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MIN READ
The Australian Society of Authors and Varuna, the National Writers’ House, are thrilled to announce Emma Clancey as the winner of the 2024 ASA/Varuna Ray Koppe Young Writers Fellowship for her crime fiction manuscript, Bad Medicine.
Bad Medicine is described by Emma as an upmarket satirical thriller set at a cutthroat Australian medical school. The protagonist, Orion, is “caught in a high-stakes game of criminal dares with his rich – but morally bankrupt – classmates. Diana Reid’s Love & Virtue meets Susan White’s Cut.”
Emma says, “Receiving this fellowship is an incredible honour, and I’m deeply grateful to the ASA, Varuna, and the Koppe family for their belief in my work. As an emerging writer, this support and recognition is invaluable—as is the time and space to write that the residency generously offers. I look forward to developing Bad Medicine further at Varuna next year!”
Olivia Lanchester, ASA CEO, says, “Our warm congratulations to Emma on winning this Fellowship! We’re delighted to welcome you to the ASA community and to support you in the next steps of your career. As ever, we’d like to warmly thank the Koppe family who make this Fellowship possible and continue to honour Ray Koppe’s legacy in supporting emerging writers.”
Each year, the ASA and Varuna awards a two-week residential fellowship to a writer under the age of 35 who is as yet unpublished. The fellowship comprises a two-week residency at Varuna (including accommodation and all food), a one-hour consultation with a Varuna consultant, a year’s membership to the Australian Society of Authors, and travel subsidy if the recipient lives outside of NSW.
The residency was established by the Koppe family as a tribute to their mother, Ray Koppe. Ray, who for many years managed the business affairs of the ASA, was always passionately interested in and supportive of, young writers. (Read more about Ray here)
Past winners include Madeleine Rebbechi (2023) Aaliyah Sugitha (2022), Sarah Stivens (2021), Tim McGuire (2020), Hayley Scrivenor (2019), Holden Sheppard (2017), Nick Couldwell (2016), Chloe Higgins (2015), Danielle Binks (2014), Hannah Bent (2013), Dimitra Harvey (2012) and Renae Gibson (2011).
This flagship fellowship is part of the Varuna Residential Fellowships program. Find out more here.
