FIRST PAGES PRIZE
SUBMISSIONS PERIOD: March 1 - April 10, 2024
SUBMISSION FEE: $20
JUDGE: Edwidge Danticat
INFO: Our mission is to discover, recognize and encourage emerging voices through the annual creative nonfiction and fiction FIRST PAGES PRIZE awards.
Open to un-agented writers worldwide, the FIRST PAGES PRIZE invites you to enter your FIRST FIVE PAGES (1250 words) of a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction.
Winners receive cash awards, a developmental mentorship, and an agent consultation.
PRIZES:
Five prizes are awarded annually to emerging writers.
The competition is for writers who are NOT currently represented by a literary agent.
The top three winners in each category of Fiction and Creative Nonfiction receive:
- A cash award (1st - $2,000, 2nd - $1,500, 3rd - $1000)
- A Developmental Mentorship that will include virtual meetings to discuss your work, review of select pieces of your work and potentially a written report from the mentor. Each mentor/mentee experience will reflect the needs of the winning writer.
- Consultation with an agent via Zoom
Cash prizes are not transferable. The tailored edit and agent consultation are not transferable or redeemable.
ELIGIBILITY - Entrants
Eligible writers from anywhere in the world may enter.
Entrants must be individuals (not a company or organization) and submission must be the entrant’s original work.
Entrants must be over 18 years of age at the time of entering their work.
Entrants must be currently unagented. If you are represented by or signed with an agent, you are NOT eligible to enter.
If an entrant signs with an agent prior to winners being announced and their entry is still in our review process and has not been declined, notify First Pages Prize immediately to withdraw and have the entry fee will refunded (minus fees).
Entrants may submit more than one entry. Each entry needs to be submitted as a separate entry and you need to pay the fee for each entry.
Entrants must submit the work using their name, not a pen name. A pen name may be used when announcing their win, if requested.
By entering, entrants accept that their email address is added to the mailing list of the First Pages Prize.
By entering, winners accept that quotes from their entry and their photo and bio details may be used to promote the First Pages Prize.
This competition is NOT OPEN to members of the board or employees of The First Page Prize, Inc., The de Groot Foundation, the reviewers or judge. Family members of the aforementioned are also NOT eligible.
ELIGIBILITY - Entries
Entries are blinded. The entrant’s name MUST NOT appear anywhere on the manuscript of the entry to ensure judging anonymity. The entrant’s full name (initials included) MUST NOT be part of the story title. Any entry failing to comply with this rule is immediately disqualified without refund of entry fee.
Must be your unpublished, original work.
Must be written in English.
Entries may be for works of Fiction or Creative Non-Fiction.
Must not infringe upon the copyright of any person or entity.
No entry will be returned or kept after the winners have been announced.
Entries will be acknowledged upon completion of submission.
Copyright remains with the author.
Entrants may submit more than one entry. Each entry needs to be submitted as a separate entry and you need to pay the fee for each entry.
Entries (or drafts of entries) that previously entered the First Pages Prize and did not place 1st, 2nd or 3rd or 4th or 5th are eligible to enter.
WORKS THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE:
- Previously published entries (including on a website, Wattpad or any other online or offline platform).
- Entries (or drafts of entries) that won 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in any other competition.
- Translated works.
SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS are possible, however, if your entry wins 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in another competition you must notify the First Pages Prize immediately by emailing info@firstpagesprize.com. If your entry is still in our review process and has not been declined, you must withdraw your submission and your entry fee will be refunded.
HOW TO ENTER:
All submissions must be made through the Submittable platform https://firstpagesprize.submittable.com/submit
Please submit the first pages (1,250 words maximum) of a longer work of fiction or creative non-fiction.
Kindly double space your pages, using Times New Roman 12-point font.
Name your file with your story title and make sure your story title does not include your name. Include your story title on the top of the first page of your submission.
Acceptable file types are .PDF, .DOCX, .RTF, .ODT, .DOC, and .TXT
Entries for the 2024 competition open on March 1, 2024 at 00:00 am Pacific Standard Time and close on April 10, 2024 at 23:59 (11:59 p.m.) Pacific Standard Time. An extended entry period opens on April 10, 2024 at 00:00 am Pacific Standard Time and closes on April 24, 2024 at 23:59 (11:59 p.m.) Pacific Standard Time. Please check a time zone converter to avoid disappointment and inability to enter http://www.timebie.com/std/pst.php or https://www.thetimezoneconverter.com
Only submissions received and paid for within the entry periods will be considered.
Entries that are not paid for, are incomplete, corrupted or submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
The entry fee is $20 US dollars per entry. The extended entry fee is $35 US dollars per entry.
No alteration may be made to the entry once it is submitted.
By entering this competition, each entrant agrees to be bound by the competition guidelines, terms and conditions.
REVIEW + JUDGING PROCESS:
All entries to the First Pages Prize are submitted to a blinded review process. Reviewers and judge do not know the identity of entrants submitting.
Our judging criteria are: quality of writing (including character development and originality), a sense of story or bigger narrative emerging, and how much the reviewers and judge are hooked by the writing.
Our review and judging process adheres to the CLMP Contest Code of Ethics (see below).
Only winners will be contacted.
No individual feedback will be provided except to the top five Finalists.
The decisions of the reading panel and judge are final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the judging process.
_____
CALL FOR SUBMISSION: July 2024 'DISABILITIES' ISSUE
FIYAH
SUBMISSION PERIOD: March 1 – April 30, 2024
INFO: FIYAH is a quarterly speculative fiction magazine that features stories by and about Black people of the African Diaspora. This definition is globally inclusive (Black anywhere in the world) and also applies to mixed/biracial and Afro-appended people regardless of gender identity or orientation.
Show us life at the intersections of Blackness and disability. We’re not your magical negros, we’re not your inspiration porn. We do not want to be scorned or pitied. Life can be difficult in a racist world which too often denies access. We are worthy of being protagonists, just like anyone else. Let’s demonstrate what we can do!
Guest Editor: Emmalia Harrington
What Emmalia is looking for:
Variety: stories about visible disabilities, invisible ones, chronic illness, mental illness, and neurodivergence to name a few.
Tales centered on disability, and others where it’s part of the story but not the focus. Stories where magic and technology add accessibility, as well as SFFH settings adding unique barriers to access.
Let’s avoid “cure narratives” which include a device or other product which eliminates the disability, and portrays this as an unproblematic good.
Similarly, avoid stories where disabilities are automatically markers of supernatural power.
Understanding of medical, social, and diversity models of disability and how they affect narratives.
_____
Creative Capital GRANTS
Creative Capital
APPLICATION PERIOD: March 4 - April 4, 2024
INFO: For our 25th Anniversary, Creative Capital welcomes innovative and original new project proposals in visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms.
