Southern Methodist University (SMU) is pleased to announce the Hughes Fellowship in Creative Writing (Poetry), a two-year position beginning Fall 2025. This prestigious fellowship offers emerging poets a unique opportunity to develop their craft, teach creative writing, and engage with the vibrant literary community in Dallas.

Eligibility For The Hughes Fellowship 

To be eligible, applicants must have

– Completed or be on track to complete an MFA or PhD in creative writing by August 2025.

– Have published no more than one full-length book of creative work

– Not have a second book in print or under contract

– Be available to live in the Dallas area during the academic year and hold no other professional or academic obligations

Requirements for The Hughes Fellowship 

Applicants must submit:

– A cover letter addressing what they hope to accomplish as a writer during the fellowship period at SMU

– A CV

– A writing sample of poetry (maximum fifteen pages)

– Two letters of recommendation

Benefits

This Fellowship program offers:

– Annual compensation of $60,000 with full benefits

– A two-year appointment beginning Fall 2025

– The opportunity to teach one course in creative writing per semester

– Engagement with the intellectual and creative life of the department and the larger Dallas literary community

– A public reading of the fellow’s own work in the first year and a public conversation with an established writer in the second year

Deadline

To be ensured full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. CST on February 10, 2025. Applicants should apply here

Southern Methodist University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from diverse candidates.

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The Biographers International Organization  (BIO) is proud to announce the Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship, a prestigious award that honors exceptional biographical works about African American subjects. This fellowship aims to promote diversity in the field of biography and to recognize the contributions of African Americans to the richness of American history.

Eligibility

The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship is open to all biographers, regardless of their background, who are working on a biography of an African American figure or figures. The fellowship is available to writers at any stage of their project, from conception to completion. A publishing contract is not required for eligibility.

Requirements for the Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship 

To apply, candidates must submit the following materials:

• Project description (500 words or less): provide a synopsis of the biography and explain how this biographical work fits into the mission of the Rollin Fellowship

• Statement of need (500 words or less): describe where you are in the process of writing and how you and your work would benefit from the Rollin Fellowship; if your work is not yet under contract, please include your plans for publication

• Author bio (500 words or less)

• Excerpt from your manuscript (no more than 20 pages)

• Your document should be double-spaced, with 12-point type and standard margins. The document must be a PDF. Please be sure to include your name as part of the file name of the PDF that you submitowship will support the writer’s work.

Benefits

The Fellowship offers a generous award of $5,000 to two selected winners. In addition to the monetary prize, the fellowship provides:

– A year’s membership in BIO

– Registration to the annual BIO Conference

– Publicity through BIO’s marketing channels

Deadline

The deadline for applications is February 1. Application forms will be available on the BIO website after September 1.

About the Award

The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship is named in honor of Frances Anne Rollin Whipper, a pioneering African American biographer and activist. Rollin’s 1868 biography, Life and Public Services of Martin R. Delany, was a groundbreaking work that highlighted the importance of African American voices and stories.

FAQ

For more information contact Michael Gately at: execdirector@biographersinternational.org 

This Fellowship is a unique opportunity for biographers to share the stories of African American individuals who have shaped the course of American history. Don’t miss this chance to recognize and celebrate these lives. Apply for the Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship today!

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Are you an emerging fiction writer looking to elevate your craft and strengthen your literary voice? The Oxbelly Fiction Writers Program is now accepting applications for its 2025 retreat. This prestigious program brings together writers from around the world for a week of literary and creative exchange in historic Messinia, Greece.

Eligibility

The Oxbelly Fiction Writers Retreat is open to emerging writers of novels or short stories, including unpublished writers and students, aged 18 and above. Applicants from around the world are welcome to apply.

Requirements for The Oxbelly Fiction Writers Retreat 

To apply, please submit:

– Up to 15 pages of unpublished fictional prose (double-spaced)

– A brief biography

-Writer’s Statement: In this section, you are expected to articulate how your submission exemplifies your voice as a writer and how this serves your larger vision as a writer. You can speak about your influences, inspiration, what tradition you place your work in, and how the program will serve your vision and the direction you currently want to take your writing. Max 2500 characters. 

