Aurora Alumnus and 2023 Roberta Sykes Scholar Recognised with Literary Fellowship

Dakota Feirer, an Aurora alumnus of multiple programs and 2023 Roberta Sykes Scholar, has been awarded a 2023 black&write! Fellowship for his collection ‘Arsenic Flower’. Dakota is a Bundjalung and Gumbsaynggirr man who completed his Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Wollongong in 2020.

The Fellowship is worth $10,000 and includes editorial development from the State Library of Queensland’s (SLQ) black&write! editorial team, and consideration for publication by Hachette Australia.
Book+Publishing describes Dakota’s winning collection of poetry as a contemplative mosaic of poetry and prose.

Dakota has previously participated in the High School Program both as a student and mentor, attended the 2019 International Study Tour and completed an internship at AIATSIS in the summer 2020/21 round. He has recently also been announced as a 2023 Roberta Skyes Scholar and will travel to New York later this year to study a Master of Arts (Museum Studies) at New York University.

Congratulations, Dakota, on this fantastic achievement!