The Creative Capital Award provides unrestricted project grants which can be drawn down over a multi-year period, bespoke professional development services, and community-building opportunities.
Grants are awarded via a democratic, national, open call, external review process. Our goal is to fund individual artists creating conceptually, aesthetically, and formally challenging, risk-taking, and never-before-seen projects.
GRANT APPLICATION DETAILS:
Creative Capital is committed to groundbreaking ideas that challenge what art can be. As Creative Capital Awardees have demonstrated, socially impactful ideas are embedded in a myriad of artistic forms and practices. We invite artists to propose experimental, original, bold projects in the visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms which push boundaries formally and/or thematically.
We invite artists to select a primary discipline for their proposals based on which experts are most suited and qualified to review the project proposal, with the understanding that radical art is often by nature interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or antidisciplinary. By choosing to apply within a certain disciplinary category, we are asking you to choose how you want to frame the discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are most qualified to evaluate your project proposal.
2025: 50 Grants
Visual Arts: including painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, architecture, design, multimedia, installation, video art, performance art, new genres, craft, and socially engaged, and/or sustainable visual art-based practices
Performing Arts: including dance, theater (new theatrical work, playwriting), jazz, music, opera, singing, and socially engaged and/or sustainable performing arts-based practices
Film/Moving Image: including experimental film, short film, animation, documentary film, narrative film, and socially engaged and/or sustainable film/moving image-based practices
Technology: including augmented reality/virtual reality, bio art, data visualization, hardware, software, digital media, internet art, and socially engaged and/or sustainable technology-based practices
Literature: including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and socially engaged and/or sustainable literature-based practices
APPLICATION CYCLE:
ROUND I: Tell us your idea. Letter of Inquiry (LOI)
Along with your project title, one line project description (25 words max), project description (250 words max), resume (1 page max), and artist website (if applicable), please answer the following questions:
How does your project take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? Please be as specific as possible. (150 words)
Please place your work in context so we may better evaluate it. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? Please use concrete examples, which may include other artists’ work, art movements, cultural heritage, science, philosophy, research/work from outside the arts field, etc. (150 words)
What kind of impact—artistic, intellectual, communal, civic, social, political, environmental, etc.—do you hope your project will have? What strategies will you employ to achieve the desired impact? (100 words)
Who are the specific audiences/communities that you hope to engage through this project? Please think beyond the broader art community where possible. How are you hoping to reach them? (100 words)
How might your proposed project act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? In what ways is it a pivotal moment in your practice? (100 words)
In addition to funding, Creative Capital also provides scaffolding and support services for awardees (such as expert consultations, gatherings, alumni network, workshops). How would our non-monetary services help you to realize your goals for this project and/or your long-term artistic and professional growth? (100 words)
ROUND II: Project Details
Project itemized budget (1 page)
Project timeline (1 page)
Work samples (see application handbook for guidelines)
ROUND III: Final Panel Review
Submit proof of eligibility.
Confirm collaborators (if applicable)
Project updates (optional, 100 words max)
Full application guidelines are outlined in the Application Handbook.
All applications are reviewed by external reviewers who are scholars, curators, artists, past awardees, and experts in the field. The final recommendations for the awards are reviewed and then ratified by our Board. Awardees are announced in January 2025. Under no circumstances will the reasons for the rejection of an application be provided.
Any awarded projects which are directly related to any of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals will have the opportunity to have the “Way” or the icon of that UN Sustainable Development goal attached to their project on the Creative Capital website in effort to advance the global dialogue around these critical issues impacting the future of our communities, our planet, and beyond. In keeping with the spirit of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, we too have an expansive definition of “sustainability” that goes far beyond climate change and the environmental challenges we face—including: good health and wellbeing, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, life on land, and peace, justice, and strong institutions.
2025 CREATIVE CAPITAL GRANT TIMELINE:
These dates may change.
March 4 to April 4, 2024: Letter of Inquiries (LOI) accepted
April 4, 2024 4:00 PM Eastern Time / New York Time: LOI deadline
June 2024: Notification of advancement to Round II
September 2024: Notification of advancement to Final Panel Review
January 2025: Public announcement of 2025 Creative Capital Awards
ARTIST ELIGIBILITY:
US citizen, permanent legal resident, or O-1 visa holder
At least 25 years old
Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice
Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program
May not apply to the Warhol Foundation Arts Writers grant program in the same year
May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award
May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year
Projects that are not eligible
Projects whose main purpose is promotional
Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business
Curation or documentation of existing work
Projects that will be completed before January, 2025.
JUROR INFORMATION:
Creative Capital invites regional, national, and international experts in a wide range of disciplines to serve in our review process. External reviewers are offered honoraria for their time and expertise. All external reviewer names are confidential until the awards are announced.
creative-capital.org/about-the-creative-capital-award
_____
Emerging Writer Fellowship
GrubStreet
DEADLINE: March 11, 2024
INFO: The Emerging Writer Fellowship will be awarded to three writers who demonstrate a passion for writing, a commitment to developing their writing abilities, and financial need. Any person 18 and older who demonstrates ability and passion for writing is eligible.
The Emerging Writer Fellowship will provide access to each of the following:
4 multi-week courses
4 one-day (6hr) classes
4 three-hour seminars
Access to a wide selection Muse & the Marketplace conference series programming
Access to GrubStreet's Education Director and/or other program staff members for quarterly (or as-needed) office hours for personalized mentorship. (Not Required)
WHO SHOULD APPLY:
This fellowship is open to anyone 18 and older with a passion for writing. The fellowship specifically aims to assist writers in need of financial assistance in reaching their writing goals. We particularly encourage writers of color, ethnic minorities, those who identify as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and other members of communities historically underrepresented by the literary community to apply.
WHY WE CREATED THIS FELLOWSHIP:
Over the years, GrubStreet encountered more and more people who loved to write but didn't have the money to invest in a creative writing education that would help advance their craft or give them a thoughtful introduction to the publishing world. As part of its mission to make sure that voices of every type and talent are heard, GrubStreet developed the Emerging Writer Fellowship to eliminate some of the financial barriers to entry. Through this program, we hope to connect writers to a literary world – a world made richer and more relevant with the contribution of these voices.
HOW TO APPLY:
The Emerging Writer Fellowship Application Form will require the following:
A sample of your writing that demonstrates your artistic style and voice. 5-10 pages for prose, screenwriting, or playwriting. 3-7 pages for poetry.
A personal statement -- no more than 500 words please! -- which should include the following:
How you envision using the fellowship.
A description of your relationship to writing. By this we mean: what excites you about it? What does it mean to you personally?
How the fellowship will help you in your growth and success as a writer.
Your writing and workshop history (Note: Prior workshop experience at GrubStreet is not required).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Do I need to have a college degree to qualify for this fellowship?
No! The fellowship is open to anyone with a dedication and passion for writing, regardless of education level. If you are committed to your personal growth as a writer, then apply!
