Magabala announces annual fellowship, creative development grants and scholarship recipients

Magabala Books has announced the 15 First Nations creators who will receive the publisher’s annual fellowship, scholarships and Australian Indigenous Coffee (AIC) Creative Development Grants, sharing in over $65,000 of funding.

Said Magabala chairperson Tony Lee: ‘This investment provides an avenue for established and emerging creatives to share their books and stories that will add to the richness of our First Nations and Australian literature that continues to challenge, inspire and give authentic voice. We’re especially proud to be supporting creators at all stages of their creative journeys, and we’re continually amazed by the diverse range and quality of the applications. This year was no exception. Our First Nations storytelling is dynamic and flourishing, and we are excited to see how these stories unfold.’

Magabala Fellowship

The $10,000 Magabala Fellowship has been awarded to Yawuru creator Brenton E Mckenna, who Magabala reported is the first published Indigenous graphic novelist in Australia. Mckenna will continue working on sequel titles in the Hairy Holes series.

Creative development grants

Three creative development grants, each worth $10,000, have been awarded. Two $10,000 AIC Creative Development Grants were awarded to Bundjalung Kullilli creator Daniel Browning and Trawlwoolway descendent and creator Neika Lehman, while Magabala this year awarded an additional Magabala Creative Grant, also worth $10,000 to Wiradjuri creator Sharleigh Crittenden, following an ‘unprecedented number of outstanding applications’ to the AIC creative grants.

Browning will use the grant to continue research for his second book, a literary nonfiction project with the working title ‘Parallel Lives’. ‘I’m so very grateful for this incredible opportunity to realise my next literary project with the support of Magabala and AIC,’ said Browning. ‘The AIC Grant will enable me to undertake the research necessary to tell the intertwined stories of two Aboriginal men who went to Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their stories challenge the existing narrative of an isolated, defeated and incurious people and overturn the one-sided history we are taught about our mobs in eastern Australia.’

Lehman will be supported to work on their manuscript, an untitled collection of poetry, fiction and archival images, set in their home of lutruwita (Tasmania).

Crittenden will be supported to continue the development of her fiction manuscript ‘The Children Nobody Wanted’.

Magabala scholarships

Magabala’s 2023 Creative Development Scholarship recipients are:

• Belle Martin
• Darby Jones
• Elise Thornthwaite
• Fern Martins
• Jordan Adams
• Kalem Murray
• Lucas Schober
• Noelene Cox
• Sabrina Swift
• Shannon Clohessy
• Ta’Marrah O’Reeri.

Category: Local news