Benefits of The Oxbelly Fiction Writers Retreat 

This program offers:

– A week-long retreat in historic Messinia, Greece

– Workshops and craft sessions led by acclaimed writers and industry leaders

– Unstructured time to write in a serene and transformative environment

– All expenses covered for selected fellows

Deadline

Applications close on January 22, 2025. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to take your writing to the next level. Apply now for the Oxbelly Fiction Writers Program 2025!

The Fiction Writers program is committed to supporting exceptional narratives in all genres by emerging fiction writers worldwide. Literary quality is the program’s top priority. The program welcomes submissions that demonstrate originality, engaging narrative voice, evocative language, innovative form, and mastery of craft, regardless of subject matter. Make sure to submit your most polished work for this opportunity.

For more information, please email contact@oxbelly.com 

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The Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation, in partnership with the Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.), is thrilled to announce the third edition of the prestigious G.A.S. Fellowship Award. This esteemed award aims to nurture artistic talent on the African continent, offering opportunities for creative development, knowledge exchange, and community engagement.

Eligibility For The G.A.S Fellowship Award

The G.A.S. Fellowship Award is open to mid-career fine art visual artists and curators who are nationals of and currently residing in one of the 54 African countries. Applicants must have at least seven years of professional experience in their field and demonstrate a strong track record of exhibitions, projects, or programmes.

Requirements

Applicants must submit a completed application form, which includes:

– A proposal outlining their project or exhibition concept

– A brief CV

– A reference letter from a senior curator, gallerist, or director of a cultural institution

– A brief proposal (400 words max) detailing their planned contribution to the Ìmòra Arts Intensive (for fine art visual artists)

How to write a statement of purpose 

Benefits of The G.A.S. Fellowship Award 

This program offers two fully-funded six-week residencies at G.A.S. Lagos. The selected artists and curators will receive:

– A £1,750 travel allowance

– A £1,000 honorarium

– A £1,000 stipend for basic living expenses

– A £250 materials budget (for artists) or a £1,000 exhibition production budget (for curators)

– Accommodation and cleaning services

– Pastoral care and residency support

– Driver and security services

– Exhibition production support (for curators)

Residency Details

The residencies will take place strictly between the following dates:

– Residency 1 (Mid-Career Fine Art Visual Artist): 5th May – 14th June 2025 (6 weeks)

– Residency 2 (Mid-Career Curator): 16th June – 25th July 2025 (6 weeks)

How to start a literary mag 

Deadline

The deadline for applications is January 12, 2025. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed on February 4-5, 2025, and the final selection will be announced on February 12, 2025.

Don’t miss this opportunity to take your artistic or curatorial practice to the next level. Apply here for the visual fine artist fellowship, and here for the curator’s. 

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• • The Island Prize For a Debut Novel From Africa is currently open.

The Island Prize for fiction has commenced accepting entries for 2025. The prize initiative is in its fourth year and it seeks to recognize and provide support for emerging literary talents from Africa. It invites submissions of unpublished debut literary manuscripts from authors across the African continent.

Eligibility for The Island Prize 2025

The Island Prize is open to African writers aged 18 and over regardless of place of residence.

For the purposes of the competition, we define “African writers” as writers born in or having citizenship of any African country.

1. 1. You must not be represented by a literary agent or currently under contract with a publisher. If you receive an offer of representation while your novel is under consideration, you must inform them and withdraw.
   2. Non-fiction, poetry and short story collections, as well as fiction for children are NOT eligible.
   3.  There is no restriction as to specific genre – anything from literary fiction to crime thriller is welcome.
   4. The complete novel should be between 35,000 words and 100,000 words. Please make sure to work within those parameters.
   5. Entrants must not have previously published a novel; this includes self-published or eBook-only editions. To clarify: authors may have previously published poetry collections, short story collections and non-fiction.
   6. Authors with manuscripts that they would like to see in full will be contacted by 31 March 2025 – though this date might have to be extended slightly, depending on the volume of entries received.
   7. Authors MUST have a full manuscript to submit within 3 days of this date, otherwise they will be disqualified and removed from the longlist.
   8. They will announce the shortlisted authors will be in the first week of May 2025
   9. They will announce the winner sometime in mid-May 2025. 

