken-word artist from Story Factory (where he edits and publishes the diverse writing of young people in Western Sydney) and Bankstown Poetry Slam. Hafda offered invaluable counsel and broadened the scope of the application process.

On the experience, Hafda commented, ‘This year’s applicants have all shared writing that has a deep, abiding strength. As writers, we all try to capture some part of our identity, and world, and the successful applicants did so with a generosity of spirit that’s welcomed us into their important lives and perspectives. It’s been an honour.’ 

PRH would like to thank all those who submitted their work to the program this year. The quality of writing, and breadth of ideas and stories submitted, were so impressive and it was a hard decision, but we are very excited to work with the writers we’ve selected.

From the approximately 150 entries submitted for the Write It fellowship of 2023, we are delighted to announce that the four recipients are:

Victoria Bassett-Wilton – Esther

‘I am exceptionally grateful and honoured to be awarded the Fellowship with PRH, particularly as a sapphic woman.  Writing, and storytelling, are the great loves of my soul, and to have my writing recognised by one of the top publishing houses in the world is not only a validating experience, but a radiant one. The Write It process has already been so enlightening that I am immensely excited to collaborate with PRH even further, and to make my novel the best it can be. In short, I am thankful beyond measure.’

Andrew John – The Rainbow Serpent

‘Finding out that I was one of the authors selected for the Write It Fellowship was like my ultimate writer’s fantasy come true. I am very grateful to the PRH team for choosing my work from the talented pool of authors who entered the fellowship this year. The whole experience has been fantastic from start to finish. I especially enjoyed the interview panel and having the chance to discuss my manuscript with individuals who are extremely passionate about the art of storytelling. I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with and learn from an editor who can elevate my craft.’

Nadine Story – Dorris

‘Being offered a fellowship with PRH is a life-altering opportunity for an emerging writer. I’m so grateful that PRH have dedicated the Write It program to nurturing diverse, under-represented voices, and am both elated and honoured to be one of this year’s recipients.’

Emily Tran – In Pursuit of a Diamond

‘I am deeply humbled and honoured to be selected as a 2023 Write It Fellow with PRH. I’d like to express my gratitude to the Write It team for their supportive and generous feedback. I hope that by writing and sharing this story with others, it will encourage and empower a future generation of writers to share their stories too. Thank you so much for giving me this wonderful opportunity, and I look forward to working with the Write It team over the course of the fellowship.’ 

Each recipient will be mentored by editors at PRH over a year. They will also be invited to a PRH Open House to meet and talk with our departments, to learn more about the various facets of publishing and what goes in to pitching, acquiring, editing, marketing, publicising and selling a book.

The Write It Fellowship program has run biannually since 2019, and is proud to continue to engage a new talent pool of writers who have both diverse and important stories to tell, and are representative of the society in which we live. The fellowship aspires to find, nurture and develop unpublished writers across all genres, with a focus on under-represented sections of our community.