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Fellowships

Fellowships opportunities for writers.

The Writer’s Center has developed a list of writing fellowships for your reference.

Please note that this page is a reference for writers. We do not partner with the following organizations. Also, these opportunities are subject to change, so be sure to visit the websites for more information.

The Writer’s Center Compass Fellowship

What it is: Our renewed fellowship program will introduce a new writer each year to our writing family, to help guide them along the next steps on their path, with $1000 in credits toward any TWC workshops within a two-year period, a $300 cash stipend, and more.

Who’s it for: Applicants must be local in the DMV area and be able to travel to Bethesda.

The Writer’s Center says: If you’re a writer or an aspiring writer looking for where to go next, The Writer’s Center Compass Fellowship is a great place to start!

National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowships

What it is: The National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowships offer $25,000 grants in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry to enable creative writers to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement.

Who’s it for: To be eligible, you have to be a citizen of the United States, you can’t have received two or more fellowships from the National Endowment from the Arts, you can’t have received the creative writing fellowship on or after January 1, 2014, and you must have published a book within the last seven years.

The Writer’s Center says : This is the nationally recognized fellowship that writers are vying for every year. Note that the genres alternate each year, with prose fellowships offered in odd years, and poetry fellowships in even years.

Mother Jones’s Ben Bagdikian Fellowship

What it is: Mother Jones offers an annual fellowship program that is “a crash course in investigative journalism.” The Ben Bagdikian Fellowship is a full-time position lasting approximately one year, beginning on the first Monday in December and running through late November. Fellows receive a $3,250 monthly stipend.

Who’s it for: Those who are still in school or are only available part-time are not eligible, nor can fellowships be used for course credit. Because the first two weeks of the fellowship consist of intensive group trainings, all applicants, without exception, must be prepared to start on the first Monday in December. Mother Jones is not able to furnish work visas for applicants from outside the United States.

The Writer’s Center says : This is a demanding position that will enable participants to get significant experience in investigative journalism.

Provincetown Fine Arts Center Fellowship

What it is: The Provincetown Fine Arts Center offers 20 seven-month residencies each year to emerging visual artists, fiction writers, and poets, each of whom receive an apartment, a studio (for visual artists), and a monthly stipend of $1,000 plus an exist stipend. Residencies run from October 1 through April 30.

Who’s it for: Visual artists, fiction writers, and poets.

The Writer’s Center says : This is one of the only non-MFA programs that support writers and artists for more than a month at a time.

The Kenyon Review Fellowship

What it is: The Kenyon Review offers a two-year fellowship that comes with a $35,000+ stipend and health benefits that will enable the fellow to undertake a significant writing project; teach one class per semester in the English department of Kenyon College; assist with creative and editorial projects for the Kenyon Review ; and participate in the cultural life of Kenyon College.

Who’s it for: Applicants must possess an MFA or PhD in creative writing, English literature, or comparative literature. They must have experience teaching creative writing and/or literature at the undergraduate level.

The Writer’s Center says : This is a fantastic opportunity for early-career writers to receive time and space to write, as well as teaching experience.

The Loft’s McKnight Artist Fellowship

What it is: The Loft presents five $25,000 awards annually to accomplished Minnesota writers and spoken word artists. Four awards alternate annually between creative prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry/spoken word. The fifth award is presented in children’s literature and alternates annually for writing for ages eight and under and writing for children older than eight.

Who’s it for: Applicants must have been legal residents of Minnesota for the 12 months prior to the application deadline and must currently reside in Minnesota.

The Writer’s Center says : This is a generous grant that will enable Minnesota writers to produce more creative work.

Bucknell Stadler Fellowship

What it is: Bucknell University offers a 10-month fellowship that provides a stipend of at least $33,000 and health insurance. The program offers two distinct tracks: one a fellowship in literary editing and a fellowship in literary arts administration . Applicants can apply to one or the other. Both fellowships are designed to balance the development of professional skills with time to complete a first book of poems. Fellows serve for 20 hours each week during the academic year. The balance of the fellows’ time is reserved for writing.

Who’s it for: Poets who have recently received an MFA or MA in poetry.

The Writer’s Center says : If you are an early career poet and you aren’t interested in teaching, this is a noteworthy opportunity to get significant experience with literary arts administration or literary editing while receiving time and space to work on a poetry collection.

Nieman Fellowships

What it is: Each year, the Nieman Foundation awards paid fellowships of $75,000 to up to 24 journalists working in print, broadcast, digital, and audiovisual media. Those selected for the program spend two full semesters at Harvard auditing classes; they are also able to audit classes at other local universities including MIT and Tufts. The Nieman Foundation also provides some financial support for health insurance and childcare. Fellows are not eligible for health care insurance through Harvard University.

Who’s it for: All applicants for Nieman Fellowships must be working journalists with at least five years of full-time media experience. During the two years prior to applying, an applicant should not have participated in a fellowship lasting four months or longer.

The Writer’s Center says : This is a generous fellowship that enables journalists to deepen their knowledge in an area of interest or several areas of interest.

James Jones Fellowship

What it is: The James Jones First Novel Fellowship, in the amount of $10,000, is awarded annually to an American writer of a novel-in-progress who has not previously published a novel. The Fellowship is co-sponsored by the James Jones Literary Society and the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing of Wilkes University.

Who’s it for: An American writer who has never published a novel. This includes self-published novels.

The Writer’s Center says : This award provides invaluable monetary support for novelists with a work in progress.

The Hodder Fellowship

What it is: The Hodder Fellowship will be given to artists and writers of exceptional promise to pursue independent projects at Princeton University during the academic year. An $86,000 stipend is provided for this 10-month appointment as a Visiting Fellow; no formal teaching is involved.

Who’s it for: Composers, choreographers, performance artists, visual artists, writers, translators, or other kinds of artists. Most successful Fellows have published a book or have similar achievements in their own fields.

The Writer’s Center says : Unlike fellowships that involve teaching or literary administration, this is a generous award for artists solely pursuing independent projects.

PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship

What it is: The Emerging Voices Fellowship provides a virtual five-month immersive mentorship program for early-career writers from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing world. The program is committed to cultivating the careers of Black writers, and serves writers who identify as Indigenous, persons of color, LGBTQ+, immigrants, writers with disabilities, and those living outside of urban centers.

Who’s it for: Underrepresented early-career writers.

The Writer’s Center says : This program lifts up writers who deserve recognition, demystifying the publishing process and introducing them to editors, agents, and publishers.

Persephone Miel Fellowship

What it is: The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting will provide a grant of $5,000 for a reporting project on topics and regions of global importance, with an emphasis on issues that have gone unreported or underreported in the mainstream media.

Who’s it for: The Persephone Miel Fellowships are open to all journalists, writers, photographers, radio producers or filmmakers, staff journalists, as well as freelancers and media professionals outside the U.S. and Western Europe who are seeking to report from their home country but would like to broaden the reach of their reporting by publishing it in international outlets. Applicants must be proficient in English.

The Writer’s Center says : This grant gives a journalist an invaluable opportunity to explore an issue that goes unreported or underreported in mainstream media.

Wallace Stegner Fellowship

What it is: Stanford offers ten two-year fellowships each year, five in fiction and five in poetry. All the fellows in each genre convene weekly in a 3-hour workshop with faculty. Fellowships include a living stipend. Fellows’ tuition and health insurance are paid for by the Creative Writing Program.

Who’s it for: Candidates must live close enough to Stanford to be able to attend workshops, readings, and events.

The Writer’s Center says : This is a non-degree granting opportunity for a writer to get regular feedback from established poets and fiction writers.

Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship

What it is: The Center’s Patrick Henry History Fellowship includes a $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, and a nine-month residency (during the academic year) in a historic 18th-century house in Chestertown, Md.

