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Morrissey awarded Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship

John Morrissey, a Melbourne writer of Kalkadoon descent, has been awarded the 2020 Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship.

Morrissey’s winning submission, ‘The Dig’, is described as ‘a riotous, page-turning short story collection featuring ghost stories, family lore and satire’. Set in an archeological dig, the stories ‘powerfully and playfully skewer race, identity and class, with Aboriginal characters at its heart, encapsulating a nation fractured through time’.

‘Receiving the Boundless Mentorship has invigorated my writing practice,’ said Morrissey. ‘I look forward to benefiting from the support and encouragement of an Aboriginal mentor. I hope to end the mentorship as a more mature, confident, and skilled writer.’

He will begin a year-long mentorship with two-time Miles Franklin winner and Noongar writer Kim Scott and will also receive editorial feedback from Text Publishing and access to Writing NSW’s professional development services.

Boundless judge Tara June Winch said: ‘This year we had the opportunity to read powerful, inspired and stirring work by new Indigenous writers. Manuscripts that were timely and evocative, written with a sense of searching for oneself, and trying to hold onto culture and family and the natural world in a time of upheaval. I congratulate all who were brave enough to enter the prize, and the 
shortlisted authors as well as this year’s deserving and thrilling winner.’

The Boundless Indigenous Mentorship program was launched in June 2018 as a partnership between Text Publishing and Writing NSW, and is also supported by the First Nations Australia Writers Network. The nationwide mentoring program aims to support an emerging Indigenous writer who has ‘made substantial progress’ on a manuscript by pairing them with a senior Indigenous writer in the same genre.

For more information, see the Writing NSW website.

 

Category: Awards Local news