If I win this fellowship, do I have to quit my job? Are the classes full time?
The short answer is no. Our flexible class schedule is designed to work around people’s jobs! We offer classes in the morning, evening, and on weekends that you can choose from. However, we do expect the fellows to take full advantage of the courses, as well as attend our Muse & the Marketplace Conference, so you should plan for and commit to a steady amount of writing, homework, and immersion in GrubStreet’s community throughout the fellowship year.
What if I came to writing later in life? Is there an age restriction to this fellowship?
There’s no age restriction for the fellowship! Adult students at GrubStreet range from 18-year-olds to folks over 80. The fellowship is open to the same range of ages.
Are any genres preferred?
We are open to all genres of writing. Current and previous fellows have taken courses in short fiction, novel, nonfiction, magical realism, sci-fi & fantasy, and screenwriting, among others. However, applications that show a cohesive vision of how the applicant would take advantage of the classes to develop their work tend to stand out during our decision-making process.
grubstreet.org/programs/emerging-writer-fellowship
_____
PROPUBLICA INVESTIGATIVE EDITOR TRAINING PROGRAM
ProPublica
DEADLINE: March 11, 2024 at 11:59 pm ET
INFO: For the second year, ProPublica will invite up to 10 news editors from media companies across the country to participate in a yearlong investigative editing training program, led by the newsroom’s award-winning staff.
Applications are now open for the ProPublica Investigative Editor Training Program. Submissions are due Monday, March 11.
As the nation’s premier nonprofit investigative newsroom, ProPublica is dedicated to journalism that changes laws and lives and to advancing the careers of the people who produce it. The goal of this program is to address our industry’s critical need to diversify the ranks of investigative editors. Building a pipeline of talent is a priority that serves us and our industry.
“ProPublica has made real strides since it was established 15 years ago in building an investigative newsroom, but it has struggled, like our competitors across the country, when it comes to finding journalists with the investigative chops to become editors,” said Ginger Thompson, chief of correspondents and an architect of the editor training program. “Rather than sitting around lamenting the problem, we decided to try to do something to fix it.”
When we announced this program last year, we were overwhelmed by the interest. We chose our inaugural cohort from a stacked field of 159 applicants who were eager to develop their skills as investigative editors.
Then we brought them to New York for an intensive weeklong boot camp featuring a curriculum developed by Thompson and Deputy Managing Editor Alexandra Zayas that breaks down how ProPublica crafts its investigations for maximum impact.
“When reading ProPublica stories, I often wondered how the reporter and editor even thought to do them,” said Brendan Klinkenberg, a member of the inaugural cohort and, now, senior editor at The New York Times. “And in our first course, I started to see in really clear terms how ProPublica thinks about investigations. It was a real curtain-peeled-back moment.”
In addition to the sessions, which focus on every aspect of editing from story selection and memos to managing the reporting and digging into the first draft, participants also get to learn from one another.
“Everyone was more open than I expected them to be,” said Lillian M. Ortiz, a member of the inaugural cohort and managing editor at Shelterforce. “I took a lot away from the training session that I’ve brought back to my newsroom. It was also eye-opening to hear about the similar challenges other editors are facing or have faced — especially in newsrooms that are much larger than mine.”
Tracy Jan, deputy health and science health editor at The Washington Post, said, “I left with not only inspiration but also concrete, practical steps I can take as an editor to help our team achieve ambitious, rewarding work.”
This year’s program will begin in June 2024 with a weeklong boot camp in New York that will include courses and panel discussions on how to conceive of and produce investigative projects that expose harm and have impact. The editors will also get training in how to manage reporters who are working with data, documents and sensitive sources, including whistleblowers, agency insiders and people who have suffered trauma. The program continues with a yearlong mentorship pairing and virtual continuing education sessions.
This program is funded through the generous support of the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, which supports organizations in journalism, film and the arts whose work is dedicated to social justice and strengthening democracy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What is this?
The ProPublica Investigative Editor Training Program is designed to help expand the ranks of editors with investigative experience in more newsrooms across the country, with a focus on people from underrepresented backgrounds.
What kind of experience can you expect?
The program kicks off with a five-day intensive editing boot camp in New York, with courses and panel discussions led by ProPublica’s senior editors, veteran reporters and other newsroom leaders. The boot camp will include hands-on editing exercises and opportunities for participants to workshop projects underway in their own newsrooms.
Afterward, participants will gather virtually every two months for seminars and career development discussions with their cohort and ProPublica journalists. Each of the participants will also be assigned a ProPublica senior editor as a mentor for advice on story and management challenges or on how to most effectively pursue their own professional aspirations.
What skills should I expect to learn?
How to evaluate story ideas and determine the right scope, length and time for getting the work done.
How to manage a reporter through a complicated accountability story and communicate feedback in ways that build trust and confidence.
How to edit investigative drafts, spot holes in reporting logic, organize a narrative and guide the reporter through the fact-checking process.
How to work collaboratively with research, data and multimedia teams to elevate an investigative project.
When is the boot camp?
The five-day, all-expenses-paid boot camp will be held June 2-6, 2024, in New York, with remote sessions via Zoom throughout the year.
Is there a virtual option for the boot camp?
We are planning for the 2024 boot camp to be held in person and will not have a virtual option.
Will I be responsible for my expenses in New York?
ProPublica will cover participants’ expenses for meals, travel and lodging during the boot camp.
How many participants will be selected each year?
Up to 10 journalists.
What if I can’t make it this year?
ProPublica plans to offer this training in 2025 as well.
Who is eligible?
The program is open to all, but we especially encourage people from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. As part of the application, participants will be asked how their inclusion in the program will help to diversify the editing ranks of investigative journalism.
The ideal participants will have:
A minimum of five years of journalism experience, either as an editor or as a reporter primarily doing work with an investigative or accountability focus.
A strong grasp of the basics of editing, storytelling, structure and framing.
Experience managing a team of journalists or a complicated multipronged reporting project.
An accountability mindset: You don’t have to have been on the investigative team, but we are looking for people with an eye for watchdog reporting and editing.
Am I eligible if I live outside of the United States?
Our program is open to all, but our goal is to improve the diversity of investigative editors in the United States and we’ll focus participation accordingly.
How can I learn more about the program?
We’ll be hosting an informational webinar on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. You can register and submit questions in advance here.
What if I have other questions?
Send an email to Assistant Managing Editor Talia Buford at talent@propublica.org.
boards.greenhouse.io/propublica02/jobs/4325953006
_____
SHENANDOAH FELLOWSHIP FOR EMERGING EDITORS
Shenandoah
APPLICATIONS OPEN: March 15, 2024
INFO: In order for substantive change to happen in the predominantly homogeneous publishing industry, innovation must happen at all levels, from the big five book corporations in New York City to literary magazines like Shenandoah. We recognize that if we want writers from diverse backgrounds, varied perspectives, and underrepresented groups to feel at home in Shenandoah, and for the literature we publish to be full of varied and passionate perspectives that enliven, empower, and engage all of us, we need to have representation at our core.