Who’s it for: Applicants should have a significant project currently in progress — a book, film, oral history archive, podcast series, museum exhibition, or similar work. The project should address the history and/or legacy – broadly defined – of the U.S. founding era and/or the nation’s founding ideas. It might focus directly on early America, or on the myriad ways the questions that preoccupied the nation’s founding generation have shaped America’s later history. Work that contributes to ongoing national conversations about America’s past and present, with the potential to reach a wide public, is particularly sought.

The Writer’s Center says : This fellowship enables applicants to deeply explore a particular historical topic of Washington College’s choosing.

Scripps Fellowship

What it is: This is a non-degree, two-semester program that allows fellows to take environmental journalism classes at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Who’s it for: The fellowship is open to full-time journalists working in any medium who are interested in deepening and broadening their knowledge of environmental issues. It is aimed at outstanding journalists committed to a career in professional journalism. Applicants must have a minimum of five years of full-time professional journalism experience and have completed an undergraduate degree.

The Writer’s Center says : This is a fantastic opportunity for journalists who are interested in environmental issues.

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowship

What it is: The Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing offers up to five internationally competitive nine-month fellowships each year. Typically, we award two fiction fellowships (the James C. McCreight Fiction Fellowship and the Carol Houck Smith Fiction Fellowship), and two poetry fellowships (the Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellowship and the Ronald Wallace Poetry Fellowship). Additionally, the Institute offers one third-year MFA fellowship — the Hoffman-Halls Emerging Artist Fellowship — to a current student of UW-Madison, through a closed competition. Each of these fellowships carries with it a stipend of at least $39,000 paid in 9 equal installments beginning October 1, generous health benefits, and a one-course-per-semester teaching assignment in undergraduate creative writing.

Who’s it for: Applicants who have published only one full-length collection of creative writing; unpublished applicants are also eligible.

The Writer’s Center says : This fellowship gives a poet and fiction writer time and space to write, as well as teaching experience.

Grub Street’s Emerging Writer Fellowship

What it is: The Emerging Writer Fellowship aims to develop new, exciting voices by providing three writers per year tuition-free access to GrubStreet’s classes and Muse & the Marketplace conferences.

Who’s it for: Anyone over the age of 18 who demonstrates ability and passion for writing is eligible.

The Writer’s Center says : Much like The Writer’s Center Compass Fellowship, GrubStreet’s program enables writers to advance their craft while eliminating the financial barriers to entry.

Emory University Creative Writing Fellowship

What it is: Emory University offers two-year fellowships in fiction, poetry, and playwriting. The teaching load is 2-1, and the fellowship comes with a $45,000 salary and health benefits.

Who’s it for: Anyone who has received an MFA or Ph.D. in the last five years, and who has creative writing teaching experience, a record of publication, and a first book published or underway.

The Writer’s Center says : This is an opportunity for recent graduates of a creative writing program to gain teaching experience as well as space and time to work on their creative projects.

Stanford University

Wallace Stegner Fellowship

*The application for the 2024-2026 fellowship is now closed. Applications for the 2025-2027 fellowship will open on September 1 and close on November 1.*

For application updates, join our Stegner Fellowship email list

Unique among writing programs, Stanford University offers 10 two-year fellowships each year, 5 in fiction and 5 in poetry. All the fellows in each genre convene weekly in a 3-hour workshop with faculty.

Stegner Fellows are regarded as working artists, intent upon practicing and perfecting their craft. The only requirements are writing and workshop attendance. The fellowship offers no degree. We view it as more  of an artist-in-residence opportunity for promising writers to spend two years developing their writing in the company of peers and under the guidance of Stanford  faculty .

In awarding fellowships, we consider the quality of the candidate’s creative work, potential for growth, and ability to contribute to and profit from our writing workshops. Our fellows are diverse in style and experience, with talent and seriousness the true common denominators.

• We do not require any degrees or tests for admission
• No school of writing is favored over any other
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old

The Stegner Fellowship is a full-time academic commitment and is not intended to be pursued concurrently with another degree program. The fellowship includes a living stipend, and a fellow's tuition and health insurance are paid for by the Creative Writing Program. A f ellow must live close enough to Stanford in order to attend workshops, readings, and events.

At a Glance

• 2-year fellowship; admissions are staggered so there are 10 first year fellows and 10 second year fellows at Stanford each year
• Fellows must write and attend a 3-hour weekly workshop
• Workshop coincides with Stanford's  academic calendar ; fellows have the summer off to work, write, or travel
• Though similar in some ways to a MFA program, the fellowship does not offer a degree
• Includes a $50,000 living stipend
• Applications are available to all who are interested; all applicants are notified of fellowship decisions in April

Application window: opens on September 1 and closes on November 1 at 11:59 pm PST (November 2 at 2:59 am EST)

Eligibility

Anyone interested in the Stegner Fellowship is welcome to apply! Prior book publication is not required; note that prior publication may suggest a career that has advanced beyond the point when the fellowship’s instruction and workshop critique are most useful in a writer's development.

Yes. Anyone may apply, regardless of nationality. If accepted, you’re considered at Stanford to be a non-matriculated graduate student for visa purposes. We’ll work with you to obtain a J-1 visa.

Fellows must be 18 years old when they start the fellowship. Historically, we have accepted people as young as 22 and as old as 75.

Responsibilities

Primarily, Stegner Fellows are required to attend weekly, faculty-led workshops and to write, revise, and then write again, with the goal of a finished manuscript ready for publication. As part of the workshop, fellows are expected to actively engage with their cohort's work by reading and thoughtfully commenting on pieces presented.

However, to enrich one’s fellowship experience, we encourage all fellows to attend various reading events and lecture series hosted by our program. In the past, we’ve enjoyed the presence of guest speakers such as Zadie Smith, David Treuer, Gilbert King, Mary Ruefle, and Hilton Als. We also host public readings and colloquiums for our annual visiting poet-in-residence and visiting writer-in-residence .

During the first year of their fellowship, the fellows participate in the  Stegner Fellow Reading series , where they give a public reading of their work. It’s also possible for fellows to TA undergraduate courses, facilitate writing workshops, and offer special tutorials and independent studies to our undergraduate students.

Yes, one must live close enough to the Stanford main campus to attend weekly workshops, as well as readings and lectures by the program's visiting poets and writers.

The purpose of the fellowship is to give writers as much time as possible to work on their writing, free from the time constraints of full-time employment. Holding a full-time job during the fellowship runs counter to the intention of the program.

The fellowship is a 2-year program and includes a living stipend of $50,000 per academic year. Our program also pays for each fellow’s tuition and health insurance.

The Bay Area is a very expensive place to live. Realistically, an individual needs some form of supplemental income, which commonly means working during the summer.

Sometimes. Teaching appointments are not guaranteed, as priority goes to Ph.D. students who need the experience for their degree.

If you have questions about our fellowship, there are several ways to get answers:

• Peruse our Application FAQ page
• Email us at stegnerfellowship [at] stanford.edu (stegnerfellowship[at]stanford[dot]edu)
• Or visit us in our main office: Margaret Jacks Hall (Building 460), Room 223

Thank you for your interest in the Wallace Stegner Fellowship!

Unique and Inspiring International Writing Residencies

Author: Shannon Bowring Updated: December 19, 2023

Here in Part II of our Writing Residency Series , we have curated, by country, 21 unique and inspiring international writing residencies (refer to Part I for 25 unique and inspiring writing residencies in the United States .) International writing residencies provide time and space for aspiring authors to focus on our creative work and take place in some of the most idyllic, gorgeous settings around the world. We remind you to always refer to a residency’s website for their most up-to-date information and submission guidelines.

Below, in alphabetical order, are our top 20 international writing residencies. We have also included a section on multi-country international writing residencies, for the globetrotters among us.

The Narrows Artist Residency

Located near Kootenay Lake in British Colombia, this residency is only accessible by boat, so writers must be comfortable with semi-isolation. Residents stay in shared or private accommodations for 3-4 months. Artists are responsible for travel, lodging, and meals, but scholarships are available.

