diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -7,6 +7,19 @@
 .. _PVP: https://pvp.haskell.org/
 
 
+1.8.1.0 (2019-11-16)
+====================
+
+* Git: :tag:`concurrency-1.8.1.0`
+* Hackage: :hackage:`concurrency-1.8.1.0`
+
+Added
+~~~~~
+
+* (:issue:`303`) ``Control.Monad.Conc.Class.newTVarConc``, with a
+  default implementation of ``atomically . newTVar``.
+
+
 1.8.0.0 (2019-10-04)
 --------------------
 
diff --git a/Control/Monad/Conc/Class.hs b/Control/Monad/Conc/Class.hs
--- a/Control/Monad/Conc/Class.hs
+++ b/Control/Monad/Conc/Class.hs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 -- |
 -- Module      : Control.Monad.Conc.Class
--- Copyright   : (c) 2016--2018 Michael Walker
+-- Copyright   : (c) 2016--2019 Michael Walker
 -- License     : MIT
 -- Maintainer  : Michael Walker <mike@barrucadu.co.uk>
 -- Stability   : experimental
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
 import qualified Control.Monad.Catch          as Ca
 import           Control.Monad.Fail           (MonadFail(..))
 import           Control.Monad.STM.Class      (IsSTM, MonadSTM, TVar, fromIsSTM,
-                                               readTVar)
+                                               newTVar, readTVar)
 import           Control.Monad.Trans.Control  (MonadTransControl, StT, liftWith)
 import           Data.Proxy                   (Proxy(..))
 
@@ -472,6 +472,14 @@
   -- @since 1.0.0.0
   atomically :: STM m a -> m a
 
+  -- | Create a @TVar@. This may be implemented differently for speed.
+  --
+  -- > newTVarConc = atomically . newTVar
+  --
+  -- @since 1.8.1.0
+  newTVarConc :: a -> m (TVar (STM m) a)
+  newTVarConc = atomically . newTVar
+
   -- | Read the current value stored in a @TVar@. This may be
   -- implemented differently for speed.
   --
@@ -774,6 +782,7 @@
   casIORef            = IO.casIORef
   modifyIORefCAS      = IO.atomicModifyIORefCAS
   atomically          = IO.atomically
+  newTVarConc         = IO.newTVarIO
   readTVarConc        = IO.readTVarIO
 
 -- | Label the current thread, if the given label is nonempty.
@@ -852,6 +861,7 @@
   modifyIORefCAS r    = toIsConc . modifyIORefCAS r
   modifyIORefCAS_ r   = toIsConc . modifyIORefCAS_ r
   atomically          = toIsConc . atomically . fromIsSTM
+  newTVarConc         = toIsConc . newTVarConc
   readTVarConc        = toIsConc . readTVarConc
 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -901,6 +911,7 @@
   modifyIORefCAS r    = lift . modifyIORefCAS r                ; \
   modifyIORefCAS_ r   = lift . modifyIORefCAS_ r               ; \
   atomically          = lift . atomically                      ; \
+  newTVarConc         = lift . newTVarConc                     ; \
   readTVarConc        = lift . readTVarConc                    }
 
 -- | New threads inherit the reader state of their parent, but do not
diff --git a/concurrency.cabal b/concurrency.cabal
--- a/concurrency.cabal
+++ b/concurrency.cabal
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 -- documentation, see http://haskell.org/cabal/users-guide/
 
 name:                concurrency
-version:             1.8.0.0
+version:             1.8.1.0
 synopsis:            Typeclasses, functions, and data types for concurrency and STM.
 
 description:
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 source-repository this
   type:     git
   location: https://github.com/barrucadu/dejafu.git
-  tag:      concurrency-1.8.0.0
+  tag:      concurrency-1.8.1.0
 
 library
   exposed-modules:     Control.Monad.Conc.Class