Sweatshop Literacy Movement and NewSouth Publishing are delighted to announce the recipients of Fresh Off The Books: The Pasifika Australian Literary Initiative.

As a ground-breaking literary program for Pasifika Australian writers, the 14 successful applicants will receive a year-long scholarship to develop their critical and creative writing portfolios. The scholarship will include ongoing masterclasses, one-on-one mentoring, expert editorial support and an honorarium of $1,000 each.

The boundary-pushing new initiative is being led by award-winning writer, editor and community arts worker, Winnie Dunn. In February 2024, Winnie became the first Tongan author in Australian history to release a mainstream novel by and about the Pasifika community of Australia, titled Dirt Poor Islanders.

As one of Australia’s most celebrated writers from the Pasifika diaspora, Winnie said she was honoured to be fostering the next generation of Pasifika storytellers. "Thank you to the amazing artists from all across the country who applied for this important new initiative. We discovered a wealth of talent that has lived in the shadows for far too long. I'm deeply humbled to be supporting a new generation of Pasifika writers and can't wait to introduce Australian readers to this incredibly diverse and gifted community of authors, poets and essayists."

Over the next 12 months, Winnie will be working with the recipients to develop an anthology of Pasifika writing — marking the first collection by Australian writers of Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Māori, Rotuman, Torres Strait Islander and many other South Pacific cultural backgrounds. The anthology will be published by NewSouth Publishing in the second half of 2026; introducing Australian audiences to the beauty and diversity of contemporary Pasifika-Australian life.

The 14 recipients include: Christine Afoa, Daley Rangi, Enoch Mailangi, Ayeesha Ash, Sarah Carroll, Lungol Wekina, Forever Tupou, Amrita Hepi, Taofia Pelesasa, Talia Smith, Chloe Singleton, Sela Ahosivi, Taulogomai Aii and Tahlia Bowen.

Sweatshop and NewSouth will also be working closely with 10 Highly Commended applicants, who will each develop a short work to include in the anthology.

Fresh Off The Books: The Pasifika Australian Literary Initiative is proudly supported by Diversity Arts Australia, and funded by Creative Australia, the Australian government’s principal arts investment and advisory body.