RAWA (Readers and Writers Akaroa) delivers a small, friendly literary festival with a big heart. RAWA attracts a high calibre of presenters from across Aotearoa.
Our next festival will be held in Akaroa on the weekend of 6-8 March 2026. You can find our full programme here: www.rawafestival.com/2026-programme
For RAWA festival 2026, we are delighted to offer five adult fellowships, generously sponsored by Friends of RAWA.
RAWA Fellowships (worth $500) enable writers to attend our festivals. Each fellowship provides free entry to the weekend festival, a subsidy towards the cost of accommodation in Akaroa, and a place at the RAWA festival dinner.
We welcome applications from NZSA South Island members and Ngā Kaituhi Māori working across a range of genres and writing disciplines. In the spirit of RAWA, we are keen to support diversity and inclusion.
To apply for a RAWA 2026 Fellowship you need to complete the online application form in the link below. No entry fee is required. Please read the guidelines before making your application.
Click here to apply.
RAWA 2026 NZSA Fellowship Guidelines and Rules
Key information:
- Where: Akaroa, New Zealand
- When: 7-8 March 2026 (Saturday and Sunday)
- Applications: online only (free to enter)
- Closing date for application: midnight, Saturday 31 January 2026
- Selection process: fellows will be selected randomly using a digital randomizing app.
You can apply for a RAWA 2026 NZSA Fellowship if:
- You are a member of Ngā Kaituhi Māori or you are a member of the South Island branches of the NZSA,
- You are aged 18+,
- You live in New Zealand,
- You are motivated to strengthen your writing skills,
- You would struggle to be able to attend RAWA in Akaroa without a Fellowship, and
- You have NOT received a RAWA subsidy before.
This is what we expect from successful applicants:
- Full attendance at the two days of RAWA festival, 7-8 March 2026,
- Completion of an evaluation and testimonial at the end of the Festival, on 8 March 2026, and
- Permission to take and publish photographs of you in the company of other RAWA fellows.
This is what the Fellowships will provide:
- Two days of free entry to the RAWA festival, 7-8 March 2026
- A free place at the RAWA dinner on Saturday 7 March 2026
- Contribution to accommodation in Akaroa ($225)
- Entry into the RAWA Flash Fiction Prize (see details on our website rawafestival.com)
The Fellowships will NOT provide:
- Transport to and from Akaroa
- Entry to the workshop with Michael Bennett on Friday 6 March 2026. This is a separate ticketed event, which fellows are welcome to purchase.
By accepting a RAWA NZSA Fellowship you consent to the publication of your photo and RAWA testimonial on the RAWA website.
We thank our generous sponsors, the Friends of RAWA, and look forward to receiving your online applications.