Red Gate Residency

Residents stay in self-contained apartments on the north side of Beijing from 1 to 6 months. Bicycles are available for residents to explore the local neighborhoods. Residents are provided with airport pickup, a welcome dinner, guidebooks and maps, and access to Red Gate Gallery events. Though funding and scholarships are unavailable, the program can help residents apply for grants and other outside funding.

Arteles Creative Center

Four residency programs, held in Hämeenkyrö, run from 1-3 months and comprise 11-14 artists per group. Residents have access to wireless internet, a car, bikes, and private bedrooms, as well as a meditation space and sauna. Group participation is voluntary, and residents are encouraged to use their time as they wish. Surrounded by forests, fields, and lakes, writers are sure to find both peace and inspiration. Fees range from €1950 to €2980 per month. Financial aid is available.

The Camargo Foundation

Located in Cassis, at the edge of the Mediterranean, this program provides time, space, and beautiful surroundings in which to work. A panel selects 18 residents to attend this program. Fellowships span 6-11 weeks. Fellows must participate in project discussions and are encouraged to engage with the local community. A stipend of €250 per week is provided, as is funding for transportation to and from the residency. In the case of air travel, basic coach class booked in advance is covered.

Chateau Saint-Pierre de Mejans

This medieval chateau and wine estate in the south of France offers an inspirational Writer in Residence program. Situated amidst the olive trees and vines, and with gardens replete with art sculptures, get lost in this charming castle that’s sure to unlock your creativity. A residency lasts from one to three weeks from November to March, and costs €300 per week (partners can stay for an additional fee).

La Napoule Art Foundation

Several different residencies are offered each year at the Château de La Napoule, just outside Cannes on the Côte d’Azur. Residents are housed in single rooms, with private baths and sea or garden views. Breakfast and dinner are provided on weekdays, and residents have access to the kitchen to store and prepare their own meals. Residents receive workspace and a stipend.

Studio Faire

Residents stay in the Gascony market town of Nérac, in Southwest France, in a mansion built around 1830. Accommodation is provided on a self-catering basis, and residents are given full use of a fully fitted kitchen. Residencies last from 2-4 weeks—the longer you stay, the less you pay, with 4 weeks starting at around €44 per night.

Words and Wanderlust

More a retreat than a residency, writers convene for six days in Tbilisi, located in the picturesque Caucasus Mountains. Writers stay at a boutique hotel and attend guided workshops with award-winning authors. Airport transfers, guided tours, and some meals are provided.

Located on the former border of East and West Berlin, in a historic building originally designed to be a school, residencies take place for either three or six months. Residents are provided with private studio space, which doubles as a bedroom and workshop. Bathrooms and kitchen are shared. Costs for food and travel are the residents’ responsibility.

Event Horizon Crete

Residencies ranging from one week to three months are offered year-round on five acres of olive groves in Crete. Residents receive lodging, which includes options in a traditional Cretan house, a converted stone windmill, and two caravans. Residents also have access to nearby beaches and towns, including Fourni Village, Neapolis, and Mirabello Bay. Work space is provided. Lodging ranges from €25-45 per night. Food and travel expenses are not included.

Located in a quiet village about 70 kilometers from Reykjavik, this residency is accessible year-round. Accommodations are family-friendly and range from single rooms to studio apartments. Residents have access to modern facilities, Wi-Fi, and incredible views of Laugarvatn Lake and the Hekla volcano. The minimum stay is one month, and costs range from €850-€1450.

The Westfjords Residency

Residencies are available from May to September in the remote village of Thingeyri, located about 500 kilometers north of Reykjavik. Residencies are self-organized, and residents are responsible for their own food, transportation, and work schedule. Accommodations and workspace (sometimes shared) are provided.

Tyrone Guthrie Centre

Residencies are offered in Annaghmakerrig, on 450 acres of mature woodland amid the lakes and drumlins of County Monaghan. Residents can stay in ‘The Big House’ for one month and up to two months in the self-catering Farmyard Cottages. Residents also have access to a library and drawing room. Costs vary depending on length of stay and writer’s country of origin, but some financial aid is available.

Bogliasco Foundation

One-month Fellowships are awarded to individuals of all ages and nationalities who have made significant contributions in the arts and humanities. Fellows stay and work in a small fishing village near Genoa, with stunning views of the Mediterranean. Fellows are provided with a private room, a workspace, and full board. All meals are shared. Though there is no cost for the residency, Fellows are responsible for their own travel.

360 Xochi Quetzal

Ideal for writers who want to create their own experience, this residency offers private live/work spaces in the Garden of Dreams Boutique Hotel in Ajijic, Jalisco on Lake Chapala, located about 30 minutes from the Guadalajara airport. Rather than a formal application, writers make their own reservations for their preferred space and time. Residents have access to a solar-heated swimming pool, the tranquil garden, and daily continental breakfast. Costs vary depending on duration of stay, which can range from 2 weeks to 4 months.

Buinho Creative Hub Residencies

Residencies of two weeks to three months are offered year-round in the historic town of Messejana. Residents are provided with private lodging and shared work space in one of three traditional Portuguese houses. The cost to attend this residency ranges from €650-800; transportation and meals are not included.

Multi-country international writing residencies

Roostergnn artist residency.

ROOSTERGNN holds residencies in Madrid, Spain , and Havana, Cuba . Accommodations are provided, as well as work facilities, some meals, and a bilingual orientation coordinator. Fees vary from €950-€1200 for ten nights.

Wide Open Writing

In 2022 and 2023, Wide Open Writing will host retreats in Isla Holbox, Mexico ; Tuscany, Italy ; and Whitehead Island, Maine . Group size varies between 8-14 writers. Retreat fees vary, but payment plans are available.

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Sign Up For Paid Writing Opportunities

32 grants and fellowships for writers (up to $75,000).

These are grants/fellowships/residencies for writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, for playwrights, and journalists. They’re either open now, or will open soon for applications. None of these charge an application fee, and pay from a few hundred dollars up to $75,000. – S. Kalekar

Brown University’s Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America: Practitioner Fellows This is for artists, media makers, and writers. Their guidelines say, “CSREA invites artists, media makers, and writers whose work focuses on race, ethnicity, and/or indigeneity in the United States to apply to be a Practitioner Fellow for the Spring 2023 academic semester. Fellows will have access to Brown University resources and are invited to contribute to the academic community. Projects should focus at least in part on issues of race, ethnicity, and/or indigeneity in the United States, or U.S.-related transnational contexts.” Also, “This program is a virtual spring semester fellowship. The terms of the program may be subject to change.” Some events are virtual, and some are in-person, according to current guidelines. Value: $10,000 stipend, up to $1,500 each in research/project funds Deadline: 28 February 2022 Open for: Unspecified Details here .

Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center: Writer in Residence The residency includes lodging at a loft apartment in Piggott, Arkansas. The writer-in-residence will also have the opportunity to work in the studio where Ernest Hemingway worked on ‘ A Farewell to Arms’ . The writer is expected to serve as mentor for a week-long retreat for writers at the educational center. Candidates with an MA or MFA in a relevant field are preferred. Value: $1,000, residency Deadline: 28 February 2022 Open for: Unspecified Details here .