Through this editorial fellowship, we’re committed to expanding the roster of people we work with and to discovering new voices to amplify and empower. Selected fellows will receive a $1000 honorarium and will curate a selection of published work in a genre of their choosing for a single issue of Shenandoah, working with the Shenandoah staff to guide the work to publication. This opportunity will give fellows the chance to learn about all aspects of a small literary publisher and create connections with peers and potential future employers in the industry and in academia.
REQUIREMENTS + ELIGIBILITY: A single fellow will be selected for each issue of Shenandoah going forward, alternating genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics) as we see fit. Working with the editorial staff, fellows will curate a suite of work for their issue. Each fellow will receive a $1000 honorarium for their work. We welcome writers and editors of all experience levels. No previous editorial experience is necessary, but we are looking for applicants who are passionate and informed about the literary community. We are committed to the development of an inclusive environment and strive to advance diverse perspectives and approaches.
We welcome applications from all writers, including underrepresented minority candidates and members of other communities that are traditionally underrepresented in academia and publishing. Washington and Lee University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other protected class status under the law in its educational programs and activities, admissions, and with regard to employment.
THE APPLICATION:
Applications will be open twice a year. Keep an eye on this page or on our social media accounts Submittable. The application will ask you to upload a single document that responds to these three prompts separately:
In 500 words or fewer, describe why this fellowship would be valuable to you, addressing what you think is the role and value of a literary magazine in the publishing ecosystem.
In 500 words or fewer, tell us about a favorite piece of writing you recently read in a literary magazine in your desired genre. Describe how you found it, who wrote it, its aesthetic attributes, and what you loved about it.
In 500 words or fewer, describe the unique perspective or experience you would bring to Shenandoah. Make sure to include your writing and editing experience and the genre you would be most excited to work in (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics).
shenandoahliterary.org/submissions/
_____
Summer 2024 Virtual Workshops
VONA
DEADLINE: March 15, 2024 at 11:59pm EST
FEES:
Application Fee: $30.00
Workshop Tuition: $1,000.00
Residency Tuition: $1,200.00
INFO: The 2024 VONA Summer will be a week of virtual workshops, panels, readings, and community building for writers of color. Workshops will take place via Zoom.
Each summer we gather esteemed faculty to work with emerging writers of color to explore elements of craft, issues of culture, works of social justice and practices of literary production.
The premier multi-genre workshop for BIPOC Writers, VONA is a Home where writers of color come to hone their craft and be in community. VONA honors its writers' unique histories, traditions and aesthetics and provides a protected mentoring space for learning and fellowship. VONA fosters the development of personal and political writing and engages in the work of social justice as we build our global community of writers.
Upon acceptance, you will be asked to submit a non-refundable $200.00 deposit to confirm your spot. Payment plans and competitive scholarships will also be available. Any questions please email programming@vonavoices.org.
WORKSHOP DATES: June 23 - 29, 2024
_____
2024 KIMBILIO FELLOW
Kimbilio
DEADLINE: March 15, 2024
INFO: If you are a serious-minded, committed writer with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of fictional craft, you should consider applying to become a Kimbilio Fellow.
The retreat will take place on the SMU Campus in Taos, New Mexico from July 21-27, 2024. You are required to attend the entire retreat, arriving for a 5:30pm dinner meeting on the 21st and departing on the morning of the 27th, no later than noon. Tuition is covered by Kimbilio, and we provide transportation to and from the airports in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to New Mexico as well as a small fee that partially covers the costs for room and board with the amount varying by size of the chosen accommodation. Housing fees range between 250 and 600 dollars. A small number of scholarships may be available to accepted Fellows. There is no application fee.
APPLICATION:
An essay of no more than 150 words describing what attending the Kimbilio Summer Retreat means for you or what you hope to gain from the experience.
A 20-page, double-spaced, 12-point font manuscript of fiction (short story or novel excerpt). If submitting a novel excerpt, you may include a short summary of no more than 200 words. Juries will not read beyond the page limit. The summary page does not count as part of the 20-page excerpt.
_____
CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS
Screen Door Press
DEADLINE: March 15, 2024
INFO: Dedicated to discovering unique, exceptional, and varied voices within Black literary traditions, the Screen Door Press Imprint will celebrate the very best in fiction across a broad range of categories. Its goal is to publish thought-provoking books that use relatable characters, strong narratives, and beautiful language to champion diverse views from throughout the Black diaspora. The Screen Door Press Imprint is sponsored by the Thomas D. Clark Foundation.
Submission and publication timeline
February 1, 2024 – Imprint submissions open
March 15, 2024 – Imprint submissions close
August 2024 – Finalists selected and announced
2025 – Publication of first imprint titles
Submission materials must include:
Full manuscript
Cover letter
Author bio OR resume/CV
Contact information
EDITED BY CRYSTAL WILKINSON
Crystal Wilkinson, a recent fellowship recipient of the Academy of American Poets, is the award-winning author of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, a culinary memoir; Perfect Black, a collection of poems; and three works of fiction—The Birds of Opulence, Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries. She is the recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry, an O. Henry Prize, a USA Artists Fellowship, and an Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. She has received recognition from the Yaddo Foundation, Hedgebrook, The Vermont Studio Center for the Arts, The Hermitage Foundation and others. Her short stories, poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including most recently in The Atlantic, The Kenyon Review, STORY, Agni Literary Journal, Emergence, Oxford American and Southern Cultures. She was Poet Laureate of Kentucky from 2021 to 2023. Wilkinson currently teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky where she is a Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor.
kentuckypress.com/screen-door-press/
_____
Phillis Wheatley Special Feature
Callaloo
DEADLINE: March 15, 2024
INFO: We invite those who participated in the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival’s 50th Anniversary to submit work (scholarly articles, essays, poetry, fiction, visual art) for consideration for a special issue of Callaloo. This issue will function to archive, document, and continue the legacy of the PWPF, and the importance of intergenerational conversations, knowledge sharing, reflection, and Black women’s creative and intellectual work.
An overview of the 1973 festival and “schedule of events” can be viewed here. The 50th anniversary program and session information is available here. Additionally, we are interested in pieces on topics including but not limited to:
The poetics of African American orality
Margaret Walker as “the most famous poet no one ever knew”
Mentorship and kinship among African American women writers
Margaret Walker and the implementation of Black Studies Centers
HBCUs at the center of African American writing
African American or HBCU archival preservation
The role of art or artistic expression of African American women
Migration: exile, immigration, & homeplace
Phillis Wheatley & Black women’s poetry
Art and economics for Black women
Impact and Legacy of the inaugural Phillis Wheatley Conference in 1973
The significance of Black women’s literary salons, workshops, & writing retreats
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
Submissions must be sent via Callaloo’s Submittable page.
