<
https://theconversation.com/writers-victoria-has-been-defunded-but-writers-centres-are-fundamental-to-literary-culture-273704>
"Writers Victoria, one of a national network of centres providing crucial
support and employment to writers, has lost its funding – putting its “very
survival” at risk. Its loss would make Victoria (whose capital, Melbourne, is a
UNESCO City of Literature) the only mainland state without a state
government-funded peak organisation for writers.
Creative Victoria has provided emergency funding for the first six months of
2026. But it is not enough to cover existing contractual obligations to
authors, staff salaries and a rental lease, Writers Victoria chair Janice Gobey
told the
Australian. She has launched a petition to the Parliament of
Victoria to restore state funding. So far, it has garnered about 2,000
signatures.
Why does it matter if we lose Writers Victoria? What do these state and
territory writers’ centres do? We’ve had them since South Australia opened the
first one in 1985, roughly 40 years ago. Now, they “play a fundamental role in
our literary ecosystem,” Jennifer Mills, chair of the Australian Society of
Authors and Miles Franklin shortlisted author, told
The Conversation.
Novelist Toni Jordan told us Writers Victoria was “instrumental” in the
creation and success of her Miles Franklin longlisted debut novel,
Addition,
released as a feature film this week. “Writers Victoria workshops helped me
write it, and I met my publisher at an ‘ask the publishers’ event run by
Writers Victoria.” Mills met her first publisher at a similar writers’ centre
event, run by NT Writers’ Centre.
Jordan described the organisation, which she became a patron of this month, as
an “incubator for new generations of writing talent every year”. She worries
about the established writers who might not reach this career stage in five or
ten years without it.
While Mills praised writers’ centres’ role in helping new writers connect with
community and professional opportunities, she also emphasised their role in
supporting established ones. “Writers’ centres pay,” she said. “They directly
employ authors and usually pay fair rates for appearances, workshops and
mentoring.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