Submission Guidelines

To enter:

1.  To send in your entry, submit: a. The first three chapters or up to 10,000 words of their completed novel, accompanied by a short synopsis 

b. A covering statement giving EACH of the following (please make sure you have included them all):

1.   the word count,
2. name,
3. address,
4. nationality
5. preferred pronouns of the author,
6. the title,
7.  a brief, two-sentence description of the main subjects and themes of the novel;

c. A one-page synopsis setting out the basic story.

2. Format:

a. Entries should be in a simple font, size 12 – Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial, Calibri are all fine.
b. Please ensure entries are double or 1.5 spaced.
c. All entries should be in Word doc or docx.

Please note that the literary quality of 1b and 1c is not taken into account in judging, so
please keep them clear and informative.

Submissions should be made to submissions@theislandprize.com

Prize

• From the submitted entries, no more than TEN and no fewer than FIVE authors will be invited to submit their full manuscript. These authors will be provided with optional feedback.
• From this shortlist the winning three entries will be chosen, with prize money of £500 for first, and £200 for each runner-up.
• The winning three manuscripts will all be considered for publication and be read by an agent.

Deadline:

February 16, 2025, at 12 AM CAT

Goodluck on this! If you wish to apply to other contest or job opportunities, check this creative writing submissions guide out!

The post The Island Prize for Fiction is Currently Accepting Manuscripts / How to Enter (Prize: £700) appeared first on Creative Writing News.

“Two men, two countries, one chance to stop running—from their pasts, their fears, and from love itself.”

Synopsis 
For twenty-three-year-old Teniade Adeowo, love feels like a crime, even though it shouldn’t be. Escaping the law and his trauma in Nigeria, he arrives in England, determined to leave everything behind. But Ade quickly learns that no matter how far you run, the things you flee from often find a way to follow as his journey takes an unexpected turn when his path crosses with Stefan Wickström’s at Heathrow Airport. Stefan is no stranger to running from his own pain. He leaves Sweden, believing that the only way to stay ahead of his misery is to keep moving. But everything changes when he encounters Ade, whose silent intensity and guarded demeanor halt Stefan in his tracks.
In a world where love feels like an unaffordable gamble, Ade and Stefan must decide whether their fragile connection will break them or be what they need to finally heal.

“Runnin’ No More” is a poignant and gripping narrative following the intersections of love, identity, and survival. It features richly drawn characters and a heartfelt storyline that crafts a romance as wonderful as it is timeless.

Where to Get Runnin’ No More

• Nigeria

Selar 

• Sweden

Bokus

Adlibris

• United Kingdom

The Great British Book Shop

Amazon UK

• United States of America

Bookshop(dot)org

Barnes & Noble

Magers & Quinn

Thriftbooks

Amazon

AbeBooks

• Finland

Adlibris

• Spain

Agapea

• Norway

Adlibris

• Denmark

Saxo

• Australia

Booktopia

Fishpond

• Germany

Dussmann

JPC

• South Korea

Yes24

Ebook also available on Amazon worldwide: USA, UK, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Italy, France, Netherlands, Canada.

More information is available on the author’s website at www.gtdipe.com

About the Author:

G.T. Dípè is an emerging voice in contemporary queer fiction, known for her emotionally resonant and lyrically crafted storytelling. With a remarkable ability to explore the complexities of identity, love, and survival, Dípè creates narratives that linger long after the final page. As a citizen of Nigeria, where homosexuality remains criminalised, Dípè draws inspiration not only from the imagined worlds of her characters but also from the lived experiences of those who dare to love beyond society’s restrictive norms. Her work sheds light on the lasting consequences of Nigeria’s homophobic laws and advocates for their abolition. In her debut novel,  Runnin’ No More, Dípè continues to amplify underrepresented voices within queer literature, offering readers a rich mosaic of stories that celebrate resilience, unspoken truths, and the transformative power of love.