A Public Space Writing Fellowship This is an international six-month fellowship for emerging writers, and the aim is “to seek out and support writers who embrace risk in their work and their own singular vision.” Three fellowships will be awarded. Writers get editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine; an honorarium; the opportunity to meet virtually with members of the publishing community, including agents, editors, and published writers; the opportunity to participate in a public reading and conversation with A Public Space editors and contributors. As part of the application process, writers have to submit a prose piece, up to 8,000 words; if selected, the piece submitted will be the piece published in the magazine. Value: $1,000 each Application period: 1-31 March 2022 Open for: Writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work Details here (announcement with Submittable link)

Scripps Fellowships for Environmental Journalism Five fellowships are awarded each year at the University of Boulder, Colorado. This is for journalists interested in deepening and broadening their knowledge of environmental issues. Applicants must have a minimum of five years full-time professional journalism experience and have completed an undergraduate degree. Applicants may include reporters, editors, producers, photojournalists, documentarians, and feature writers. Both salaried staff and full-time freelancers are welcome to apply. Prior experience in covering the environment is not required. They welcome applications from international applicants; however, the applicants must be authorized to work in the US to be eligible for this position. Value: $71,000 Deadline: 1 March 2022 Open for: All journalists (see above) Details here (general information), here (FAQ), and here (application portal).

Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship Applicants must have covered international news as a working journalist for print, broadcast, or online media widely available in the United States, and must be US citizens. The Fellow spends nine months full-time in residence at the Council for Foreign Relations’ headquarters in New York. The program enables the Fellow to engage in sustained analysis and writing, expand his or her intellectual and professional horizons, and extensively participate in CFR’s active program of meetings and events. Value: $75,000 and a modest travel grant Deadline: 1 March 2022 Open for: US citizens Details here .

Biographers International Organization: The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship The fellowship is open to all biographers anywhere in the world who are writing in English, who are working on a biography of an African American figure (or figures), and who are at any stage in the writing of a book-length biography. A publishing contract is not required for eligibility. Memoirs are not eligible. The application includes an excerpt of up to 20 pages. The Biographers International Organization also has other awards , some of which are open for all writers, as well as other resources.  Value: $2,000 Deadline: 1 March 2022 Open for: All biographers Details here .

Poetry Foundation: Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships These fellowships are for young poets who are US residents or citizens. Their guidelines say, “Each year, submissions for the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships open in March. … In line with the ongoing examination of all existing processes and policies across the Poetry Foundation, the submissions and selection processes will be thoroughly examined and discussed before the Foundation begins accepting applications for the 2022 Fellowships.” Application period: Will likely begin in March 2022 Value: Fellowships of $25,800 each (see here ) Open for: US poets aged 21-31 years Details here (see ‘Information on This Year’s Process at the bottom of the page).

The Creative Capital Awards Submissions for these awards will open in March. They are for US-based artists, and they’ll will be accepting applications for different disciplines each year. The cycle for 2023 includes literature (fiction, poetry, non-fiction, genre-defying literary work, and socially engaged and/or sustainable text-based practices). The theme is ‘Wild Futures: Art, Culture, Impact’. The awards are “designed to assist artists who are working at the vanguard of their fields, or who have ideas to propel their artistic practices forward”. They accept proposals from collaborators, as well. They have extensive guidelines. For this cycle they’ll also accept applications for performing arts (including sound and multimedia performance, and more), and technology (including digital art, gaming, interdisciplinary arts, and more). They will award 50 fellowships per cycle. Value: $50,000 each, and an additional set of services Application period: 1 March-1 April 2022 Open  for: US writers (see guidelines) Details here .

National Endowment for the Arts’ Creative Writing Fellowships This is for US-based writers, and they are accepting applications for poetry this year. While the deadline is 10 th March, they recommend submitting applications early. Several fellowships are awarded. Value: Up to $25,000 Deadline: 10 March 2022 Open for: US writers Details here .

The Joan Shorenstein Fellowship This is a residency/fellowship from Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. “The mission of the Joan Shorenstein Fellowship is to advance research in the field of media, politics and public policy; facilitate a dialogue among journalists, scholars, policymakers and students; provide an opportunity for reflection; … The primary focus for a Fellow is to research, write and publish a paper on a media/politics topic.” Also, “Past fellows include journalists from local, national and international TV, radio, print, and digital media; media and civic technology innovators; nonfiction authors; political advisors and policymakers; leading academic scholars in fields such as media research and political science; and policy analysts. Successful former fellows have come from a variety of backgrounds and career stages.” Applicants must be a working journalist, politician, scholar or policymaker currently or recently active in the field. For the Fall semester, the deadline is in March; for the Spring semester, the deadline is in September. Value: $30,000; residency Deadline: 15 March 2022 Open for: Non-fiction authors and journalists Details here .

Hugo House Writer-in-Residence This residency in Seattle is for practicing, published writers and writing teachers who are experienced working with writers of all levels in a traditional workshop setting, and on a one-on-one basis as a mentor. For this cycle, they are accepting applications for two writers in residence, one for poetry, and one for prose. They should have a specific artistic project they are working on during their residency (e.g., developing a manuscript for publication) and should have a special interest in helping writers become better writers and fostering an appreciation of the craft. The application includes a writing sample. Their guidelines also say, “If you do not meet some of the eligibility requirements, but have demonstrated success in other categories, our panel will weigh the components of your application accordingly. Also, “Writers-in-Residence teach a minimum of two six-week classes per calendar year (subject to approval) as part of the Hugo Classes program and will receive separate compensation for teaching.” Value: $500 per month for 12 months, additional compensation for Hugo Classes Deadline: 31 March 2022 Open for: Published writers Details here .

PEN America: US Writers Aid Initiative This is intended to assist fiction and non-fiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists. To be eligible, applicants must be based in the United States, be professional writers, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping them to address an emergency situation. Various deadlines are listed for 2022, and the next one is 1 st April. Other deadlines are in June, August, October, and December. Writers do not have to be PEN members to apply. Value: Unspecified Deadline: 1 April 2022 Open for: US writers Details here .

The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers These three-month fellowships are to afford writers uninterrupted time to focus on their work at an apartment in Carson McCuller’s childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. A spouse or companion is welcome. The application includes a writing sample of up to 20 pages. Value: $5,000, residency Deadline: 1 April 2022 Open for: Unspecified Details here .

Alpine Fellowship Prizes: Three prizes for creative writers Apart from themed Poetry, Writing, and Theatre prizes detailed below, they also have a Visual Arts Prize , and an Academic Writing Prize . The theme for the 2022 symposium is Freedom . Applicants can enter more than one prize in a single year, but it must be with different pieces of work; one piece of work can only be entered once. — Poetry Prize: This international prize is awarded for poetry on the Freedom theme. Writers can submit one poem or a collection, of up to 500 words. Winners and runners up will be invited to attend the symposium. Value: £3,000 Deadline: 1 April 2022 Open for: All poets Details here and here . — Writing Prize: This international prize is awarded for the best piece of writing on the Freedom theme (up to 2,500 words in any genre except poetry), which is the theme of the 2022 Alpine Fellowship Annual Symposium. The winner and two runners-up will be invited to attend the symposium. Value: £10,000, £3,000, £2,000 Deadline: 1 April 2022 Open for: All writers Details here and here .

— Theatre Prize: This prize is awarded for the best play on the Freedom theme. It is aimed at encouraging theatre writers at the start of their careers to explore and challenge philosophical ideas using the dramatic form. Apart from the cash prize, the winner also gets a rehearsed reading at the Fellowship’s annual Symposium to which they will be invited to attend. Runners up will be invited to attend the symposium to exhibit their work. To apply, applicants must send: 1) A treatment of your idea in response to the theme; up to 500 words; 2) A sample of previous work of at least 10 pages; and 3) A 3-4 sample pages of your proposed script or a 1-2 detailed page synopsis of your story. The final piece must be 45 minutes in length and require no more than four actors. Value: £3,000 Deadline: 1 April 2022 Open for: All playwrights Details here and here .

2022 ALTA Travel Fellowship Each year, fellowships are awarded to emerging translators (someone who does not yet have a book-length work of translation published or under contract) to help them pay for hotel and travel expenses to the annual American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) conference. Part of the application requirement is up to 10 pages of translated work (poetry or prose – see guidelines). Among the fellowships is the Peter K. Jansen Memorial Travel Fellowship,  which is preferentially awarded to an emerging translator of color or a translator working from an underrepresented Diaspora or stateless language. Also see ALTA’s other awards for published works, some of which do not charge a submission fee. Also, “Information about the upcoming conference format, and the format that the annual Travel Fellowships will take, is forthcoming.” Value: $500-1,000 each Deadline: 18 April 2022 Open for: Unspecified Details here and here (scroll down).

