A globally recognised journalist, an award-winning novelist, an acclaimed poet and a celebrated children's author are the winners of this year's Writers on the Reef residency, hosted by James Cook University's Roderick Centre for Australian Literature.
A globally recognised journalist, an award-winning novelist, an acclaimed poet and a celebrated children's author are the winners of this year's Writers on the Reef residency, hosted by James Cook University's Roderick Centre for Australian Literature.
From September 7-13, the four writers will be in residence at waterfront Villa Kembali in Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island, an idyllic island off the coast of Townsville, developing new work inspired by environment, place and coastal life.
The 2026 recipients are journalist and Guggenheim Fellow Sonia Shah, award-winning novelist Laura Jean McKay, poet and critic Dimitra Harvey, and best-selling children's author Andrea Rowe.
Head of the Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing Professor Victoria Kuttainen said the program continues to attract exceptional talent from across the country.
"We are so excited to announce our winners this year. The panel found this a particularly competitive cohort to judge, including a mix of career stages, genres and projects, and an exceptional level of talent," she said.
"What stood out was how unique this residency is, and how it draws out distinctive projects that speak to the capacity of creative work to engage with global environmental challenges.
"There is no other residency like this in Australia, and we are very grateful to the Roderick Trust for supporting this program as part of the Centre's commitment to literature and creative writing."
Open to Australian writers at all stages of their careers, the Writers on the Reef residency supports projects exploring environmental and place-based themes, from conservation and sustainability to islands, oceans and community life, with a particular connection to Magnetic Island and its natural and cultural setting.
The residency provides time and space for writers to progress new work while immersed in one of North Queensland's most distinctive environments.
The Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing continues the legacy of Professor Colin Roderick and Margaret Roderick, whose commitment to Australian storytelling led to the establishment of the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies in 1966 and the Colin Roderick Literary Award soon after.
Today, the Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award remains one of the richest literary prizes in the country.