Read: How to Self-Publish Your Novel

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The Open Society Foundations is inviting applications from Lagos-based thinkers for its prestigious Open Society Fellowship. This fellowship program supports innovative thinkers and practitioners from around the world, and this year, it’s open exclusively to residents of seven cities:

• Beirut, Lebanon
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Lagos, Nigeria
• Taipei, Taiwan

Eligibility For The Open Society Fellowship 

The fellowship is open to a wide range of professionals, including:

• Academics
• Journalists
• Documentarians
• Think-tank experts
• Playwrights
• Poets
• Architects
• Urban planners
• Novelists
• Visual artists
• Cultural impresarios

Tips for publishing your first ebook

Requirements

To apply for this fellowship, you’ll need to submit the following documents:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Three-page project description
• Draft project budget

You’ll also need to propose a project that demonstrates ambition and originality. If selected, you’ll be expected to complete or make significant progress on your project during the fellowship term.

Benefits of The Open Society Fellowship 

• As an Open Society Fellow, you’ll receive:
• A living stipend of $100,000 for one year. 
• Up to $20,000 for project expenses. 
• Financial support for travel to advance your project. 
• Expenses covered for two fellowship gatherings per year. 
• Opportunities to interact with other fellows, Open Society staff, and outside experts. 

Benefits of Writing Internships

Deadline

The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. New York time on Monday, December 16, 2024. Applicants will be notified about the status of their application by Friday, February 28, 2025.

Don’t miss this opportunity to take your work to the next level. Apply now and join a community of innovative thinkers and practitioners from around the world!

The post The Open Society Fellowship / How to Apply ($100,000 and more) appeared first on Creative Writing News.

The Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT is pleased to announce its academic-year fellowship program for international journalists. The Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT designs this fellowship to recognize and reward journalists who demonstrate a high level of professional excellence and accomplishment, as well as a long-term commitment to their craft.

About the Fellowship

The Knight Science Journalism fellowship program offers 10 science journalists from around the globe the opportunity to explore science, technology, and the craft of journalism at MIT. Fellows will spend nine months in Cambridge, pursuing a research project, attending seminars, and auditing courses at MIT and Harvard.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a KSJ Fellowship, applicants must:

-Work as full-time journalists, either on staff or as freelancers.

– Possess at least three consecutive years of experience in covering science, health, technology, and environmental reporting.

– Hold positions as reporters, writers, editors, producers, illustrators, filmmakers, or photojournalists

Benefits

Fellows will receive:

– An $85,000 stipend paid out in installments over 9.5 months

– A travel and housing stipend paid near the start of the fellowship

– Basic health insurance for each fellow and their family

Requirements for The Knight Science Journalism Fellowship 

Applicants must submit:

– A professional autobiography: Describe, in 500 words or less, why you want to participate in the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program and how it fits with your professional goals.

– A statement outlining their goals for the fellowship year: The research project must be based in journalism, but it can expand beyond traditional parameters and be created in any format: long-form, story series, multimedia, video, audio, installation, etc.

– Three samples of their work

– Three letters of recommendation

– CV or Resume: Provide a brief overview of your education, work history, and professional honors. (Freelancers should include a list of freelance jobs completed in the past 12 months. Include each story, venue, and date of publication or broadcast.)

Requirements Specific to International Candidates

When selected, international candidates must

– Obtain a valid visa from the U.S. State Department (typically a J-1 visa, sponsored by MIT through the International Scholars Office)

– Verify English language proficiency through an application interview(s) and/or an English language proficiency test (such as IELTS, TOEFL)

– They do not require language proficiency tests, but may it strengthen applications of candidates whose first/native language is not English

– They do not require Visa-related documentation as part of the initial application

You might be interested in: How to get freelance writing jobs

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit your application through the online portal. 