Whiting Foundation: Creative Nonfiction Grant Up to 10 grants will be awarded to writers of creative non-fiction books – projects must be under contract with a publisher in the US, UK, or Canada to be eligible. Contracts with self-publishing companies are not eligible. The subjects are history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays, among other categories. It is intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and focused research, thinking, and writing, after significant work has been accomplished. The work should be intended for general, not academic, audiences. One of the application requirements is sample chapters, up to 25,000 words. Value: $40,000 each Deadline: 25 April 2022 Open for: Nonfiction books contracted with a publisher in the US, UK, or Canada Details here and here .

Waterston Desert Writing Prize

This prize is for a proposed book of literary non-fiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy – with the desert both as subject and setting. Writing samples about deserts and natural settings are more likely to be reviewed favorably. Apart from the cash award, there is also a residency at PLAYA at Summer Lake and a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Value: $3,000, residency Deadline: 1 May 2022 Open for: All writers Details here and here .

CINTAS Foundation: Fellowship in Creative Writing This is a creative writing fellowship for writers having Cuban citizenship or direct lineage (having a Cuban parent or grandparent).  Applications can be in English or Spanish. Fellows who are not U.S. citizens and who are living abroad must provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number when they accept the fellowship to receive payment. The foundation also offers fellowships for other disciplines – architecture & design, music composition, and visual arts (click the ‘Fellowships’ tab on top of the page). Value: $20,000 Deadline: 1 May 2022 Open for: Writers having Cuban citizenship or direct lineage Details here .

Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants They are open for regular grants, and for expedited grants, as well (see guidelines). These are for articles by US journalists that break new ground and expose wrongdoing – such as corruption, malfeasance, or abuse of power – in the public and private sectors. FIJ encourages proposals written for ethnic media as well as those submitted by journalists of color. Also, “To be considered, foreign-based story proposals must come from US-based reporters or have a strong US angle involving American citizens, government, or business; all stories must be published in English, in a media outlet in the United States.” Value: Up to $10,000 Deadline: 2 May 2022 Open for: US-based journalists and writers; and see guidelines for foreign-based proposals Details here .

Academy of American Poets: James Laughlin Award This is for a second full-length poetry manuscript by a US poet, contracted by a publisher. Manuscripts have to be 48-100 pages long. Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible. Apart from a cash prize, the poet also receives an all-expenses-paid weeklong residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Value: $5,000, residency Deadline: 15 May 2022 Open for: US poets (see guidelines) Details here .

Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing This award is for an outstanding mid-career editorial writer or columnist to help broaden his or her journalistic horizons and knowledge of the world. The annual award can be used to cover the cost of study, research and/or travel in any field. The fellowship results in editorials and other writings, including books. One of the eligibility requirements is, the candidate must hold a position as a part-time or full-time editorial writer or columnist at a news publication located in the US. Applications also are welcome from freelance opinion writers who devote a majority of their time, or derive a majority of their income, from that pursuit. The application includes five samples of editorials or columns. (There is also the Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award of $10,000, for a person or persons who have fought to protect and preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment; the entrants need not be journalists.) Value: $75,000 Deadline: 20 June 2022 Open for: Editorial writer/columnist at a news publication in the US Details here .

Society of Authors’ grants for works in progress: Two awards They have two grants for works in progress and the form is the same, for both. There are two rounds of funding annually, and deadlines are 1 February and 1 July. The Society of Authors also has other grants it administers. — Authors’ Foundation Grants: These are for authors of fiction, non-fiction or poetry who are contracted, or who are published and working on a project that is likely to have interest from a British publisher. They are for works in progress. Value: Unspecified Deadline: 1 July 2022 Open for: Unspecified Details here .

— K. Blundell Trust Award: This is a work-in-progress award for young British writers of fiction or non-fiction. The work must contribute to the greater understanding of existing social and economic organisation. Value: Up to approximately £6,000 Deadline: 1 July 2022 Open for: British writers under 40 who have had at least one book published (see guidelines) Details here (scroll down).

Pulitzer Center: Connected Coastlines Grants This is an opportunity for US-based journalists. The Pulitzer Center is seeking applications from journalists who want to report stories as part of Connected Coastlines, a nationwide climate reporting initiative in US coastal states. Started in 2019, this initiative is building a consortium of newsrooms and independent journalists across the US to report on the local effects of erratic weather patterns on coastal populations using the latest climate science.  Their guidelines say, “We are eager to receive proposals from staff journalists and freelancers who wish to report on coastal stories, underpinned by recent climate science, data, or research, for publication or broadcast by small and regional news outlets in U.S. coastal states.” They prioritize proposals that can be completed in 1-4 months. The ideal range for most awards will be between $2,000 to $8,000. (The Pulitzer Center also has several other resources, including grants and fellowships – click on the ‘Grants & Fellowships’ tab on top of this page .) Value: $2,000-8,000 Deadline: Rolling Open for: US-based journalists Details here .

The Sidney Hillman Foundation: Labor and Workforce Reporting Grants Their guidelines say, “Please submit a well-focused story proposal of no more than three pages. Think of it as a pitch, much like you would submit to an editor: give us enough preliminary reporting and documentation to demonstrate that the story is solid. The proposal should highlight what’s new and significant about the story, why it matters now, any unique access or documents you may have, and what its potential impact might be.” Journalists must have an outlet already attached. This foundation also administers the Hillman Prize for Journalism for US and Canadian journalists, the deadline for which has passed for this year. Value: Up to $5,000 Deadline: Rolling Open for: Unspecified Details here .

Authors League Fund This emergency fund helps US-based writers, regardless of citizenship status or nationality, and American writers living abroad. It is for authors, dramatists, journalists, critics, short story writers, and poets. Recipients must be career writers with a substantial body of work in one of more of the following categories: 1) Book authors with at least one title published by an established traditional publisher. Authors with multiple titles are given priority; 2) Dramatists whose full-length plays have been produced in mid-size or large theaters and/or published by established dramatic presses; 3) Journalists, critics, essayists, short story writers, and poets with a substantial body of work in periodicals with a national or broad circulation. Common circumstances include: major income loss, including due to COVID-19; illness, or supporting a dependent family member in ill health; overwhelming medical or dental bills; imminent eviction and other forms of housing insecurity; struggling after a natural disaster. They help writers at all stage of life, though priority is given to sick and/or older writers.

Value: Unspecified Deadline: Rolling Open for: US-based writers and American writers living abroad Details here .

American Society of Journalists and Authors: Writers Emergency Assistance Fund The fund is for helping established freelance writers who, because of advanced age, illness, disability, a natural disaster, or an extraordinary professional crisis are unable to work. Writers need not be members of ASJA, but must have credentials that would qualify them for an ASJA membership. Value:   Unspecified Deadline:   Rolling Open for:   Established freelance writers Details here .

Writers’ Trust of Canada: Woodcock Fund This is a last-resource emergency resource for Canadian writers who face unforeseen financial crisis, who are actively working on a literary project. Eligible categories are fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, or children’s literature. The program is not intended to be a means of support for writers challenged to earn an income. A crisis of some nature is necessary to be considered. The program does not support screenwriting, journalism, academic works, educational or technical texts, travel guides or other service-focused texts, or formulaic romance writing. Value: CAD2,000-10,000 Deadline: Rolling Open for: Canadian citizens who have published at least two books, or an equivalent body of work Details here and here .

SFWA Emergency Medical Fund

This is a fund created by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, to help SF/fantasy writers pay for funds not covered by medical insurance. The fund is only to cover short-term medical expenses, for emergencies that interfere with the ability to write. Value: Unspecified Deadline: Rolling Open for: Unspecified Details here .

