Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund Supports Seven Major Australian Writers’ Festivals
February 22, 2021
For the first time, the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund will support writers’ panel sessions at seven major writers’ festivals around the nation, kicking off with Perth’s Literature and Ideas: Weekend in the City this weekend (20-21 February 2021).
Copyright Agency CEO Adam Suckling says, “We are thrilled to be supporting seven of the major writers’ festivals as they are an effective way to promote and raise the profile of Australian writers and writing; they connect readers with writers, and importantly, they sell books.
“The Cultural Fund’s support is targeted to specific panel sessions and events that focus on raising the profile of writers and writing; engaging with important topics (such as literary reviewing, the importance of reading, focus on Australian literature, and books that changed lives); and promoting emerging, First Nations and diverse writers to new audiences.”
In response to COVID-19, which had a devastating impact on Australian creatives’ ability to earn and promote their work, the Cultural Fund last year brought forward two rounds of funding to inject much-needed financial support into the industry.
“The latest round of funding was created to further support our authors and publishers, with more than half of full-time writers’ earnings falling below $15,000 per year because of the pandemic*,” explains Mr Suckling.
“For the November round we invited several major writers’ festivals and key writing organisations to submit expressions of interest for projects that would directly benefit writers. This year, in addition to the seven writers’ festivals, the Cultural Fund will be supporting The Wheeler Centre’s ‘Broadly Speaking’ series of talks that will feature brilliant local and international feminist thinkers to discuss culture, media, matriarchy, law, health, sex, sovereignty and more. These events will be delivered via livestream, and will be available all around the world.
We are also supporting a pilot program by Sydney Review of Books that will commission and publish reviews of new Australian books on current affairs and history each month in an effort to convey the vibrancy, diversity and distinctiveness of Australian life.”
The Cultural Fund is supporting the following writers’ festivals and literary programs in 2021:
- Perth Literature and Ideas: Weekend in the City ($15,000)
- Adelaide Writers’ Week ($15,000)
- Sydney Writers’ Festival ($25,000)
- Brisbane Writers’ Festival ($10,000)
- Byron Writers’ Festival ($7,500)
- Canberra Writers’ Festival ($7,500)
- Melbourne Writers’ Festival ($20,000)
- The Wheeler Centre’s “Broadly Speaking” series of talks in 2021, with support for Australian writers’ fees. ($15,000)
- The Sydney Review of Books to commission and publish non-fiction reviews on contemporary Australia and our history ($27,000)
The Cultural Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Copyright Agency and is dedicated to offering grants to leading organisations for projects that deliver opportunities for Australian writers, journalists, editors, English and literary teachers, visual artists and key industry stakeholders in the writing, publishing, education and visual arts sectors.
To find about the Cultural Fund’s Grants and Fellowships for 2021, please visit our website.
*Australian Society of Authors Survey 2020
Media Enquiries:
Jane Morey | morey media | m: 0416 097 678 | e:jane@moreymedia.com.au
About the Copyright Agency
The not-for-profit Copyright Agency connects users and creators of content, providing licences for the use of copyright material such as text, images, art and survey plans. We manage the educational and government licences for the use of text and images, as well as the resale royalty scheme for artists (by Government appointment). Our members include writers, artists, surveyors and publishers. Membership is free.