In case you’re eager to give attention to a long-term writing mission, however you aren’t positive the way to fund your work, writing fellowships might present the assist you want.
Writing fellowships often encompass funding and area for writers to give attention to a inventive mission fairly than the enterprise of supporting themselves.
From writing fellowships for brand spanking new writers to inventive writing fellowships, there are many differing kinds for any type of inventive who’s in search of an opportunity to let their initiatives thrive.
Many writing fellowships require residency in a specific metropolis in the course of the fellowship, whereas others fund worldwide journey—however all present monetary assist that permits their recipients to totally dedicate their time to writing.
The world of writing fellowships may be dizzying, however we’ve sifted by way of the choices and located a few of the greatest for poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers and journalists alike.
The alternatives right here run the gamut from fellowships for established writers to launching pads for these on the starting of their careers. Every fellowship on the listing is an annual contest, so if this 12 months’s deadline has handed, you’ll have plenty of time to arrange for subsequent 12 months.
20 writing fellowships for authors, journalists and poets
Wherever you’re in your writing profession, you’re certain to discover a tempting possibility or two on this listing of writing fellowships that would show you how to pursue your subsequent mission.
1. Steinbeck Fellow Program of San José State College
In case you’re up for a 12 months in San José and want funding to focus in your work of fiction, inventive nonfiction, drama or biography, it is a improbable alternative.
Named the Steinbeck Fellow Program in honor of John Steinbeck, this $15,000 fellowship permits writers to spend a 12 months engaged on their manuscript whereas benefiting from the college and graduate-student group at SJSU.
The fellowship is designed for writers who’ve had “some success, however haven’t printed extensively.” It requires a one- to three-page proposal, together with a timeline, three letters of advice, a resume and a writing pattern below 25 pages.
Deadline: Purposes are often due in early January.
2. Mom Jones Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program
Rising journalists who need to immerse themselves in an investigative reporting surroundings shall be hard-pressed to discover a higher alternative than this.
Primarily based in San Francisco or Washington, D.C., Mom Jones’ editorial fellowship program is famend for its spectacular alumni listing. Fellows do hands-on analysis and fact-checking and have alternatives to pitch on-line and print content material.
Mom Jones affords fellows $23.52 per hour USD. To use, observe the rules posted on the web site.
Deadline: The 2025-2026 fellowship cycle will start in June 2025, and run for one 12 months. Purposes will open within the spring.
3. The Rona Jaffe Basis Fellowship
The Rona Jaffe Basis Fellowship on the Tremendous Arts Work Heart is awarded every year to an rising girl author of outstanding promise. The fellowship absolutely funds the seven-month residency and features a $2,500 prize to assist defray the price of journey and dwelling bills.
There may be additionally a Fellowship Entry Fund for others accepted into the Writing or Visible Arts Fellowship. It is a one-time award starting from $500 to $2,500 USD.
Deadline: The 2025-2026 Writing Fellowship deadline is December 16, 2024. The 2025-2026 Visible Arts Fellowship deadline is February 3, 2025.
4. The Kenyon Overview Fellowship
Inventive writers of all genres are invited to use for the two-year KR Fellowship at Ohio’s Kenyon School. Candidates ought to have expertise instructing literature or inventive writing to undergraduate college students, as they are going to be required to show one semester every year within the English division whereas enterprise “a major writing mission.”
Moreover, fellows are anticipated to work on a wide range of inventive and editorial initiatives for The Kenyon Overview. Fellows obtain an annual wage plus advantages. You’ll want to spotlight your “achievement and long-term potential” in your utility, and play up your instructing expertise.
Deadline: In 2024, purposes had been due October 18. Examine the web site for future deadlines.
5. Loft McKnight Artist Fellowships
Minnesota writers, this one’s for you. 5 $25,000 writing fellowships can be found: 4 in inventive prose or poetry and one inventive writing fellowship for a author of kids’s literature.
In case you’re simply beginning out, you would possibly need to bookmark the Loft McKnight Artist Fellowship for later in your profession. To be eligible, writers should display previous publication, both a e book or a major variety of literary journal publications.
The funding is meant to allow its recipients to give attention to their craft for the 12 months. Your 15 to 18 web page writing pattern would be the bedrock of your utility.
Deadline: The deadline is often in autumn. In 2024 the deadline is November, 19.
6. Bucknell Stadler Fellowship
The Bucknell College Humanities Heart offers a number of fellowship and grant alternatives for each college and college students who want to research and work within the humanities.
The Humanities Heart School Analysis Fellowships (FRF) are meant to offer college within the humanities with the assets wanted to assist and improve ongoing analysis resulting in publication in peer-reviewed venues (print and/or digital). In 2024 to 2025, the fellowship offers $3,000 for analysis bills. The fellowship interval shall be Oct. 1, 2024 by way of June 30, 2025.
Deadline: The Utility Interval for 2024-2025 is closed, however examine again for future alternatives.
