Welcome to the official application portal for Our North is the South: The Latin American Literary Initiative!

This exciting new program will provide ongoing mentoring, workshops and masterclasses, and performance and publishing opportunities for Latin American writers from Western Sydney and beyond. The initiative will be directed by acclaimed Uruguayan-Australian author, editor and arts worker, Natalia Figueroa Barroso.

The fellowship will include:

• Online writing workshops from 1 July 2025 to 15 December 2026.

• Honorariums to participate in live performance readings and publishing opportunities.

• Ongoing mentoring that will include online and in-person editorial support.

• Publishing, editing, networking and creative industry support from Sweatshop Literacy Movement.

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Eligibility

• Applicant must identify as Latin American living in Australia.

• Applicant must be over the age of 18.

• Applicant must agree to respectfully collaborate with the director, which includes accepting critical feedback and structural edits.

 
About the Director
​Natalia Figueroa Barroso is a writer of Uruguayan descent with Charrúa, Yoruba and Iberian origins. She was born on Dharug Ngura, and was raised between her birthland and her homeland. She has degrees in communication, screenwriting and media production from UTS. Her essays, poems and short stories have been in Sweatshop Women, Between Two Worlds, Meanjin, Red Room Poetry, Povo, Overland and Griffith Review. Natalia’s debut work of fiction, Hailstones Fell Without Rain (UQP, 2025) is Australia’s first mainstream novel by a Uruguayan author.

About Sweatshop Literacy Movement
Sweatshop is a nationally recognised grass-roots organisation that is devoted to empowering First Nations and culturally diverse communities through reading, writing and critical thinking. Over the past decade, Sweatshop has mentored thousands of young writers across Australia and published a renowned catalogue of anthologies and single-authored works in prose, poetry and non-fiction.
 
Acknowledgements
This initiative is presented by Sweatshop Literacy Movement with support from Powerhouse Youth Theatre. Proudly funded by Fairfield City Council.
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Application
Please complete this short application form to express your interest in the Latin American Literary Initiative.