Royal Literary Fund The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) helps authors across the literary spectrum: novelists, poet and playwrights; writers of short stories and writers for children; crime writers, science writers, biographers. The circumstances of those they help vary greatly. Writers can apply for help from the RLF if they are suffering financial hardship and have had several works published in the UK for a general readership, without publication being subsidised. Self-published authors are not eligible. The RLF Committee has to pass applicants for literary merit before they are eligible for help. The committee meets eleven times a year to consider applications. A decision on literary merit and on the award of a grant/pension is made at the same meeting; the applicant is informed straightaway. Value: Unspecified Deadline: Rolling Open for: Those who’ve had several works published in the UK Details here and here .

Bio:  S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of  182 Short Fiction Publishers. She can be reached  here .

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• Creative Writing Fellowship
• Departments & Programs
• Department of English and Creative Writing

To enhance our strong program in creative writing, the Department of English and Creative Writing established the Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship in Creative Writing.

This annual fellowship is designed to support writers completing their first books. It provides a generous stipend, office space, and an intellectual community for the recipients, who spend one academic year at Colgate. In return, each fellow teaches one creative writing workshop per semester and gives a public reading of their work.

2024–2025 Fellowships

Colgate University invites applications for the Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship in Creative Writing. This year we invite applications for:

• One fellowship in fiction
• One fellowship in nonfiction

Writers who have recently completed an MFA, MA, or PhD in creative writing, and who need a year to complete their first book, are encouraged to apply. The selected writers will spend the academic year (late August 2023 to early May 2024) at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. The fellows will teach one multigenre course each semester and will give a public reading from the work in progress.

The fellowship includes:

• A stipend of $55,500
• Travel expenses
• Health and life insurance are provided

Applications

Deadline: January 5, 2024 Applications materials include: 

• cover letter
• three letters of recommendation, at least one of which should address the candidate’s abilities as a teacher
• A maximum of 30 double-spaced manuscript pages of prose. The writing sample may be a completed work or an excerpt from something larger.  

Colgate strives to be a community supportive of diverse perspectives and identities. All applications should speak directly to the candidate’s ability to work effectively with students across a wide range of identities and backgrounds.

Fiction Application

Nonfiction Application

Colgate is a highly selective liberal arts university of 3,200 students situated in central New York State. The Colgate faculty is committed to excellence in both teaching and scholarship. Further information about the  English department  is online. It is the policy of Colgate University not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of their race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, marital status, disability, Protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, being or having been victims of domestic violence or stalking, familial status, or any other categories covered by law. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups, women, persons with disabilities, and Protected Veterans are encouraged to apply.

2023–2024 Olive B. O’Connor Fellows

Lena Crown is a writer, editor and educator from Northern California. Her work is published or forthcoming in Guernica, Gulf Coast, The Rumpus, Narratively, North American Review, Bellevue Literary Review, The Offing, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Ragdale Foundation, and the Peter Bullough Foundation, and she previously served as the PEN/Faulkner Writer in Residence in Washington, D.C.

Ajibola Tolase

Ajibola Tolase is a Nigerian poet and essayist. He graduated from the creative writing MFA program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His chapbook, Koola Lobitos was published as a part of the New Generation African Poets Series edited by Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani in 2021. His writing has appeared in LitHub, New England Review, Prairie Schooner, Poetry, and elsewhere. He is a former Wallace Stegner fellow at Stanford University and has received a creative writing grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation. 

Past Fellows

Armen davoudian.

Armen Davoudian’s poems and translations from Persian appear in Poetry magazine , the Sewanee Review , the Yale Review , and elsewhere. His chapbook, Swan Song , won the 2020 Frost Place Competition.

Pallavi Wakharkar

Pallavi Wakharkar is a writer from Phoenix, AZ. She holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Vanderbilt University and is the 2022-23 Olive B. O’Connor Fellow in fiction at Colgate. She was the 2021 winner of The Iowa Review Award in fiction, and her work appears in The Iowa Review , Joyland Magazine , and others. She is currently working on her first novel as well as a story collection.

Esther Hayes

Esther Hayes is a fiction writer from Nevada whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in  Guernica Magazine  and  Puerto del Sol.  She was a finalist in the 2020 AWP Intro Journals Project and the 2019  Sewanee Review  Fiction Contest .  She received her MFA from Colorado State University where she served as an associate editor for  Colorado Review.  She is currently working on a collection of short stories and her first novel.

Alexander Ramirez

Alexander Ramirez is from Sacramento, CA. He is the 2021-2022 Olive B. O'Connor Fellow in Creative Writing (Nonfiction). He holds a PhD in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his writing has appeared in  The Missouri Review ,  Image Journal , and  The Journal of American Culture , among other publications.

Maggie Millner

Maggie Millner is a poet and educator from Central New York. Her poems appear or are forthcoming in The New Yorker, POETRY, Ploughshares, Gulf Coast, ZYZZYVA , and elsewhere. She serves as a senior editor at The Yale Review and an Olive B. O'Connor Fellow in Poetry at Colgate University.

Lucy Schiller

Lucy Schiller's nonfiction work has appeared in The Baffler , Contexto , The Columbia Journalism Review , The New Yorker , The Iowa Review , Goodnight , Sweet Prince , CounterPunch , and elsewhere. She was the 2018-2019 Provost's Fellow in Nonfiction at the University of Iowa, where she received her MFA. She is currently working on a nonfiction manuscript and on a novel.

Gbenga Adesina

Gbenga Adesina's poems have appeared in Narrative, Prairie Schooner, Washington Square Review, Vinyl, Brittle Paper and Ploughshares. He has received fellowships and scholarships from the Poets House, the Norman Mailer Center, the Fine Arts Work Centre, Provincetown, the Open Society Foundation in Goree Island, off the coast of Senegal, Callaloo at Oxford and New York University where he received his MFA and held the Starworks and Goldwater Fellowships. He was a joint winner of the 2016 Brunel International Poetry Prize, the 2017 Hugh J. Luke Award from Prairie Schooner, and the 2019 Palette Poetry Spotlight Award.

Annie Vitalsey

Annie Vitalsey is a fiction writer whose stories have appeared in Reed Magazine, Bennington Review, Pacifica Literary Review, Menacing Hedge, Spilled Milk Magazine, Watershed Review, and elsewhere. In 2018, she was a Virginia G. Piper Global Residency Fellow and received her first Pushcart nomination. In 2019, she was also awarded a Desert Nights Teaching Fellowship. Vitalsey has an MFA from Arizona State University, and is currently working on her first novel. 

Ndinda Kioko

Ndinda Kioko is a Kenyan writer whose works have appeared on several platforms and publications including The Trans-African , BBC Radio 4 , Wasafiri Magazine , Africa39 , and Jalada Africa . She has also produced a TV show for M-net Africa. Ndinda was a Miles Morland Scholar for 2014. She was awarded the 2017 Wasafiri New Writing Prize and the Richard & Juliette Logsdon Award for Creative Writing. She has an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the University of Oregon.

Emily Strasser

Emily Strasser received her MFA in nonfiction from the University of Minnesota. Her essays have appeared in Catapult , Ploughshares , Guernica , Colorado Review , The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists , and Tricycle , and twice listed as notable by Best American Essays . She was a winner of the 2015 Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest, and a 2016 AWP Intro Award. Her writing and research have been supported by the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Jerome Foundation, and the W.K. Rose Fellowship from Vassar College.

Rachel M. Hanson

Rachel M. Hanson holds an MFA from the University of Utah and a PhD in literature and nonfiction from the University of Missouri. Her essays and poems can be found in  The Iowa Review ,  Best New Poets 2016 ,  Best of the Net Anthology 2015 ,  Creative Nonfiction ,  The South Dakota Review ,  American Literary Review ,  The Minnesota Review ,  Entropy Magazine ,  Ninth Letter , and elsewhere. She is a former nonfiction editor for  Quarterly West  and currently reads for  The Masters Review . In the summers she runs the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, which is the inspiration for her newest collection of essays.