7. Nieman Fellowships
Maybe probably the most beneficiant award accessible for established journalists, the Nieman Basis at Harvard affords writing fellowships for as much as 24 journalists every year. Fellows spend two semesters on the faculty delving into grasp courses, store talks, seminars and journalism conferences.
Most fellows obtain a stipend of $75,000 over the 9 months they spend at Harvard, along with housing, childcare and healthcare.
This fellowship is much less about making time to put in writing and extra concerning the likelihood to learn from a group of fellow journalists and teachers earlier than you come back to your skilled life.
You should have 5 years of full-time media expertise below your belt to use. Additionally noteworthy: 12 of the 24 fellows shall be worldwide journalists, so non-U.S. residents ought to positively take into account this chance.
Deadline: The deadline for worldwide candidates is mostly in early December (in 2024 the deadline is December 1), whereas U.S. candidates can usually apply till late January (this cycle it’s January 31, 2025).
8. James Jones First Novel Fellowship
Fiction writers wrestling with their first (unpublished) novel ought to be aware of this fellowship. Named in honor of the “From Right here to Eternity” creator, the winner of the First Novel Fellowship will obtain $12,000 USD.
Candidates are requested to submit an overview of their novel-in-progress, in addition to the primary 50 pages of their manuscript (so in case your novel remains to be in thought kind, reap the benefits of NaNoWriMo or an identical problem and get cracking). You probably have a couple of novel within the works, you’re welcome to submit a number of manuscripts as separate entries. An entry payment of $30 is required to accompany every submission.
Deadline: Entries are accepted from October 1 of yearly till midnight on March 15 of yearly.
9. The Hodder Fellowship
Open to writers and visible artists (and composers, choreographers, efficiency artists or other forms of artists), the Hodder Fellowship invitations fellows to pursue unbiased initiatives at Princeton’s Lewis Heart for the Arts throughout the educational 12 months. Fellows are awarded a $92,000 stipend over the 10-month fellowship.
The “distinctive promise” known as for by the standards ought to take the type of superior levels and beforehand printed work, as most literary fellows have printed a e book previous to their fellowship 12 months.
The Hodder is exclusive, so far as campus-based author fellowship applications are involved: Fellows should not required to show and even work together with campus life in the event that they don’t need to. The Lewis Heart seems to be for writers who’re at an important second of their profession, the place they’ll significantly profit from time away from busy lives.
Deadline: Purposes are usually due in mid-September. In 2024, the deadline was September 10 at 11:59 p.m. Japanese Time.
10. Pen Heart Rising Voices Fellowship
Designed for underrepresented, marginalized writers who’re remoted from the literary institution, the Rising Voices Fellowship fosters the careers of rising writers by way of coursework, readings, Q&A classes with outstanding authors, mentorship, scholarship alternatives and a $1,500 honorarium.
For 5 months in Los Angeles, Rising Voices fellows will work on a selected writing mission with knowledgeable mentor along with attending organized occasions and courses.
Writers of fiction, inventive nonfiction and poetry are invited to use. The fellowship will not be open to writers who’ve an undergraduate diploma in English with a inventive writing emphasis, or those that have accomplished MA or MFA inventive writing applications. And when you’re already broadly printed or can boast an array of accolades, this isn’t the fellowship for you.
Deadline: The applying interval is open between January 1 and January 31.
11. Persephone Miel Fellowship
The Persephone Miel Fellowship is a good alternative for non-U.S. journalists who need to amplify their reporting on points which might be ignored by the mainstream media.
The man will obtain a $5,000 grant for a reporting mission on matters and areas of world significance, with an emphasis on points which have gone unreported or underreported within the mainstream media.
Any journalists (employees writers or freelancers) outdoors of the U.S. who want to report from their residence nation are invited to use, particularly ladies or journalists from growing nations.
Deadline: The deadline is often in early March. Please go to the web site for future name dates and deadlines.
12. Wallace Stegner Fellowship
Ten proficient fellows—5 fiction writers and 5 poets—will spend two years writing at Stanford College as recipients of the Wallace Stegner Fellowship.
Fellows take part in a weekly three-hour workshop led by Stanford college, however don’t have any different campus duties past workshop attendance. Nevertheless, it’s anticipated that fellows will attend the quite a few enriching occasions provided by Stanford’s creative-writing program, resembling readings and lectures given by established authors.
The principle objective of the fellowship is to finish or make important progress on a manuscript. The Stegner is open to any author, no matter age or nationality, and pays a dwelling stipend of $43,000 per educational 12 months, along with tuition and medical health insurance. Candidates can’t be enrolled in a level program concurrently their fellowship.
Deadline: The applying interval is often open in autumn. In 2024, the deadline for the 2025-2027 fellowship closes November 1 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
13. Patrick Henry Historical past Fellowship
If delving into American historical past by way of your writing is your dream, this one’s for you. The Patrick Henry Historical past Fellowship is a nine-month residency at Washington School in Chestertown, Md. and is open to each students and non-academic writers whose work focuses on “the historical past or legacy of the U.S. founding period and the nation’s founding concepts.”
