slow melting sadness
became the midday sun
~ from 'The Bird Cage' by Ali Cobby Eckermann, Red Room Poetry Fellow
Congratulations Ali Cobby Eckermann: Recipient of the inaugural Red Room Poetry Fellowship (2017)
"When I received the news that I was successful for the Fellowship I was filled with both a joy and a confidence. The shortlist was filled with people that I admired so it really was a complement. The residency at Bundanon allowed me to explore more my poetry and I think bring it back to some playfulness. There’s times in our poetic lives where we get very serious about what’s happening in our families or our society around us, and residencies can allow a little bit of freshness and playfulness."
~ Ali Cobby Eckermann, Red Room Poetry Fellow 2017
The Red Room Poetry Fellowship recognises the achievements and artistic goals of contemporary Australian poets. The Fellowship has been established to foster poetic and professional development of an individual within the wider poetic community, encouraging poets to undertake an intensive period of creative development involving a range of commissions, residency, recordings and publication outcomes.
Generous philanthropists make the Red Room Poetry Fellowship possible.
Applications are open to all poets previously commissioned by Red Room Poetry. There is no cost to submit to the Fellowship.
The successful Fellow will receive:
• $5000 poetic stipend “no strings”
• $1000 commission to create a suite of poems inspired by an existing
Red Room project
• a two-week residency at Bundanon Trust
• Travel assistance
• Paid professional employment (delivering up to 4 x poetic workshops)
• Opportunity to present a public address during the year-long Fellowship
• Highly visible publication of commissioned poem(s) on public transport
It is expected that the Red Room Poetry Fellow will complete all activities within 12 months of announcement of the Fellowship, unless otherwise agreed.
To apply
Applications are now closed.
View the longlist | View the shortlist
Fellowship Timelines:
• Applications open - 1 March 2017
• Applications close - 5:00pm 3 April 2017
• Expert Arts Panel and Red Room Poetry Directors review applications
• Winning Fellow announced - 19 May 2017
• 2018 Fellowship applications re-open March 2018
Terms and Conditions
Download criteria and terms and conditions.
While this Fellowship is currently only open to previously commissioned Red Room Poets, Red Room Poetry is always looking for new voices for upcoming poetic projects. If you are interested in a Red Room Poetry Commission, please email contact@redroomcompany with a copy of your CV, a suite of your best poems, as well as the kind of projects in which you are interested.