Emily Jaeger

Emily Jaeger is the author of the chapbook  The Evolution of Parasites ( Sibling Rivalry Press ) illustrated by Robin Levine. Her poems have appeared in  Four Way Review ,  TriQuarterly , and  The Offing  among others. Emily received her MFA from the University of Massachusetts Boston and she has also received fellowships from Literary Lambda, TENT, the New York State Summer Writers Institute, and an Academy of American Poet's Prize.

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is from Spring Valley, Rockland County, New York. He is a graduate of the Syracuse MFA program in fiction. His stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Broken Pencil Magazine , Pembroke , Compose , Printer's Row , and others. He was a 2016 finalist for the Nelson Algren Literary Award and he is working on his first collection of short fiction.

Erin J. Mullikin

Erin J. Mullikin hails from the deepest earth in South Carolina and has an MFA from Syracuse University, where she edited Salt Hill Journal. She is the author of the chapbooks, When You Approach Me at the Lake of Tomorrow (Slash Pine Press) and Strategies for the Bromidic (dancing girl press), and her poems and short fiction have appeared in elsewhere , Ghost Ocean , Sprung Formal , alice blue review , Phantom , Arts & Letters , and Best New Poets 2014 , among others. She is a founding editor for NightBlock and Midnight City Books .

Thomas Mira y Lopez

Thomas Mira y Lopez is from New York. He has an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Arizona, where he worked as nonfiction editor for  Sonora Review  and managing editor for  Fairy Tale Review . His essays appear or are forthcoming in  Seneca Review, The Pinch, Hotel Amerika, CutBank  and other journals. He has received scholarships from Bread Loaf and the New York State Summer Writers Institute. He is at work on a book of personal essays about cemeteries and burial grounds that explores where we place and how we remember the dead.

D.J. Thielke

D.J. Thielke received her MFA in fiction from Vanderbilt University. Her stories have appeared in  Arts&Letters, The Cincinnati Review, Indiana Review, Mid-American Review,   Bat City Review , and  Crazyhorse , among others. She was the 2013-2014 James C. McCreight Fiction Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, the inaugural fall 2014 Stone Court Writer-in-Residence, and was most recently a summer fellow at the Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska.

Chelsea Biondolillo

Chelsea Biondolillo has a dual MFA in creative writing and environmental studies from the University of Wyoming. In 2012, she was an NSF-funded Think Write Publish communication fellow, and in 2014 she was awarded the Carter Prize for the Essay from  Shenandoah . Her prose has appeared or is forthcoming in  Orion, Sonora Review,   Guernica,  River Teeth ,  Hayden's Ferry Review  and others. She has written on the art of essay for  Essay Daily ,  Brevity ,  Passages North , and  Creative Nonfiction . Her journalism has appeared in  Nautilus ,  Science,  and on state and national public radio. She is currently working on a book about vultures that combines travel, memoir, ecology, and natural history.

Javier Zamora

Javier Zamora was born in El Salvador in 1990. When he was nine, he migrated to the United States. He is a CantoMundo fellow and has received scholarships from Breadloaf, Napa Valley, Squaw Valley, and VONA writer's conferences. Zamora’s poems appear in  Best New Poets 2013, Narrative Magazine, Ploughshares, Poetry,  and elsewhere. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship,  Meridian’s Editor’s Poetry Prize, and  CONSEQUENCE’s  poetry prize.

Caitlin Hayes

Caitlin Hayes has an M.A. in English Literature from the University of New Hampshire and an M.F.A in fiction from Syracuse University, where she served as fiction editor for  Salt Hill Journal . Her honors include a Joyce Carol Oates Award for short fiction and a scholarship to Bread Loaf. She has stories forthcoming in the  New England Review  and  The Southern Review .

Dong Li’s honors include DAAD (twice), Vermont Studio Center and Henry Luce Foundation fellowships. Born and raised in the People’s Republic of China, Li has degrees from Deep Springs College and Brown University. His work has appeared in  Conjunctions and comma , poetry.

Amy Butcher

Amy Butcher is a graduate of Gettysburg College and the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa. Her essays and short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in  The Indiana Review, The Colorado Review, Brevity, The Rumpus,  and  Hobart , among others, and she is a recent recipient of a Stanley Grant for International Research. She is the managing editor of  Defunct  and a former intern for the Gettysburg Review , and is currently at work on a book-length essay that meditates on the historic battlefield town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and a murder that recently occurred there. The book considers the nature of friendship and the parameters inherent in the relationships we seek.

Chinelo Okparanta

Chinelo received her BS from Penn State University, her MA from Rutgers University, and her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her works have appeared or are forthcoming in  Granta, The Kenyon Review, The Iowa Review, The Southern Review, The Coffin Factory, Conjunctions, Subtropics , and elsewhere. She has taught at the University of Iowa, where she served as a Dean's Fellow and subsequently as the Provost Postgraduate Visiting Writer for Fiction. Her short story collection will be published in 2013, followed shortly by her debut novel, tentatively entitled  Under The Udara Trees .

Molly Beer is a graduate of Duke University, the Bread Loaf School of English, and the University of New Mexico MFA program, where she served as nonfiction editor for Blue Mesa Review . In addition to the American Southwest, she has lived in El Salvador, Ecuador, and Mexico, and her subsequent essays grapple with the politics of place. Her most recent work appears in Salon , Guernica , Glimpse , Copper Nickel , and Room Magazine , and she is co-author of Singing Out , an oral history published by Oxford University Press (2010).

George David Clark

George David Clark's honors include a Henry Hoyns Fellowship from the University of Virginia and the Provost's Doctoral Fellowship at Texas Tech. His poems appear in such journals as The Cimarron Review , The North American Review , Quarterly West , Shenandoah , Smartish Pace , Southern Poetry Review , Willow Springs and elsewhere, and can be found reprinted online at Verse Daily and Poetry Daily . He also serves as editor of the journal, 32 Poems .

Jasmine Bailey

Jasmine Bailey graduated from Colgate in 2005 and the University of Virginia MFA program in 2010. There, she worked as poetry editor for the semi-annual literary journal, Meridian . Her chapbook of poems, Sleep and What Precedes It , won the Longleaf Press 2009 Chapbook Prize and her book-length collection of poetry, Alexandria , will be published by Carnegie Mellon. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in the minnesota review , Poet Lore , 32 Poems , The Carolina Quarterly , The Portland Review , and the Birmingham Poetry Review , among others.

Marjorie Celona

Marjorie Celona studied writing at the University of Victoria and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow and recipient of the Ailene Barger Barnes Prize for Excellence in the Short Story. Her stories have appeared in The Best American Nonrequired Reading (2008), Glimmer Train , Crazyhorse , Best Canadian Stories (2007, 2010, 2012), The Fiddlehead , Indiana Review , and elsewhere. In May, she will be writer-in-residence at Hawthornden Castle in Scotland, where she plans to finish her novel.

Sarah Beth Childers

Sarah finds much of her writing inspiration in the creeks, hills, and train tracks around where she grew up in Huntington, West Virginia. She has a bachelor of arts in history from Marshall University and a master of fine arts in creative nonfiction from West Virginia University. She has taught writing at West Virginia University and medieval literature and history at Duke University’s Talent Identification Program. Her work has appeared in SNReview and Paddlefish , and her short story “Red Ribbon” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2009

Anthony Eleftherion

Anthony Eleftherion’s stories have appeared in the Madison Review and Epoch . He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Rutgers University and a master of fine arts degree from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was a Maytag fellow. A short film he co-wrote received a student academy award, the HBO short film award, the grand jury awards at South by Southwest and Palm Springs Film Festivals, and was an official selection of the Sundance film festival. He is completing a collection of stories about Brooklyn, NY.