Candidates ought to have the ability to display important progress on their writing mission previous to making use of and will have in depth publication historical past below their belts. The fellowship pays $45,000 and offers medical health insurance, college privileges and a e book allowance.
Deadline: The deadline for the 2025-2026 fellowship is January 15, 2025.
14. Scripps Fellowship
Budding environmental journalists will swoon for the prospect to spend two semesters on the College of Colorado at Boulder’s Heart for Environmental Journalism.
Along with enterprise an unbiased research which ought to result in “a major piece of journalistic work,” recipients of the Scripps Fellowship take no less than three courses every semester in environmental science, regulation and coverage, and take part in related area journeys round Denver, Boulder and past.
Fellows obtain $80,000 for the educational 12 months. 5 writing fellowships are awarded every year, and the fellowship is open to any U.S. citizen with 5 years {of professional} journalism expertise below their belt, even when they’ve by no means reported on the surroundings.
Deadline: The applying deadline is March 1, yearly.
15. Wisconsin Institute for Inventive Writing Fellows
The Wisconsin Institute for Inventive Writing Fellowships are for candidates with an MFA or PhD in inventive writing who don’t have any printed books or just one full-length assortment printed by the appliance deadline. The Institute usually internationally awards two fiction fellowships and two poetry fellowships, and one third-year MFA fellowship to a present scholar.
The year-long writing fellowships present “no less than” $40,000 with “beneficiant” well being advantages, and it requires fellows to show one course per semester.
Fellows ought to reside close to Madison, Wis., and be accessible to totally take part within the native writing group, give a public studying and assist choose the next 12 months’s fellows.
Deadline: The applying interval is mostly open within the winter, with a deadline set at March 1.
16. Leon Levy Heart for Biography Fellowships
The Leon Levy Heart for Biography (LLCB) affords a number of fellowships yearly to fund the analysis and writing of excellent biographies, together with particular fellowships for CUNY dissertation college students writing biography, and the Sloan Fellowship to fund biographies of scientists.
Recipients spend time engaged on their initiatives, going to seminars, attending public occasions and being a part of the group. First-time biography writers are most popular.
Deadline: Purposes are usually due in early January.
17. O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism
The O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism is a nine-month fellowship specializing in journalism “with the potential to drive motion and enhance lives.” Candidates ought to have no less than 5 years {of professional} expertise and produce journalism frequently.
Fellows work on public service journalism from a regional, nationwide or worldwide stage, working from the O’Brien suite at Marquette College’s Diederich School of Communication in Milwaukee.
Funds embrace a $75,000 wage stipend (USD), and fellows can faucet into beneficiant allotments for housing, though in addition they take distant or partially-remote purposes along with full-residency purposes.
Deadline: Purposes usually open in December, with the deadline in January.
18. Nationwide Endowment for the Arts
Working on a two-year cycle, Inventive Writing Fellowships in prose and poetry can be found for writers at numerous profession phases in alternating years by way of the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts Literature. Meaning fellowships in prose (fiction and nonfiction) can be found one 12 months, and fellowships in poetry are provided the subsequent.
This aggressive program affords $25,000 grants to a various vary of printed inventive writers to assist their efforts in writing, analysis, journey and different profession development endeavors that consequence within the growth of their portfolio of American artwork. “The factors for overview are the inventive excellence and inventive benefit of the submitted manuscript,” so you should definitely submit your greatest work.
Deadline: Purposes are usually due mid-March every year (in 2024 the deadline was March 13 at 11:59 p.m. Japanese Time). Watch the web site for subsequent 12 months’s utility announcement.
19. A Public Area Writing Fellowships
A Public Area is an unbiased, non-profit writer of the award-winning literary and humanities journal of the identical title. The Writing Fellowship helps “early-career writers who embrace danger of their work and their very own singular imaginative and prescient.”
This six-month writing fellowships contains editorial assist from the journal’s editors that can assist you put together a chunk for publication within the journal, a $1,000 honorarium, plus the chance to fulfill brokers, editors and printed writers within the publishing group.
Have in mind solely writers who’ve but to be printed or contracted to put in writing a book-length work are eligible. To use, you’ll want a canopy letter with a one-paragraph biographical assertion and one beforehand unpublished prose piece of any phrase depend.
Deadline: Watch the web site for particulars on upcoming Writing Fellowships, which ought to be posted in December.
20. Rising Author Fellowship
In case you’re 18 or older and you’ve got a ardour for writing, you meet the standards to use to the Rising Author Fellowship, a year-long expertise created by GrubStreet inventive writing middle. To develop new, thrilling voices and get rid of a few of the monetary limitations to coming into the publishing world, the Rising Author Fellowship offers three writers tuition-free entry to GrubStreet’s courses and conferences.
All year long, writers will attend seminars, multi-week programs of their selecting and convention classes to be taught extra concerning the craft of writing and the publishing trade. Apply with a 500-word private assertion and writing samples.
Deadline: Examine the web site for particulars on upcoming Rising Author Fellowships, which ought to be posted in January.
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