Please indicate your submission is for consideration in the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival special issue. If you were a festival participant or panelist, please note that in your cover letter.
callaloo.submittable.com/submit/289145/phillis-wheatley-special-feature
_____
2024 Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship
Japanese American National Museum
DEADLINE: March 17, 2024
INFO: The Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center) invites applications to the second annual Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship (Yamamoto Fellowship). Beginning this year, the Yamamoto Fellowship will focus on a different artistic discipline each year. The 2024 Yamamoto Fellowship grants two $5,000 unrestricted awards to two emerging writers of color who write critically about theater, dance, and/or performance art.
Irene Yamamoto (1937–2020) was a lifelong lover of the arts. Born in Los Angeles, she was incarcerated with her family in the Gila River concentration camp in Arizona during World War II. Upon returning to Los Angeles, she attended UCLA and had a long career as a production artist for several design and advertising agencies. In her free time, she loved to draw, learn new languages, visit museums, and travel.
The Yamamoto Fellowship is made possible through a gift from Sharon Mizota to honor her late aunt. This project is also supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color cofounded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
PURPOSE: The Yamamoto Fellowship encourages emerging arts writers of color to write about works from their own cultural and political perspectives, enriching and broadening cultural criticism as a practice and profession. Theater, dance, and performance art were selected for 2024 because these art forms are still struggling in the wake of setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic.
AWARD: The Irene Yamamoto Arts Writers Fellowship will be awarded to two (2) emerging writers of color, each of whom receive a $5,000 award to be spent over a six-month period. The awards are unrestricted. Funds may be used for any purpose that helps the fellows advance their careers, including paying themselves to write.
In addition to the cash award, the fellows have the opportunity to write about an exhibition for the Preserving Democracy blog and deliver a talk about their work at the Democracy Center.
A brief, written report in the form of a letter accounting for the use of funds is required at the end of the fellowship period. No receipts or other documentation are required.
ELIGIBILITY:
Eligible applicants must:
Reside in or be a citizen of the US
Be at least 18 years of age
Identify as a member of a community with ancestry in one of the original peoples of Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania, or Pacific Islands
Have less than 2 years of publication experience, which may include a blog or self-publishing
Have demonstrated a commitment to writing about theater, dance, or performance art
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Applicants are required to submit through our online portal. Applications should be prepared to submit the following:
Name, contact information, website, pronouns, race/ethnicity
Cover letter: Applicants must submit a cover letter (Word or PDF) introducing themselves, their work, why they are applying for the fellowship, and how they would spend the money (1000 words or less)
Resume or CV (Word/PDF) that includes all relevant published works
Short biography summarizing your background and writing interests (500 words or less)
Anything else you would like the panel to know
Writing samples
WRITING SAMPLES:
In order to ensure full consideration of your application, please make sure your writing samples fall into one of these categories:
Theater: a work of criticism or review of a dramatic presentation of a play, musical, or opera that takes place in front of a live audience.
Dance: a work of criticism or review of a performance of rhythmic or choreographed movement, usually set to music, that takes place in front of a live audience.
Performance art: a work of criticism or review of a live, time-based presentation that takes place in front of an audience. Performance art is typically hybrid and experimental in nature and may encompass many different activities and media. For the purposes of this award, it does not include live performances of popular or classical music, stand-up or improvisational comedy, nor pre-recorded film or video screenings that do not incorporate some other performative element.
Please upload between one (1) and three (3) writing samples in a Word or PDF format. The written sample(s) should include information about where and when the piece was published or appeared. All writing samples together should not exceed 3,000 words.
Please do not submit links to websites where the sample was published as they do not substitute for the actual written piece. Please do not submit works whose final, published form is an interview.
ORGANIZATIONS:
Established in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a center for civil rights, ensuring that the hard-fought lessons of the World War II incarceration are not forgotten. A Smithsonian Affiliate and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories. JANM is a center for the arts as well as history. It provides a voice for Japanese Americans and a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture.
The Democracy Center is a place where visitors can examine the Asian American experience, past and present, and talk about race, identity, social justice, and the shaping of democracy. It convenes and educates people of all ages about democracy to transform attitudes, celebrate culture, and promote civic engagement; educates and informs the public and public officials about important issues; creates strength within and among communities to advocate for positive change; and explores the values that shape American democracy. The Democracy Center looks for solutions that engage communities in self-advocacy, explore the evolving idea of what it means to be an American, and result in actions that bring everyone together.
janm.org/democracy/arts-writer-fellowship/criteria
_____
Berkley Open Submission Program
Berkley / Penguin Random House
ENTRIES OPEN: March 18, 2024 at 9:00 am EST (they will accept the first 1,000 submissions)
INFO: Berkley launched its Open Submission Program in 2021 with the goal of creating a direct submission channel to editors in hopes of reaching more potential authors and sharing their works with the world. At Berkley, we strive to publish commercial fiction that reflects the world we live in and to bring readers stories that encompass a full range of backgrounds, experiences and unique perspectives. We are inviting submissions from all writers, including those sharing underrepresented stories in regards to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. We hope to discover new talent and introduce their fiction to readers everywhere.
We are thrilled to announce that our editors found four fantastic projects through our first open submission window, and Berkley will publish those four novels in Fall 2024/Winter 2025.
We are looking for full-length adult novels in the following genres: romance, women’s fiction, mystery, suspense and thrillers, horror, science fiction, and fantasy.
PROGRAM RULES:
Submissions will only be accepted during the announced submission window. Submissions sent outside of this time frame will not be considered.
We will only accept 1,000 submissions for consideration during this window. Once we receive the first 1,000 submissions, we will close the window. This is to ensure we can respond to writers in a timely manner.
Authors must be unagented. If an offer for publication is made, authors may seek an agent to represent them before negotiations.
Projects may only be submitted once.
Authors may only make submissions for works they have completed.
Authors may not make submissions that have used AI in their creation, whether in the outlining or writing of the manuscript.
Submissions must include a 1-page synopsis, the first 10 pages of the manuscript, an author bio, and a query letter with links to social media platforms, if applicable, and any other information you wish the editors to consider. A query letter is an introductory one-page letter that tells an editor something about the story, something about the writer, and why Berkley should publish the book.
We will do our best to respond to all submissions as soon as we can. Due to volume, we cannot respond to follow up queries.
The Berkley Open Submission Program is governed by the Penguin Random House privacy policy (available at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/privacy/). By submitting, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to this privacy policy. As set forth in the privacy policy, Penguin Random House is not responsible for the privacy, information, or other practices of any third parties used in connection with your submission.
