Peter Blazey Fellowship

About

The Peter Blazey Fellowship is awarded annually to further a work in progress for those writers in the non-fiction fields of biography, autobiography and life writing.

Applications open

27 April 2026

Applications close

27 July 2026

Benefits

Up to $20,000 is available and only one award will be offered from this amount. Award payments will be made as a single lump-sum.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this fellowship, you must:

• be a writer engaged in a work in progress in the non-fiction fields of autobiography, biography or life writing;
• be residing in Australia;
• have a publishing record which can include books, chapters, articles or any other written works including online that are not self-published; and,
• not be using the manuscript as part of a submission for a higher degree.

Selection criteria

The recipient will be determined after considering the quality and literary merit of the submitted work as assessed by the selection committee.

Conditions

Recipients are required to:

• accept the award online within 21 days;
• use the statement 'This manuscript won the University of Melbourne’s Peter Blazey Fellowship' included on the imprints page when published; and,
• alert the Awards team in the Faculty of Arts when the final work is published.

Outcome

The winner will be invited to participate in an online announcement.

Application process

Eligible applicants must complete the online application form, including:

• a one-page synopsis of the project and proposed work to be undertaken during the Fellowship;
• an extract of approximately 5,000 words of unpublished material of the work in progress and the text should be spaced one-and-a-half lines;
• a two-page resume, including a list of publications; and,
• proof of an Australian residential address.

Apply

Enquiries

artsawards-info@unimelb.edu.au

About the donors

The Peter Blazey Fellowship was established to honour the memory of Peter Blazey - journalist, author and gay activist. Blazey was born in Melbourne in 1939 and worked for the Australian, the National Times and as a regular columnist for OutRage magazine. He published a number of books, including a political biography of Henry Bolte, and was co-editor of the short fiction anthology, Love Cries. His personal memoir, ScrewLoose, appeared after his death from AIDS in 1997. The Peter Blazey Fellowship was launched by the Hon. Justice Michael Kirby in May 2004 and has been made available through the generosity of Clive Blazey and Tim Herbert, brother and partner of Peter Blazey.

Recipient feedback

Ju Bavyka

I am deeply honoured to receive the 2025 Peter Blazey Fellowship. My career path has been far from linear, due to my family history and migration experiences. As such, my writing practice has emerged gradually. I am especially grateful that my multidisciplinary approach has been recognised as valid, and for the trust of the selection committee. More than just financial support, the Fellowship is a profound acknowledgement of my work, which is important to me.

The information listed here is subject to change without notice. Information describing the number and value of scholarships awarded is indicative.