November 6, 2023

Back after a successful inaugural year in 2022, the Patricia Kailis International Writing Fellowship will return in 2024. Applications open Monday 6 November 2023 and close 5pm AWST on Tuesday 6 February 2024.

The Patricia Kailis International Writing Fellowship is open to writers living outside Australia. It is a residency based at the Centre for Stories in Perth, Western Australia.

Dr Patricia Kailis was a highly respected doctor, academic, astute businesswoman, community leader and philanthropist. The matriarch of the Kailis pearling and fishing family, Dr Kailis was also a remarkable medical researcher who lay the groundwork for the identification of genes related to certain diseases. She was a support to, and mentor of, women who aspired to achieve the heights of their profession and in turn becoming a support for the community. She had a deep interest in issues impacting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Dr Kailis was committed to the arts in all its diversity and in the opportunity for individual and communal expression.

The Patricia Kailis International Writing Fellowship has been made possible with the generous donation of her son Dr George Kailis.

Applicants must be living outside of Australia at the time of application and must be able to travel to Perth Western Australia in order to create new literary work.

The Patricia Kailis International Writing Fellowship aims to:

• Support the work of talented individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to ideas and practices that foster belonging and better cross-cultural understanding.
• Deepen and broaden the literary culture in Western Australia.
• Enable access to emerging writers in Western Australia to writers of international reputation.

Norman Erikson Pasaribu, the 2022 Patricia Kailis International Writing Fellow, shared that, “The fellowship gave me time to work on my novel. Perth is also very quiet. You can walk around to think about how to make your manuscript work. You can purchase any books you need at Rabble and Crow Books. And whenever you want to listen about literature, you can go to Centre for Stories’ events.”

Please read the Patricia Kailis International Writing Fellowship guidelines.

Please email info@centreforstories.com for any questions.

Submit your application via the form here.