Berkley reserves the right to update, modify, or replace any part of the Open Submission Program or its rules at any time, or to cancel the program at its sole discretion, by posting updates to our website. By making a submission, you expressly acknowledge that neither Berkley nor Penguin Random House is entering into any agreement with you to publish or compensate you for your work or to maintain the confidentiality of the materials submitted.
https://sites.prh.com/berkley-open-submissions-2024
_____
Black Creatives Revisions Workshop
We Need Diverse Books
DEADLINE: March 22, 2024
INFO: Applications are now open for the Revisions Workshop! We Need Diverse Books will help ten writers revise their finished manuscripts over a six-month period with guidance from a dedicated mentor and through faculty-led seminars.
Upon completion of the workshop, the writers will be granted the opportunity to have their novels submitted to a team of editors at Penguin Random House. To apply, you must have a fully completed MG, YA, or adult fiction manuscript.
This Mentorship is open to:
Unpublished and un-agented writers based in the U.S. who identify as part of the African diaspora and have a fully completed manuscript that 1) features Black protagonists and that 2) focuses on diverse central subject matter.
The submitted manuscript should be:
Fully written and complete; partially finished drafts are not eligible for submission.
Unpublished in any form, including individual chapters or short story adaptations.
Between 30,000 (for MG) and 100,000 words. These word counts are strict, any manuscripts over the word count will not be considered.
Original work of the participant, not co-written or co-created.
2024 REVISIONS WORKSHOP MENTORS:
ADULT
N.E. Davenport
Zelda Lockhart
Nina Foxx
Shauna Robinson
TEEN/YA
Julian Winters
Deborah Falaye
Kim C. Johnson
Pamela N. Harris
MIDDLE GRADE
Kelly J. Baptist
Barbara Binns
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5hbvgKSFCGJT0uioTZhntLV-_Q-3nxX7rFgag1z5FnsQ0kw/viewform
_____
The Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers
GrubStreet / Milo Todd
DEADLINE: March 26, 2024
INFO: The Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers is back for its third year!
For queer and trans writers, a lack of queer-focused guidance, support, and community in writing workshops can stifle or even stall progress for novels. Taking place remotely over nine months, the Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers is a program uniquely designed to fill this void and help queer writers complete or make significant progress towards completing a draft of their novel in a supportive community. LGBTQ+ writers will leave this immersive with a finished and/or more polished draft, a trajectory for getting published (including support for applying to higher-level GrubStreet programs, such as the Novel Incubator), and a supportive queer writing community that they can hold onto long after the program is over.
Capped at ten students, the program is divided into three phases prioritizing craft lectures, workshopping, and community building. In addition to classic lectures on craft topics such as point of view, tension, and characterization, this program will also include craft lectures related to socio-cultural struggles, such as relatability, believability, inviting in outsiders, and navigating the publishing industry as a marginalized author.
Workshops will be conducted in the non-silencing format that allows for participation from writers. The intensive will also include guest speakers with a focus on intersectionality to ensure that queer writers from all walks of life feel represented and heard. For the first third of the program, we'll read and analyze together "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi.
Scholarships are available, class is remote, and queer, trans, and/or nonbinary identities of all experiences are encouraged to apply. We'll have a virtual open house on February 22nd.
TIMELINE:
The submission window closes on March 26th.
Writers will be notified in May and class runs June 4th, 2024 to February 18th, 2025.
Class is on Tuesdays from 6:00pm-9:00pm Eastern Time.
TUITION: The cost of the program is $2,495, payable in full before the start of class. Admitted students will be given a specific payment deadline. Fellowships of 25% - 75% tuition are available and based on a combination of merit and financial need. Applicants can apply for a GrubStreet Fellowship at the end of their application to the program.
thequeerwriter.milotodd.com/submissions-open-for-novel-immersive-for-lgbtq-writers/
_____
Winter 2024 Story Contest
Narrative
DEADLINE: March 28, 2024, at midnight, Pacific Standard Time.
SUBMISSION FEE: $27 (for each entry). With your entry, you’ll receive three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage.
INFO: Our Winter contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.
Narrative winners and finalists have gone on to win Whiting Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, the Pushcart Prize, and the Atlantic prize, and have appeared in collections such as Best American Short Stories, Best American Nonrequired Reading, and many others. View the recent awards won by Narrative authors.
As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to, and with effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.
AWARDS:
First Prize is $2,500
Second Prize is $1,000
Third Prize is $500
Up to ten finalists will receive $100 each
All entries will be considered for publication
JUDGING: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists will be announced to the public by April 30, 2024. All writers who enter will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions, which will be final. The judges reserve the option to declare ties and to designate and award only as many winners and/or finalists as are appropriate to the quality of contest entries and of work represented in the magazine.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Please read our Submission Guidelines for manuscript formatting and other information.
PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept work that includes machine-generated text.
_____
2024 Writing Fellowships
A Public Space
DEADLINE: March 31, 2024
INFO: We are pleased to announce that applications for the 2024 Writing Fellowships at A Public Space will open on March 1, 2024. The aim of these fellowships is to seek out and support writers who embrace risk in their work and their own singular vision.
Established in 2014, the Writing Fellowships at A Public Space have supported thirty writers at the start of their careers, including several who have gone on to publish debut books, among them Mahreen Sohail, Arinze Ifeakandu, Jai Chakrabarti, Kate Doyle, Bruna Dantas Lobato, Gothataone Moeng, Deborah Jackson Taffa, and LaToya Watkins.
Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply to the 2024 Writing Fellowships. Submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are welcome. Three fellowships will be awarded.
During the four-month fellowship, fellows will receive:
editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine;
a $1,000 honorarium;
a one-year subscription to A Public Space;
a guest pass to attend Master Classes;
the opportunity to participate in a public reading and conversation with A Public Space editors and contributors.
ELIGIBILITY: Only writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work with a U.S. publisher are eligible. Writers who have self-published, published an academic text, published a book with a publisher outside the U.S., or translated another writer’s work are eligible to apply. Writers who have published a chapbook or published (or contracted to publish) a book-length work in any of the fellowship genres (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry) in the U.S. are ineligible to apply. International applicants are encouraged to apply, but we are only able to consider submissions in English. Only one submission per person is allowed. Please do not submit a piece you have previously submitted to A Public Space, either through the Fellowship category, the General Submissions category, or an Open Call. A Public Space reserves the right to invite submissions.
Timeline: Applications for the 2024 Writing Fellowships will be accepted via Submittable from March 1, 2024–March 31, 2024. Submissions for the Fellowships close at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on March 31, 2024. Successful applicants will be informed no later than May 27, 2024. The fellowship period will be June 1, 2024 through November 30, 2024.
