One of the Australian writing community's most prestigious and generous residencies, the Judy Harris Writer-in-Residence Fellowship at the Charles Perkins Centre, is searching for its next creative writer for 2026. Expressions of Interest opened on Tuesday 10 March, closing Sunday 12 April.

The Writer-in-Residence was first established in 2016 to foster collaboration between Australian writers and researchers at the Charles Perkins Centre using the power of creativity to explore issues around health.

The program encourages the exploration and understanding of the systemic causes of chronic disease and the translation of complex ideas of what it is to be human, particularly when facing the unease caused by disease.

This year, 2026, we celebrate 10 years of the Writer-in-Residence program and we will appoint our tenth writer, a fine achievement in supporting Australian creative writing of which we are immensely proud.

The Fellowship is made possible by the very generous and ongoing support from University of Sydney alumna and patron, Judy Harris.

The program has, to date, hosted nine Australian writers across creative genres including fiction, poetry and essays: Charlotte Wood (2016), Mireille Juchau (2017), Alana Valentine (2017), Emily Maguire (2018), Tracy Sorensen (2019), Sarah Holland-Batt (2021), Lech Blaine (2023), Fiona Wright (2024) and our current Writer, Luke Carman (2025).

Numerous works have been produced as a result of the program including The Weekend by Charlotte Wood,  Love Objects by Emily Maguire and The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen.  

L-R: Charlotte Wood (2016), Mireille Juchau (2017), Alana Valentine (2017), Emily Maguire (2018), Tracy Sorensen (2019), Sarah Holland-Batt (2021), Lech Blaine (2023), Fiona Wright 2024, Luke Carman (2025)

The Fellowship supports an established Australian creative writer to develop a new piece of work while in residence at the Charles Perkins Centre. 

Appointment

The Fellowship is a 12-month appointment. The Writer-in-Residence 2026 tenure will run from July 2026 to June 2027.

Fellowship benefits

• A stipend of $100,000.
• A University of Sydney Honorary appointment.
• A base and workspace at the Charles Perkins Centre. 
• Full access to the University of Sydney Library.
• The opportunity to collaborate with a diverse range of researchers, educators and clinicians at the Charles Perkins Centre.

Eligibility and criteria

Eligibility and selection criteria are listed in the Information and Guidelines. Please read these carefully to assess your eligibility before submitting an EOI.

Apply

Apply for the Writer-in-Residence by submitting your Expression of Interest.

Closing date

EOIs are open until 11:59pm Sunday 12 April 2026. 

Further information

If you have any questions not addressed in the Information and Guidelines, please contact Courtney Weston.