Troy Grant Media Release – Linda Jaivin Wins 2014 NSW Writers’ Fellowship

Sydney writer Linda Jaivin has been announced as the winner of the NSW Writers’ Fellowship, which will allow her to research her new novel, The Education of Proofreader Ding.

Minister for the Arts Troy Grant said the $30,000 fellowship includes the opportunity to take up a residency offered by the State Library of NSW where she will carry out some of her research.

“I congratulate Linda on this brilliant achievement and I look forward to reading her novel, The Education of Proofreader Ding.

“As part of her residency at the State Library of NSW, Linda will also be involved in public engagement about her work and contribute an article to the Library’s SL Magazine.

“This fellowship is part of the NSW Government’s ongoing support for the professional development of established and mid-career writers based in NSW,” Mr Grant said.

Mr Grant also congratulated Ms Pam Newton and Mr Kim Cheng Boey on being highly commended by the assessment panel.

“The panel said Linda Jaivin’s proposal stood out among a high quality field of 22 applicants from across the State,” Mr Grant said.

“With a writing career spanning more than 25 years, Linda has extensive experience and has devoted much of her life to explaining China to Australian audiences.

“Linda’s project will continue, and expand upon the themes she has written about since she first visited China in the 1980s.

The NSW Writer’s Fellowship (Mid-Career and Established) is offered by Arts NSW.

As part of the program for this fellowship, the State Library of NSW offered a residency for up to 12 months including a dedicated desk in the Fellow’s Room, as well as introductions to the Library’s collections experts to assist in their research.

In 2013-14, Arts NSW will provide more than $1.1 million to fund the operations of organisations that support writers across the State.