Writer in Residence Program

• About the Program
• 2026-2027 Program Guidelines
• Current Writer in Residence
• Application Form

Applications are currently open for the 2026-2027 Woollahra Libraries Writer in Residence program.

Applications close at 5pm on Sunday 3 May 2026. This is one application round for the three residency periods listed below. Applicants may be considered for any of the available 4-month residencies.

Go to application form

About the Program

The Woollahra Libraries Writer in Residence program provides an emerging or established writer with studio space, stipend and professional development opportunities.

The residency offers writers:

• dedicated writing space in Woollahra Library at Double Bay or Paddington Library, or exclusive use of a writer’s studio at EJ Ward Community Centre (Paddington),
• a $2,000 stipend for the 4-month period of the residency,
• a year-long Writing NSW membership,
• and the opportunity to develop and deliver programs with Woollahra Libraries.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:

• be over 18 years of age,
• have the right to live and work in Australia,
• and be an established or emerging writer.

Submitted material must be your own original work.

Guidelines

Guidelines are available here:

Woollahra Libraries Writer in Residence Program Guidelines(PDF, 3MB)

2026-2027 Residency periods

• 6 July 2026 - 25 October 2026
• 2 November 2026 - 21 February 2027
• 1 March 2027 - 20 June 2027

One application closing date applies to all three residency periods: 5pm, Sunday 3 May 2026.

Current Woollahra Libraries Writer in Residence

We are delighted to welcome poet and visual artist Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad as our inaugural Woollahra Libraries Writer in Residence. A transnational artist working across South Asian, Middle Eastern and Australian contexts, Oormila creates hybrid poetry that blends lyricism, documentary attention and visual art. Her work explores how landscapes, both familiar and remembered, intersect in the lived experience of place and belonging.

Her writing has appeared in more than 70 international journals, and her visual art has featured on the covers and pages of magazines across ten countries. Oormila’s books include Patchwork Fugue (2024), A Second Life in Eighty-Eight Keys (2024) and the forthcoming Shadows Gold (2026).

Oormila’s connection to Woollahra is already strong: she launched Patchwork Fugue at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf and has performed at multiple Poetica Bondi events.

From February to June 2026, Oormila will develop a new collection of 20 hybrid poetry sequences inspired by Woollahra’s harbours, coastal paths and green spaces.

Learn more about Oormila

Application Form

Click here to view form.