PROCEDURE: Only electronic submissions will be considered. Applications must be submitted through the Writing Fellowship category in Submittable. (The category will not be available until March 1, 2024.) There is no application fee. Please submit the following:
A résumé
A cover letter containing a one-paragraph biographical statement; one paragraph that is a favorite of yours from a book you've read, be it recently or long ago; and a brief statement telling us why this particular passage is meaningful to you.
One previously unpublished piece (for prose, a limit of 6,000 words; for poetry, up to 15 pages). If selected, the submitted manuscript is the piece that will be published in the magazine.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please note that if any part of the submitted work is accepted elsewhere, you will be required to withdraw your entire application; replacement submissions will not be accepted once the deadline has passed.
Only PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx) are accepted. The cover letter and manuscript should be submitted as separate files. Incomplete applications will not be considered and will be returned unread.
apublicspace.org/news/detail/the-2024-a-public-space-writing-fellowships
_____
Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize
Cassava Republic Press
DEADLINE: March 31, 2024 at 23:59 GMT
INFO: As part of its mission as a global Black publishing house connecting Africa and the African diaspora, Cassava Republic Press’s is proud to announce the launch of our inaugural $20,000 Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize dedicated to exceptional works by Black women (cis, trans and genderqueer).
The prize represents a first in the world of Black women’s letters, not only by virtue of its global scope, but also its non-fiction focus, and its generous prize value. Our mission is to publish emerging and established Black women writers and thinkers from across the world, focusing on critical ideas across time and space.
At the heart of this prize lies a deep commitment to amplifying the long tradition of Black women writers as knowledge-makers and critical thinkers. We take seriously Black South African feminist scholar and writer Desiree Lewis’ observation that ‘publishers have tended to focus on black women’s fictional and autobiographical writing, or on poetry. This tends to be symptomatic of a publishing and reading/marketing stereotype about black women in the public sphere being “interesting” mainly as entertainers, storytellers, or so-called “creatives,” rather than as knowledge-makers and critical thinkers.’
PRIZE:
The winner of the Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize will receive a $20,000 advance and a publishing contract with Cassava Republic Press.
Two runner-up writers will each receive a $5000 advance and publication by Cassava Republic Press bringing the total prize value up to $30,000.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR: We are looking to publish and champion Black women writers who bridge the gap between “creativity” and “theory” with work that is both rigorous and beautiful, creative and thoughtful.
We are not an academic publisher, but welcome submissions from academics writing for a mainstream audience. Our goal is to amplify and unearth the critical ideas that might otherwise remain unpublished or confined to academic circles or smaller audiences. Importantly, in seeking creative critical writing and knowledge-making for a broad audience, we welcome writing that will challenge and excite our readers.
We do not accept straightforward memoirs, but manuscripts that incorporate theory with personal essays/experiences within a broader context are welcome.
HOW TO APPLY:
We are asking for 5 sample chapters and a pitch letter, which should include a synopsis and a full outline of all chapters.
Longlisted authors will then be given a week to submit full manuscripts.
ELIGIBILITY: The manuscript prize is open to Black women writers aged 18 and over living anywhere in the world.
cassavarepublic.biz/black-womens-non-fiction-manuscript-prize/
_____
The 2024 Silvers Grants for Work in Progress
The Robert B. Silvers Foundation
DEADLINE: March 31, 2024
INFO: Anglophone writers of any nationality may apply for up to $10,000 to support long-form essays in the fields of literary criticism, arts writing, political analysis, and/or social reportage. Grants may not be used to fund translation.
Applicants must have an editorial agreement with a publication or publishing house for the work under consideration.
Applications must be submitted as a single PDF to grants@silversfoundation.org, and should include:
a curriculum vitae
a one-page description of the project
full responses to the financial questionnaire (download a copy of the form here)
a 500–2,000 word sample of the writer’s work.
Your responses to the financial questionnaire should include all anticipated costs and should state other sources of funding, including book advances. Priority is given to projects that have not been supported by a significant advance.
The writing sample can be from the writer’s work in progress or from a previously published essay, article, or book.
In addition, please let us know where you heard about the Grants.
For inquiries, please contact grants@silversfoundation.org.
_____
Black Fox Prize: Fairy Tale Remix
Black Fox Literary Magazine
DEADLINE: March 31, 2024 by 11:59pm EST
ENTRY FEE: $12
INFO: Black Fox is accepting submissions for its Winter 2024 writing prize. The theme for this round is “Fairy Tale Remix.” We are open to loose interpretations of the theme in any genre, as always.
What if the big bad wolf was a person who had a past? Or what if Snow White wasn’t so perfect on paper?
We’re looking for original work that reimagines fairy tales from around the world! We challenge writers to reshape classic fairy tales and invent their own spellbinding versions. Give us a twist to a familiar plot, introduce modern elements, or explore unconventional characters. This theme is a chance to remix fairy tales in your own distinctive way. Enchant the hearts of our readers!
Please submit your strongest fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and we will choose one winner that we feel interprets the theme best. The prize is $300 and publication in the Summer 2024 issue. All submissions are considered for publication in the Summer 2024 issue.
blackfoxlit.submittable.com/submit
_____
Bayard Rustin Residency
Penington Friends House
DEADLINE: April 1, 2024
INFO: We are currently accepting applications for the 2024-2025 Bayard Rustin Residency.
Building on the social activist history of Penington’s founders, original board, and later residents, the Bayard Rustin Residency at Penington Friends House (PFH) is envisioned as an ongoing ladder to empowerment for Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) working to end Systemic Racism and to create a culture of anti-Racism and intersectional equality in the United States of America. It is also intended to extend and strengthen the wider Quaker witness to equality.
Beginning in September of 2024, this residency will provide up to one year of room and board to a person who demonstrates a strong project that addresses ending Systemic Racism and who has a necessity to be in New York City for up to one year. They will reside at the Penington Friends House located in New York City’s Lower East Side of Manhattan. The Bayard Rustin Resident will demonstrate a need to live in Manhattan. Areas of focus of their work can include activism in the arts, policy change, human rights, community organizing, and other areas of activism focusing on ending racism and strengthening equality. Residents will meet regularly with the Residency Manager and will be expected to share their progress with the New York City community in the form of presentations or workshops.
The resident does not have to be Quaker but their work should be shaped by and in harmony with our tenants of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. The resident will be expected to be a full-time resident of PFH and be participating member of this intentional community. This includes eating chef prepared dinners with the other residents and participating in shared light house chores. (1 1/2 hour commitment per week on average.) The Penington Friends House’s approach to living collaboratively may be new to you. We encourage to look at our website and instagram account (@Penington_friends_house) to gain a better understanding of what we are. Feel free to call us as well with questions. We are LGBTQ embracing community. We believe Black Lives Matter. We are always working to be a safe space and an anti-racist community.
