Magabala announces winner of inaugural fellowship

Magabala Books has announced Tristan Michael Savage as the recipient of the inaugural Magabala Fellowship for a mid-career author.

Savage, a Brisbane-based, Kalkadoon man who grew up in Townsville, is the author of the young adult sci-fi adventure novel Rift Breaker (Magabala) and has written for the children’s television series Grace Beside Me.

Magabala publisher Rachel Bin Salleh said Savage’s winning entry ‘demonstrated his immense talent as a writer and presented such an exciting work-in-progress’ and said she was ‘looking forward to seeing where Tristan takes this manuscript’.

Savage receives $10,000 to develop his current work-in-process, while fellowship runner-up Jared Tomas receives $5000 to work on his manuscript ‘Uncle X-box’. Wadjigany woman and author Maree McCarthy Yoelu was highly commended and will also receive a discretionary scholarship and creative development fees to develop new work.

‘All the submissions we received revealed just how important financial support is for the realisation of new work,’ said Bin Salleh. ‘For this reason, we’re incredibly grateful to the Serp Hills Foundation who have recognised the value of “time to write” and made this Fellowship possible.’

The fellowship, which will continue to be offered annually, will next open in September 2021. For more information about the winner and runners-up of this year’s Magabala Fellowship, see the Magabala website.

Category: Awards Local news