Melbourne City of Literature opens the virtual residencies programme for applications for 2025!
Keira Brown
Communications
Edinburgh City of Literature Trust
23 June 2025
Writers, Melbourne City of Literature are inviting you to apply to work virtually with a literary organisation in their city
Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature, which brings international opportunities for writers connected to the city. That's good news for writers that want to get some experience with an organisation out in Melbourne, Australia.
From poets to playwrights, this is an opportunity to get to know Melbourne’s varied and vibrant literary community up close by spending November working with one of the many organisations that make them a City of Literature.
Each writer in residence will be connected with their selected organisation and will require you to produce agreed upon content for the organisation.
This content will be any three of the following (or three of just one of the following):
- a workshop
- a written piece
- an appearance or panel
- a social media takeover
The residency will also include opportunities for meetings with all the writers in residence and facilitated further connections with Melbourne as a City of Literature.
As one of Melbourne’s virtual writers in residence you will be paid $1500 (AUD) and you will retain all copyright for your work. To be eligible you need to be a writer and resident presently in one of the UNESCO Cities of Literature, including Edinburgh.
The deadline to apply is midnight, Monday 25th August 2025 (AET).
Apply here.
The Hosts
Blak and Bright is seeking a First Nations writer to connect our stories and lands with theirs
Geelong Regional Libraries is looking for an emerging writer to help us diversify our offering to our community through a range of opportunities for collaboration, connection and engagement.
Going Down Swinging is looking for a writer of experimental, hybrid or emerging forms of storytelling who can share their creative process with its community and inspire them to find joy in their own creative risks and experiments.
Melbourne Writers' Theatre is looking for an experienced playwright to share their knowledge and their culture with our community of enthusiastic playwrights.
Myli-My Community Library is looking for an engaging, passionate writer who is highly enthusiastic about working across a variety of age groups and genres to inspire and support creativity through writing.
Signal is looking for a writer connected to young people aged 14 to 25 years keen to inspire the next generation.
Society of Women Writers Victoria is looking for a woman writer to encourage our members in writing short form genres to tell women’s stories, historical or contemporary.
Sticky Institute is looking for a writer interested in working with our local zine community to transform their ideas into a narrative zine.
Story Studios Australia is looking for a writer/novelist who can share their creative process and confidence building techniques with our community of aspiring storytellers.
Writers Victoria is seeking a writer keen to engage with our diverse community of writers and help them share their stories with the broader public.
How to Apply
Follow this link to express your interest in being a virtual writer in residence. You will be asked to nominate your choice of organisation and what you would love to do for and with them! We strongly suggest you have a look at all organisations and think of your interactions before starting this form. They are looking to be excited and inspired by your thoughts and the possibility of connecting with you! Melbourne City of Literature invite you to explore any and all of their hosts online but ask that if you have any specific questions to ask their office (cityofliterature@wheelercentre.com, subject Virtual Writer in Residence).