Skip to content

Announcing The Next Chapter: an unprecedented new way of supporting writers

Read Thursday, 3 May 2018

The Wheeler Centre announces The Next Chapter, an unprecedented new way of supporting writers. Entries open Friday 4 May – Friday 13 July 2018.

Share this content

Across the country – in our regions, in our suburbs, in our cities – there are aspiring writers with stories to tell. But getting those stories heard is not easy. And the commercial market is not always the best place for a writer to develop their skills and hone their craft.

So what are the challenges for emerging talent in Australia? How do we make it possible for aspiring writers to connect with peers and mentors across the nation? And how do we make sure the industry has the tools to build inclusive networks and support writers from marginalised communities?

The Wheeler Centre’s Next Chapter is here to elevate the Australian stories that aren’t being published – and to nurture a new generation of writers, from all sorts of backgrounds, to tell them.

Each year, The Next Chapter judges will pick ten outstanding writers and give them $15,000 each to develop their work. The scheme will match them with a mentor who will work closely with them on bringing their writing to life, connecting them with peers, publishers and readers.


For eight years the Wheeler Centre has devoted itself to bringing the best of Australian writing, books and ideas to Melbourne and the state of Victoria. Now, we’re broadening our reach to the rest of the country with this national scheme. Wheeler Centre Director Michael Williams says: ‘Making it as a writer in this country is still perilously hard. The average writer earns only $13,000 a year. Never mind being a bestseller, making a living wage from writing books is far too rare. And when the markers of success and failure are that unforgiving, it’s little wonder that it can feel like an imposing, exclusive world in which to try to find your voice and launch a new career.’

‘How do we best support those voices who aren’t getting heard through conventional publishing channels? How do we help passionate, skilled writers hone and develop their work without having to constantly worry about sales and royalty rates before they’ve even begun? That’s where this scheme comes in. That’s how we’ll find the next chapter of Australia’s literary story.’

The inaugural Next Chapter judges include Benjamin Law, Ellen van Neerven and Maxine Beneba Clarke. On the necessity of such a scheme, Benjamin Law says, ‘Two things were crucial in ensuring I could build a sustainable writing career: mentorship and money. The Next Chapter is going to help ten writers so much, and I’m thrilled that we – as readers – also get to be its beneficiaries in the long run.’

Applications and nominations open 9am Friday 4 May and close 5pm Friday 13 July 2018.

Writers will be assessed on a writing sample, a 300 word or less pitch and a one page letter of support from someone who can vouch for the entrant’s commitment to writing. You don’t need a university English degree, industry connections or even to have been published before.

More information on how to apply or nominate a writer can be found on The Next Chapter website – that’s thenextchapter.wheelercentre.com. We’ve also laid out some of the key details in this video.

Stay up to date with our upcoming events and special announcements by subscribing to The Wheeler Centre's mailing list.

Privacy Policy

The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders, past and present, as the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.