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As a baby-writer, I’ve noticed that sometimes there are HEAPS of opportunities that are perfect for me, and at other times there are heaps of opportunities that are perfect for everyone else: those people who have books published, or higher education qualifications I can only dream of… Right now is a time when there are heaps of opportunities around for emerging writers, and I’d hate them to fly under the radar for people in the same position, so here are some of the big exciting ones.

SOYA are a great initiative funded by Qantas. SOYA stands for “Spirit of Youth Awards”, and is a scheme that gives writers under 30 years old the opportunity to be mentored, and fly anywhere they want under the guise of research. This year’s mentor is none other than Lisa Dempster (most busy lady in the world). There’s only two days left to apply for this, so you might have to pull an all-nighter, but it’s not impossible.

Another not-to-be-sneezed-at chance comes from the good people at the Australian Book Review, who have the coolest internship (after EWF and MWF, of course!) going round. Most internships are unpaid, but ABR are looking for a part-time intern who will be paid a wage which includes super and leave entitlements. The job involves “digitising” ABR – from the job description, this seems to include a bit of everything. An awesome foot in the door at a great publication.

Finally, I had my attention called to this one a few days ago, and while it’s not quite right for my interests, I know a lot of people a bit cooler than me will swoon at this one. Meanjin are offering $3000 to early career and emerging arts critics, to write extended pieces about “new arts” – meaning all the very cool things that exist because of digitisation. This 3-4 months mentorship will also contribute to the forthcoming Meanjin podcasts. Meanjin is a publication that strikes a beautiful balance between intellect and fun, and is a fantastic place to get yourself heard. 

So don’t say that it’s hard to catch a break. People are throwing cash at us; go chase it.