The Next Chapter
Take your story to The Next Chapter, The Wheeler Centre’s landmark writing program.
Applications for The Next Chapter 2027 are now open and will close at 5pm on Friday 31 July 2026.
The Next Chapter program elevates Australian stories that aren’t being told and nurtures a new wave of writers to tell them.
Each Next Chapter writer will receive a $15,000 stipend and be paired with a handpicked mentor to work closely with them over a twelve-month period as they progress a major writing project. The program also offers meaningful opportunities for the recipients to connect with peers, agents, publishers and readers.
Participants will also receive the opportunity to attend a residency at Varuna, The National Writers’ House, and attend an end-of year publishing intensive at The Wheeler Centre.
Of the writers selected, there will be one fellowship place dedicated specifically to a poet, The Malcolm Robertson Fellowship.
2027 Judges and Timeline
Tuesday 2 June 2026 – Submissions open
Friday 31 July 2026 – Submissions close
Tuesday 10 November 2026 – The 2027 Next Chapter Fellows announced
Melissa Lucashekno
Micaela Sahhar
Cher Tan
Melanie Saward
If you have questions about applying to The Next Chapter, please refer to our application and frequently asked questions pages.
For an example of the application form, you can download a blank sample here.
Presented by The Wheeler Centre with support from Creative Australia, the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, the Koshland Innovation Extension Fund, a sub-fund of Australian Communities Foundation, the Mietta Foundation, the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Arts and the Victorian State Government.
