The Emerging Writers’ Festival work, learn and play largely on the land of the Kulin nation, and pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

EWF celebrates the history and creativity of the world’s oldest living culture.

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Performance, Partner, Panel & Social Session

2026 ‘Time To Write’ Paragraph Fellowship Celebration

Many emerging and early career writers hit a brutal “valley of death” after their first or second book. Caught between conflicting demands: the relentless pressure of bills that won’t wait for inspiration, and the solitary, time-intensive and largely unpaid work of crafting their next novel.  

The Time to Write Paragraph Fellowship was established to support such writers through the commercial reality they face, enabling them to carve out more time to write. Nominations come from eminent writers, publishers, literary agents, festival directors, creative writing professionals, editors and journalists from across the country.  

This session announces the two winners of the $25,000 2026 Paragraph Fellowship. Enjoy a reading of both their works, and a panel conversation between the 2025 Paragraph Fellow Grace Chan, EWF Executive Director & Co-CEO Jes Layton, and the chair of Time to Write, celebrated author Toni Jordan. 

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Accessibility

Auslan Interpretation may be available on request, Wheelchair Accessible, Accessible Toilet, Hearing Loop, Quiet Space.

Friday 11 September, 6-7PM

Pay-What-You-Wish/Free

Book tickets

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The Wheeler Centre, Performance Space (Level 2, ground level)
176 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000

Venue accessibility information

View location at 5XQ8+W5

Featuring...

Toni Jordan

Toni Jordan is the author of eight novels including the international bestseller Addition, which was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and adapted into a feature film. Her novel Nine Days was awarded the Indie award for Best Fiction and Our Tiny, Useless Hearts was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. Her latest novel, Tenderfoot, has been shortlisted for the Indie Award for best fiction, and the ABIA award for Literary Fiction Book of the Year. Toni holds a Bachelor of Science in physiology and a PhD in Creative Arts and lives in Melbourne.

Grace Chan

Grace Chan is an award-winning speculative fiction writer. She writes about brains, minds, and space.

Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Every Version of You, is about staying in love after mind-uploading into virtual reality. It won the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards People’s Choice Award, and was shortlisted for The Age Book of the Year and longlisted for the Climate Fiction Prize, the Stella Prize and the Indie Book Awards.

Her short fiction has been published widely, translated into multiple languages, and appeared in The Best Science Fiction of the Year.

Jes Layton

Jes is a Narrm based author, illustrator, and the current Emerging Writers’ Festival Executive Director and co-CEO.

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