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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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The Oxbelly Fiction Writers Retreat is open to emerging writers of novels or short stories, including unpublished writers and students, aged 18 and above.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– Up to 15 pages of unpublished fictional prose (double-spaced)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.

Mark your calendars for February 14, 2025, as G.T. Dípè releases her highly anticipated New Adult Contemporary Queer Romance titled “Runnin’ No More”

“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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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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The Centre for Research in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CRASSH) at the University of Cambridge is inviting applications for funded Visiting Fellowships for scholars from the Global South. These fellowships aim to provide opportunities for scholars to exchange ideas with other researchers at CRASSH and the University of Cambridge, and to benefit from access to the University’s collections and resources.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the CRASSH Visiting Fellowships, applicants must:

– Be currently employed at a higher education institution or research institute in the Global South

– Be working primarily within the arts, humanities, or social sciences

– Have been awarded a PhD at least five years before the date of application

– Be available to take up the Fellowship in Cambridge for a period of three months

Requirements for the CRASSH Visiting Fellowships

To apply, applicants must submit:

– A CV (including a list of publications)

– Answers to specific questions (listed on the CRASSH website)

– A letter of support from their Head of Department (or equivalent), confirming that leave of absence will be granted by their institution for the full period of the Fellowship

Questions for applicants

• Why do you wish to apply for this Visiting Fellowship? What benefits would spending a term at CRASSH and the University of Cambridge bring you? (max. 500 words)

• What research will you be conducting while in Cambridge? Please give an outline of your current project and explain which part(s) of it you intend to carry out during the term of your Visiting Fellowship. (max. 1000 words)

• The Visiting Fellows appointed under this scheme will be asked to work together to design an event, to take place during the term you are in Cambridge, which will provide an opportunity for you to present your own research, alongside others. What ideas would you suggest for the theme and format or such an event? (max. 400 words)

How to write personal statements and SOPs for applications 

Benefits

The Fellowships offer:

– Return (economy fare) travel to Cambridge

– Single ensuite accommodation in Wolfson College

– A subsistence allowance to help with additional everyday costs

– Desk space and access to a computer at CRASSH

– Full access to the University’s libraries and other collections

– Full access to events and seminars run by CRASSH or other institutions in the University

– A nine-month digital Fellowship following the three-month in-person Fellowship, allowing continued access to the University’s online events and resources

Want to start a literary mag or blog? Here’s how. 

Deadline

The application deadline for the CRASSH Visiting Fellowships is 24 February 2025.

Please email fellowships@crassh.cam.ac.uk for enquiries.

Apply here

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The Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (JIAS) invites applications for its ninth Writing Fellowship programme, which will run from 1 April to 30 June 2025. This year’s fellowship centers on the theme of Global Blackness, exploring the multiplicity of Black experience, intellectual traditions, and perspectives.

About the Fellowship

The JIAS ’25 Writing Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for established scholars, creative practitioners, and thought leaders to explore the complexities of Global Blackness. The fellowship aims to foster innovative research, creative work, and intellectual exchange, with a focus on the Global South.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants should:

– Hold a PhD qualification (for academic applicants) or demonstrate a strong track record of exhibitions, projects, and interdisciplinary research (for creative practitioner applicants)

– Demonstrate meaningful engagement within their field(s) of research

–  Thjs program will give preference to applicants from or closely aligned to Global South contexts, as well as women and gender-diverse applicants of color. 

Requirements for the JIAS ’25 Writing Fellowship 

To apply, applicants should submit:

– A CV, bio, and headshot

– A brief motivation (max 250 words) outlining why Johannesburg and JIAS present a meaningful location for the proposed research project

– A research project outline (max 1000 words) detailing a definite writing project or creative project to be worked on during the residency period

– Where relevant, images and links can be included in the PDF document

Benefits

The fellowship offers:

– Flights to and from Johannesburg

– Accommodation in a private residential suite at JIAS

– Daily breakfast and lunch during the week

– Monthly enrichment activities

– Access to the facilities of the nearby University of Johannesburg

– A taxable monthly stipend (total budget over 3 months: ZAR 90 000)

Application Process

Applications should be submitted as PDF documents to jiasinfo@uj.ac.za,  with the following email subject line: “JIAS ’25 Writing Fellowship Application [insert full name]”.

Virtual interviews of long-listed applicants will take place during the first two weeks of February.

Here are some tips on how to apply for writing contests 

Deadline

The application deadline for the JIAS ’25 Writing Fellowship is 4 January 2025, midnight SAST.

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Dzanc Books has announced Zambian author Mubanga Kalimamukwento as the 2024 Dzanc Prize for Fiction Winner. 

The author impressed the judges with her compelling narrative, which intricately explores themes of intimate violence, betrayal, and resilience within patriarchal societies. Intertwined with tenderness and moments of hope, the novel showcases Kalimamukwento’s ability to craft characters and stories that resonate deeply with readers.

Set in Zambia, Shipikisha tells the story of Sali, a working mother of three on trial for the murder of her husband, Kasunga. She allegedly shot him after a heated fight in their bedroom. Through a braided narrative woven both before and during the trial, Sali navigates her husband’s infidelities and alcohol-filled nights, their money troubles, her postnatal depression, raising her teenage daughter Ntashé, and an attempted abortion in silence. Until the day her marriage finally fails to endure—shipikisha, considered the ultimate dereliction of wifely duty in Zambia. Until the day she speaks her mind, and Kasunga puts a gun in her face.

Kalimamukwento is a Zambian attorney, editor and writer. She is the author of The Mourning Bird , unmarked graves , Obligations to the Wounded and Another Mother Does Not Come When Yours Dies  She is the founding editor of Ubwali Literary Magazine, a current Miles Morland Scholar and a PhD student and Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change (ICGC) scholar at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Earlier this year, she also won the prestigious 2024 Drue Heinz Literature Prize for her short story collection, Obligations to the Wounded. She also won the Dinaane Debut Fiction Award in 2019.

Kalimamukwento’s work highlights significant issues affecting communities, particularly in African contexts while offering universally relatable themes. The Dzanc Prize for Fiction, which supports innovative and socially impactful writing, is awarded annually to a writer whose project demonstrates unique potential. As the 2024 recipient, Kalimamukwento will receive a cash prize and a publishing contract with Dzanc Books, further solidifying her position as a powerful voice in contemporary literature.  Dzanc Books will publish Shipikisha, Mubanga Kalimamukwento’s award-winning novel, in March 2026.

Congratulations to Mubanga Kalimamukwento. 

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