The Next Chapter 2024 recipients announced

The Wheeler Centre has announced the 2024 recipients of The Next Chapter writing development program.

This year’s five recipients are Raqiya Ahmed, Claire Cao, Jake Corvus, Laniyuk, and Maria van Neerven. The recipients will each receive $15,000 towards developing their work. They will also each be matched with an experienced mentor for a 12-month mentorship. The Wheeler Centre said it will also support the recipients throughout their careers with ‘initiatives that encourage publishers, booksellers and readers alike to engage with their work’.

The Wheeler Centre has also announced a list of five writers who were highly commended: Munira Tabassum Ahmed, Fernanda Dahlstrom, Liz Habermann, Alana Hicks and Gurmeet Kaur. These writers will be offered a 12-month mentorship with writers from the University of Melbourne’s creative writing department, including the opportunity to access classes and resources connected to the university’s writing and publishing programs.

The Next Chapter recipients and highly commended writers were selected by judges Maxine Beneba Clarke, Bruce Pascoe and Maria Tumarkin.

As previously reported, the Wheeler Centre received $30,000 in funding for the Next Chapter program from the Malcolm Robertson Foundation in July this year, enabling an additional place to be offered for the 2024 program.

Category: Local news