The Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas (JNI) has partnered with Penguin Random House Australia and Copyright Agency to provide practical experience and mentoring to the next generation of Australian longform writers, culminating in the opportunity to publish their work in a Penguin Random House anthology.
The Long Lede initiative will pair 10 writers with 10 seasoned mentors to develop a piece of longform factual writing, 5000 words in length. The program will see mentees develop their skills in crafting and pitching ideas, conducting research, interviewing subjects, fact-checking, structuring, and editing. Mentees will also attend a series of masterclasses taught by longform practitioners.
The program is targeted at applicants who are early to mid-career writers. Journalism need not be the main pursuit of applicants, but they should have a desire to build their portfolio in longform writing. Applicants must have some previously published work – though not necessarily in longform – and they must be Australian residents.
Applications open May 9 and close June 30. The program will run from October 2022 to April 2023. Apply here.
A launch event will be held in Sydney on 11 May hosted by Nick Bryant and featuring four acclaimed writers: Rebecca Huntley, Rick Morton, Amanda Hooton, and Mahmood Fazal, who will each give a mini masterclass to help demystify the practice of factual longform writing. RSVP here.
Mark Ryan, executive director of the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, said: “Longform factual writing plays a vital role in the Australian media and publishing landscape, providing an opportunity for readers and writers to step out of the daily news cycle and examine the world more deeply. JNI believes it is important to develop writers in this space for the benefit of the wider industry.”
Justin Ractliffe, publishing director at Penguin Random House Australia, said: “Penguin Random House has a proud history of publishing narrative non-fiction and reportage. We’re delighted to be partnering with JNI and Copyright Agency to support and nurture a new cohort of writers. This is a lede that won’t be buried!”