Projects Supported – Fellowships

Burruberongal woman of the Darug Aboriginal Nation and South Coast NSW-based novelist, playwright and poet, Julie Janson, will write Deliverance and Fornication. This will be the third book in her historical trilogy, following Benevolence and Compassion (the latter was shortlisted for the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award). Julie’s work explores themes of colonial dispossession, Aboriginal resistance, justice and identity. Her new novel will continue her acclaimed reimagining of early colonial history from Indigenous perspectives, following the story of a young woman navigating survival and cultural erasure on the 19th-century frontier.

Victorian author, Julienne Van Loon, will complete Women of the Future: Six essays on world-leading scientists. The book is interested in the potential of women’s ideas to intervene in and impact on our global futures. An award-winning author of fiction and literary non-fiction, Julienne’s writing frequently bridges art and science, exploring the social and philosophical dimensions of material life.

Writer and poet, Dženana Vucic, will develop her debut novel Palimpsest (working title). An autofictional narrative spanning war, migration and memory, Palimpsest traces intertwined stories of a mother and daughter shaped by the Bosnian war and the ongoing reconstruction of identity in diaspora. Dženana has published widely in Australian literary journals including Overland, Meanjin, Sydney Review of Books and Kill Your Darlings, and her poetry and essays have appeared in numerous anthologies.

Libby Baker, a teacher librarian at Hughes Primary School in the ACT, will investigate character diversity in Reading Australia’s picture books using a functional grammar analysis to inquire into the main characters in the Reading Australia Unit picture books. Libby’s project seeks to understand these texts by analysing how language constructs and positions the diversity of race, gender, ability and age in the main characters, and will generate insights into the inclusivity and representation within Reading Australia’s collection, with a goal to ensure that the diversity of the texts is promoted to teachers and librarians.

Rosina Di Marzo, Communications and Marketing Manager at UNSW Press

Rosina received support to Investigate AI Adoption in the Global University Press Ecosystem, and will explore how university presses, both in Australia and internationally, are integrating AI into their operations. Rosina will examine the implementation of AI across publishing functions including content creation and enhancement, editorial workflows, design and layout, marketing and distribution, sales and market analytics, and accessibility and inclusion. Given the rapid pace of technological development and the uneven adoption of AI across the sector, this research will assess both the effectiveness and limitations of current tools and practices.

Anabel Pandiella, Head of Marketing, Allen & Unwin

Anabel’s project, Reading Futures: Lessons from Spain’s Publishing Revival, received support to research the “Spanish phenomenon” – where Spain’s publishing sector has achieved eleven consecutive years of growth – by attending the La Feria del Libro de Madrid, attracting over 600,000 visitors annually and combining direct-to-reader engagement with industry roundtables. The fair is unique in its focus on direct engagement: readers, booksellers, publishers and authors come together in Retiro Park, making it both a marketplace and a living expression of Spain’s reading culture. For Australia, where similar pressures are reshaping the market, Spain offers an invaluable case study.

Miriam Rosenbloom, Publisher, Scribble (Scribe Publications)

Miriam received support for her project, Born-Accessible Publishing Professional Development and will attend the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) World Congress in Ottawa, receive focused professional training at Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB): Beyond Print, and visit the world’s largest collection of accessible children’s books, while conducting targeted meetings with Canadian children’s publishers to develop advanced skills in accessible publishing models.

Click below to see successful applicants we’ve supported in previous years

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