The application deadline is January 15, 2025.

Contact Information

For further questions, please email knight-info@mit.edu. 

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Are you a visual storyteller looking to make an impact with your work? Do you have an innovative project idea that leverages visuals to engage audiences and drive social change? If so you are invited to apply for the CatchLight Visual Storytelling Fellowship.

Eligibility

The CatchLight Visual Storytelling Fellowship is open to visual storytellers from around the world. There is no entry fee.

Requirements

To apply, you will need to provide the following:

– A fellowship statement (200 words) describing how your work engages audiences and has a long-term impact

– A description of your proposed project (250 words)

– A description of your distribution, engagement, and impact plan (250 words)

– A plan to gather impact feedback (100 words)

– A timeline for your project

– A budget estimate

– Three topic ideas for sharing your learning with the CatchLight community

– 10-20 images

– Three professional references

– A short bio

– A copy of your curriculum vitae

Benefits of The CatchLight Visual Storytelling Fellowship

As a CatchLight Fellow, you will receive:

– A $30,000 award

– Potential access to additional funding through the CatchLight Impact Fund

– Paid travel and accommodations to the 2025 CatchLight Visual Storytelling Summit in San Francisco

– Personal development opportunities, including executive coaching

– Impact strategy and networking support from CatchLight staff and partners

– A community of like-minded Fellows and industry professionals

Some excellent short stories to enjoy online 

Assessment Criteria

The CatchLight team will assess proposals based on how they employ and strengthen new methods and potential solutions to achieve one or more of the following target outcomes:

– Innovative Distribution: Testing a new distribution method of an existing project to effectively engage a specific audience through visuals.

– Community Activations: Testing how visual storytelling can be leveraged to engage specific audiences and/or address specific community information needs

– Field Sustainability: building systems and models that push the field of visual storytelling or media ecosystem forward.

Deadline

The application window for the CatchLight Visual Storytelling Fellowship is November 9 – December 14, 2024. Don’t miss this opportunity to take your visual storytelling to the next level and make a meaningful impact. Apply now!

All inquiries can be directed to Adriana García at global@catchlight.io. 

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The A. Orr Fantasy Grant is a prestigious award that supports middle grade and young adult writers working in the fantasy or science fiction genre. This grant honors the memory of Alice Orr Sprague, a talented fantasy author, and is sponsored by her sister Michele Orr. The grant is administered by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), a professional organization dedicated to supporting children’s book writers and illustrators.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the A. Orr Fantasy Grant, applicants must:

– Be a current member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)

– Not have works published or under contract with a traditional publishing house (pre-published and self-published authors are eligible)

– Submit a completed novel for middle grade or young adult readers in the speculative fiction genre

– Applicants must submit a completed manuscript, as the grant committee will not consider partial manuscripts.

Requirements for The A. Orr Fantasy Grant 

To apply for the grant, you must submit:

– A cover page with name, manuscript title, and a double-spaced synopsis (max 250 words)

– The first 10 pages of the completed manuscript, double-spaced, with page numbers and name in the upper corner

– A PDF attachment labeled with the applicant’s name (First_Last)

– The manuscript sample must be double-spaced and cannot exceed 10 pages

– The submission should total 11 pages: cover page + 10 manuscript pages

How to start writing a novel 

Benefits

The winner will receive:

– Tuition to the SCBWI Summer Conference

– A cash award of $600

– The opportunity to connect with other writers, agents, and editors in the children’s book industry

– The chance to learn from experienced writers and industry professionals through workshops and panels

Deadline

The application deadline for the A. Orr Fantasy Grant has not been specified. However, please check the official SCBWI website for the most up-to-date information on the application deadline.

Some tips from prose writers

The A. Orr Fantasy Grant is a unique opportunity for middle grade and young adult fantasy writers to receive support, recognition, and networking opportunities. If you’re a writer working in the fantasy or science fiction genre, consider applying for this grant.

Email your enquiries to support@scbwi.zendesk.com 

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