Travel Fellowship is announced

New Writing North in conjunction with the family and friends of the late writer Julia Darling are establishing a new Travel Fellowship for creative writers in her name.

Julia Darling’s work encompassed a wide range of topics and forms, from plays and novels to poetry and performance. She was an exceptional artist with a unique and humorous voice that engaged readers even when her work explored her declining health and ultimate death from cancer. Julia was also a kind and generous writer who went out of her way to support and encourage many other writers and aspiring writers to develop their work and their creativity. This fellowship has been established to mark the tenth anniversary of her death. It is inspired by Julia’s love of travel and by the appreciation that she had of writing away from home, whether that was at creative retreats in the wilderness or in rented houses at the seaside.
The fellowship is worth £2,000, which in this first year is supported by New Writing North. In future years it is hoped that the prize will be crowd funded by those who knew Julia and appreciated her contribution to the arts. The fellowship will be decided by a panel of Julia Darling’s friends and family.
The fellowship can be used to fund travel and accommodation in the UK and internationally. The fellowship will also support group applications by writers who would like to undertake joint residential retreats (something that Julia valued).
The fellowship is open to novelists, poets and playwrights over the age of 18, who live and work in the North of England and who have at least one professionally produced or published work to their name. The fellowship is for activity that takes place between June 2015 and May 2016.
To apply writers must write a brief description (up to 500 words) of how they would like to use the resource to advance their creative work, a short biography (up to 300 words) and state why now would be a good time for them to receive support (up to 300 words). To apply visit www.newwritingnorth.com. Entry is by online submission only.
The Fellowship opens for applications on Monday 9 February 2015 and the deadline for submissions is Friday 20 March 2015.
The fellowship will be announced on Sunday 31 May 2015 as part of a special event celebrating Julia Darling’s work at Live Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne. The winning writer will be expected to attend the event to receive the fellowship.
For more information and to apply, go to www.newwritingnorth.com.
Julia Darling photograph by Sasa Savic