Copyright Agency announces 2026 Fellowships
November 12, 2026
Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has announced the three recipients of its 2026 Fellowships, awarding a total of $170,000 to support Australian writers to develop significant new literary works.
Each year, the Cultural Fund awards two $80,000 Fellowships to established and mid-career Australian authors, providing financial support and dedicated time to develop new work for publication. The $10,000 Copyright Agency Frank Moorhouse Fellowship for Young Writers supports an unpublished author aged 18–35 to develop a new work of fiction.
The 2026 Fellows are:
• Cate Kennedy – Author Fellowship
• Abbas El-Zein – Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing
• Alaina Dean – Copyright Agency Frank Moorhouse Fellowship for Young Writers
Author Fellowship – Cate Kennedy
Award-winning short story writer and poet Cate Kennedy, from Castlemaine in regional Victoria, has received the 2026 Author Fellowship to develop Landfall (working title), a new poetry collection exploring the relationship between human connection, personal renewal and the natural world.
The collection will be published by University of Queensland Press (UQP).
“A Copyright Agency Author Fellowship is so much more than validation of a writing project’s potential; it is a gift of extended time, offered in great faith, to see that project realised” said Cate.
“I am very excited to be looking at the year ahead as a huge opportunity to be purposefully and fully immersed in a creative process, with the luxury of supported time to see it through to completion, and extremely grateful to CA for their ongoing funding for Australian writers.”
Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing – Abbas El-Zein
Sydney-based writer, Abbas El-Zein, has been awarded the 2026 Fellowship for Non-Fiction Writing to develop a new book examining the historical roots of contemporary crises in the Arab world.
The book will offer historical and cultural context for understanding the forces shaping the Middle East today. Moving beyond event-driven news coverage, the project aims to provide readers with a deeper understanding of a region central to international affairs, global security and the world economy.
The book will be published by NewSouth.
“Sincere appreciation to the Copyright Agency and the judges of the award. This generous fellowship will allow me to dedicate most of my time in 2027 to writing the book, and travelling to conduct the required research,” said Abbas.
“Not only will it help bring the book into the world, it provides wonderful moral support that is priceless to writers.”
Copyright Agency Frank Moorhouse Fellowship for Young Writers – Alaina Dean
Young writer Alaina Dean, from Windsor in Victoria, has received the 2026 Copyright Agency Frank Moorhouse Fellowship for Young Writers to complete the first draft of her novel, which she refers to as Mountain bby novel.
Set in the Victorian High Country across 2019 and 2020, the novel follows a young woman abandoned by her sister and left to care for her sister’s baby in an isolated mountain setting.
“I am so thrilled to have been awarded the Copyright Agency Frank Moorhouse Fellowship. Funding of my creative practice will allow me to dedicate time to writing in a way that I’ve never been able to before,” said Alaina.
“I’m so excited for what my next year of writing looks like with the backing of the Fellowship.”
Supporting Australian writers
Copyright Agency CEO Josephine Johnston congratulated the recipients and highlighted the importance of providing writers with the time and financial support to develop ambitious new work.
“Great writing needs time, focus and the freedom to explore new ideas. Copyright Agency’s fellowships provide valuable support to Australian writers at different stages of their careers, giving them the opportunity to dedicate themselves to ambitious new work. We warmly congratulate Alaina Dean, Cate Kennedy and Abbas El-Zein and look forward to seeing their projects take shape.”
The three Fellowships were assessed by independent panels of peers from across the Australian writing and publishing industry. The panels acknowledged the impressive range and quality of applications received, reflecting the strength of Australian literary talent and the difficult task of selecting just one recipient in each category.
Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund supports Australian writers, visual artists, publishers and creative organisations through grants, fellowships and projects that encourage the creation of new work and connect Australian stories with audiences.
For more information about Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund Fellowships, visit copyright.com.au/culturalfund
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For media enquiries or interview requests contact Denise Semrani dsemrani@copyright.com.au
About Copyright Agency
Copyright Agency is an Australian not-for-profit representing over 40,000 creators, including publishers, authors, journalists and visual artists. It provides licensing solutions that allow businesses to legally copy, share and store content while ensuring creators are fairly paid.
About Copyright Agency Cultural Fund
The Cultural Fund is the philanthropic arm of Copyright Agency, providing support to individuals and organisations to run projects that will enrich Australia’s publishing and visual arts industries.