Writers on the Reef Residency 2026

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Writers on the Reef Residency 2026 recipients announced

Huge congratulations to the recipients of this year's Writers on the Reef residency on Magnetic Island! Our final four include:

Laura Jean McKay
Dimitra Harvey
Andrea Rowe
Sonia Shah

The judges commended the exceptional quality and range of this year’s applications for Writers on the Reef. They noted that the distinctive nature of this residency continues to inspire uniquely thoughtful and imaginative responses and appreciated the depth of feeling and creativity evident across the submissions. Above all, they were struck by the power of storytelling—in all its forms—to bear witness to environmental crisis, and to act as a force for good in imagining and shaping change.

See the JCU media release

Shortlisted writers:

About the residency

The residency is open to published or emerging authors, based in Australia, who have a current project to work on during their stay.

This year’s residency invites Australian writers of any genre whose work engages with environmental, place-based, or environmental themes, including but not limited to: nature writing, conservation, islands, oceans, beaches, Sea Country, ecosystems, sustainability, and island communities—or which may resonate in particular with Magnetic Island and its natural, social, or cultural history and habitat.

Writers who took part in the 2022, 2024 and 2025 Writers on the Reef residencies are ineligible to apply.

When does the residency take place?

From the 7-13 September 2026.

Four writers will be in residence at beautiful waterfront Villa Kembali in Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island.

About Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island is located eight kilometres off the coast of Townsville in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. A popular holiday destination, the island features stunning beaches and walks through the dry tropics national park.

The island is easy to access from the Townsville Airport, with taxis and a shuttle bus available to take visitors to the Breakwater Ferry Terminal. Ferries leave roughly every hour and the trip takes approximately 20 minutes. Visitors disembarking on the island will find public busses to transport them to the four inhabited bays of Picnic, Nelly, Arcadia and Horseshoe.

This project is supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.