COACHING + PUBLISHING

FORMATTING + DESIGN

FREELANCE COMMUNITY

• Writing Fellowships for 2024 Now Accepting Applications

Erin Duchesne

What is a Writing Fellowship? 

How to apply to a writing fellowship , research fellowships, review eligibility requirements, build a portfolio, write a personal statement/proposal, ask for letters of recommendation , carefully fill out your application , prepare for interviews , writing fellowships for 2024.

Are you an aspiring or professional writer? Are you looking for an opportunity to focus on your craft and get paid while doing it? If this describes you than applying for writing fellowships might be a good fit for you and your goals. 

If you are already working on a passion project or have an idea in your head, there are plenty of writing fellowships for the 2024 season you can apply for. 

A writing fellowship is a fantastic opportunity for creative talents to pursue research and projects in their area of expertise. A fellowship is a short-term employment contract offered by an institution, often a university that usually lasts for one or two academic years. 

Every writing fellowship is different in terms of eligibility, expectations, and compensation. There are fellowships looking for writing professionals in a very specific niche or industry, but many fellowships are open to any type of creative field.

Depending on the fellowship, the successful candidate may be granted with opportunities such as teaching or attending courses at the university and give public readings of their work during their contract. 

Writing fellowships pay their fellows a stipend that is usually enough to be able to commit their full attention to their work. While it varies, it is common to be provided or assisted with finding accommodation, studio space, and often benefits, travel and/or moving allowances. 

As with anything, it is important to do your research and find the right writing fellowships before applying. 

If the idea of becoming a writing fellow truly excites you, then it is time to look at how to research and apply to fellowships and snag a coveted spot. Writing fellowships are a great opportunity to perfect your craft and contribute to your field while getting financial support. This also means that they can be very competitive with so many talented applicants who want the same thing as you. 

With careful preparation, you can stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of success. Again, every fellowship is different, but here are some general guidelines of what it takes to apply for writing fellowships. 

Research carefully!

The first step in any process is to do lots of research before making any decisions. There are writing fellowships all over the world with different start dates and lengths in different subject areas. Find some that align with your wants and needs that you are excited to apply for.

Don’t apply for a fellowship that would require you to move across the country (or the world) if you are not prepared to do so!

Found a writing fellowship that you think you would be perfect for? Before investing time and money into the lengthy application process be sure to thoroughly read the eligibility requirements.

Each fellowship has its own specific criteria for who can apply including experience, citizenship, location, etc. Ensure you fit all of the eligibility requirements before applying. 

A major factor of how fellows are chosen is based on their portfolio . The selection committee wants to see your creativity, quality of work, writing style, and skill to determine if you are the right fit for the fellowship program. 

Aside from your application form and portfolio , many fellowship programs will either ask for a project proposal or personal statement describing yourself, your passion for writing, your accomplishments and your intentions for the fellowship. 

Remember to be thorough and authentic while being diligent to follow all of the requirements of the proposal or statement. 

Many writing fellowships want to get a better sense of you and your work ethic from third party sources. That’s where letters of recommendation come in. Reach out to mentors, professors, and supervisors who will be willing and able to attest to your character and abilities. 

Once you have compiled all of your documents and reached out to people who can support you, it is time to carefully fill out any further application forms. Remember to review all of your application documents for accuracy to avoid any unexpected hiccups in the process and be sure to submit everything before the deadline. 

Some fellowships will invite a select few candidates to an interview to finish out the selection process. If the writing fellowships you applied for have an interview component, do not wait until you are invited to start practicing. The more you rehearse telling your story and sharing your work, the easier it will be to nail that interview. 

We have compiled a list of 12 writing fellowships that are accepting applications between now and the end of 2024 to help you get started in your research.

Nieman Fellowships  

• Application deadline: International applications due December 1; U.S. applications due January 31 
• Eligibility: Working journalists with five or more years of full-time media experience
• Payment: $80,000 stipend paid over a nine-month period 

The Steinbeck Fellows Program

• Application deadline: January 5, 2024
• Eligibility: Exceptional talent in the areas of creative writing, including fiction, drama, creative nonfiction or biography
• Payment: $15,000 stipend 

O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism

• Application deadline: January 19, 2024
• Eligibility: American journalists with at least five years of professional experience 
• Payment: $75,000 stipend plus moving, research, and travel allowances

MacDowell Colony Fellowships

• Application Deadline: February 10, 2024 (fall/winter); September 10, 2024 (spring/summer)
• Eligibility: Artists and writers at various career stages
• Payment: Residencies include room, board, and studio space

Scripps Fellowship  

• Application deadline: March 1 annually
• Eligibility: American journalists with five or more years of experience working in any medium who are interested in deepening and broadening their knowledge of environmental issues.
• Payment: $71,000

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellows

• Eligibility: Applicants must have completed or be scheduled to complete an MFA or PhD in Creative Writing by August 15 of the fellowship year
• Payment: $39,000 paid over nine months 

James Jones First Novel Fellowship  

• Application deadline: March 15, 2024
• Eligibility: American author who has not yet published a novel
• Payment: $10,000

The Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program

• Application deadline: Spring 2024
• Eligibility: US citizens able to commit to a year of  full-time work in investigative journalism
• Payment: $22.68 per hour plus benefits

The Hodder Fellowship

• Application deadline: September 2024
• Eligibility: Promising writers and artists 
• Payment: Academic year at Princeton; $90,000 stipend 

Persephone Miel Fellowship

• Application deadline: Rolling
• Eligibility: Open to all journalists, writers, photographers, radio producers, or filmmakers, staff journalists outside the U.S and Western Europe
• Payment: $5,000 grant 

Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship

• Application deadline: November 15
• Eligibility: Writers working on a broad range of topics related to American history and culture 
• Payment: $45,000 stipend for nine month residency in Chestertown, MD

The Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University

• Application deadline: November 1
• Eligibility: Emerging writers in fiction and poetry
• Payment: $50,000 per academic year (two-year program) plus tuition and benefits

Landing a writing fellowship is an incredible accomplishment and opportunity to focus on your craft. If you think this is an avenue you want to pursue, don’t miss out on your opportunity to apply to some of the exciting writing fellowships for 2024. 

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Center for Steinbeck Studies

Steinbeck Fellowship

The Steinbeck Fellows Program of San José State University was endowed through the generosity of  Martha Heasley Cox . It offers writers of any age and background a $15,000 fellowship to finish a significant writing project. Named in honor of author John Steinbeck, the program is guided by his lifetime of work in literature, the media, and environmental activism.

Fellowships are currently offered in Creative Writing (excluding poetry) and Steinbeck Studies. Fellows may be appointed in many fields, including literary scholarship, fiction, drama, education, science and the media. 

Find more Application Information before you apply.

Graduate Steinbeck Fellows

The Center also supports up to six exceptional incoming students in San José State's MFA/Creative Writing [BROKEN LINK] and MA/English [BROKEN LINK]  programs with full in-state tuition for their first year of study. All applicants to the two programs are considered for these fellowships; there is no additional application. Visit our  Graduate Steinbeck Fellows page  to learn more.

Steinbeck / Gentlemen of the Road Service Fellowship

The Steinbeck / Gentlemen of the Road Service Fellowship brings together a cohort of students from Stanford University and San José State University to complete a summer of community service in Steinbeck Country. The Fellowship is funded by “Gentlemen of the Road,”  the community engagement organization of the folk-rock band Mumford & Sons, from the proceeds of a concert the band played at Stanford University in September 2019 upon receiving the John Steinbeck Award . The Fellowship is open to students from any race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital or domestic partner status, political affiliation, HIV or AIDS status, or disability. Fellows receive a stipend of $5,500, with an additional $2,200 possible depending on financial need.

This Year's Steinbeck Fellows

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