Resident selection is made through a BIPOC committee of Quakers and non-Quakers and is based on the strength of the applicants work and proposed project. Final approval of the Bayard Rustin resident is made by the Penington Friends House Residents and staff, in the same interview process that all other residents are approved to live at the Penington. Applicants should note that the Bayard Rustin Resident bedroom is on the 4th floor of an historic Brownstone. An elevator is not available. Bathrooms are shared with other floor residents. This residency covers the cost of rent, boarding (food) provided 5 nights a week, internet, cable, and heat/AC. A stipend and studio space is NOT currently provided.
Here are a few types of artists and activists activities that we would be interested in considering. Please contact us before applying if you are not sure your project would fit our call.
An artist working on a body of art that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.
A writer working on a new book, play, screenplay, or collection that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.
A performer creating a new dance piece that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.
A community based artist designing or carrying out a community based project that addresses racism and/or intersectional issues.
An activist organizing communities to address racism and/or intersectional issues.
A social entrepreneur that is starting a non-profit focused on addressing racism and/or intersectional issues.
An inventor or designer working on solving a problem associated with systemic racism and/or intersectional issues.
A graduate student that has a strong and well defined anti-racism project that needs support and time to launch.
Background
The residency is named after Bayard Rustin who was a Quaker and an attender at 15th Street Monthly Meeting in New York City. This meeting (Quaker house of worship) is next to the Penington Friends House. Rustin worked commitedly for the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He was an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on nonviolence. Rustin was also a chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and a founding member of the Freedom Riders. He was an early advocate for gay rights. Rustin’s later work included a heavy focus on refugee affairs. Rustin served as Vice Chairman of the International Rescue Committee, helped to found the National Emergency Coalition for Haitian Refugees, and was Chairman of the Executive Committee of Freedom House. He died in 1987. In 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ( Source rustinfund.org)
penington.org/rustin-residency/
_____
2024–25 American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship
The American Library in Paris
DEADLINE: April 1, 2024
INFO: The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship was created in 2013 to nurture and sustain a heritage as old as the Library itself: deepening French-American understanding. The Visiting Fellowship offers writers and researchers an opportunity to pursue a creative project in Paris for a month or longer while participating actively in the life of the American Library.
There are two one-month Fellowship periods a year in fall and spring, with dates to be specified later.
A $5,000 stipend will be paid before start of a Fellowship period. The award, to be spent at the discretion of the Fellow, is designed to cover travel to Paris, accommodation, and expenses associated with the month in Paris. In addition to the stipend, the Library will connect the fellow to resources and people in Paris that could be helpful to his or her project.
The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship is made possible through the generous support of The de Groot Foundation.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
We welcome the applications of all researchers, journalists, writers (both fiction and non-fiction), poets, screenwriters, playwrights, directors, and documentary filmmakers.
Applicants should be researching or working on a project that contributes to cross-cultural discourse. Particular attention will be paid to an applicant’s ability to offer the Library’s community a variety of opportunities for exploring a topic. All topics and subject matters are eligible.
Applicants need not be American. International applicants are encouraged. The proposed project must be in English. Members of the Library governance are not eligible recipients of a Visiting Fellowship.
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF VISITING FELLOWS?
Visiting Fellows must be in Paris during the period of the fellowship, and are expected to be present in the American Library for a minimum of three half-days a week. During their residency, fellows will present an hour-long evening program at the Library, participate in a Library reception, meet with staff informally to explore a topic of mutual interest, and extend the Library’s reach by participating in events arranged by the Library with other organizations in Paris.
At the conclusion of the Visiting Fellowship period, fellows will provide the Library and the funding foundation with a written report of the Fellowship experience. Fellows are expected to appropriately acknowledge the Library and the Visiting Fellowship in publications and print media related to the Fellowship project. Fellows will participate in the Library’s social media communication, fundraising campaigns, and other public events.
HOW TO APPLY?
This year’s application form asked applicants to provide a single file containing:
A cover letter (one page) and CV (two pages max.).
The narrative description of your project (one page max.). In this description, please indicate the timeline and current stage of the project, what you hope to accomplish during your residency period, and why a fellowship at the American Library will contribute to its success.
Three proposals (max. 50 words each) for cultural programs at the Library during your residency period. These can include evening conversations, workshops, performances, panels, or other event formats.
The names and contacts of two professional references.
A one-time application fee of 30 €.
americanlibraryinparis.org/visiting-fellowship
_____
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Lampblack
DEADLINE: April 1, 2024
INFO: Lampblack is accepting submissions of previously unpublished poetry, prose and criticism for its Community issue.
Please submit no more than 5 pages of poetry or 15 pages of prose via email to magazine@lampblacklit.com. Please include your name, the title of your submission, and the genre you are submitting to in the subject line of your submission.
We will pay $350 for accepted submissions in any genre. If your work is accepted, please be aware that Lampblack will likely ask you to take part in promotional readings and events.
We encourage you to read our Lab[our] issue to gain a sense of our aesthetic, which is available on our website and in local independent bookstores. If you cannot afford to purchase one of our Founders’ issues and would like to read it before submitting, please reach out to us at magazine@lampblacklit.com informing us of your situation and we will ensure you are provided with a digital copy of the magazine free of charge.
_____
Crossover Award
Hurston/Wright Foundation
DEADLINE: April 2, 2024
INFO: The Hurston/Wright Crossover Award, sponsored by ESPN’s Andscape, honors probing, provocative, and original new voices in literary nonfiction. Named after the most common dribbling move in basketball, the Crossover Award, aims to highlight an unconventional winner who writes across genres and can effectively crossoverbetween writing styles and techniques. The name also speaks to the potential of the award winner to transition from obscurity to the spotlight. This award will celebrate one writer who contributes a unique perspective to the literary nonfiction landscape.
The award submission period closes April 2, 2024. The winner of the award, which includes a cash prize, will be announced during the 23rd Annual Legacy Awards Ceremony in October 2024.
ELIGIBILITY:
Unpublished, Black writers who are 18 years and older are eligible.
Writers who have published books, including poetry books or fiction narratives, through any publishing platform, are not eligible.
Writers who currently work for the Hurston/Wright Foundation or are related to current employees or board members of the Hurston/Wright Foundation are ineligible.
All work submitted must be original and unpublished at the time of submission. Hurston/Wright does not accept simultaneous submissions.
Submissions must be works of literary nonfiction.
Essays should explore and illuminate the various intersections of culture and society through innovative storytelling, original reporting and/or provocative commentary.
Submissions may be stand-alone essays or excerpts from a book in progress.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES:
No more than 20 pages double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font, and within 1-inch margins.
Put title of the work on each page of the submission.
Do not put the author’s name on the pages of the work. All submissions will be screened and judged anonymously.
Author name and contact information should not appear on the submission. All submissions will be judged anonymously by a distinguished published author of literary nonfiction.
Winning works may be published in whole or in part by Hurston/Wright online or in print. Your submission gives the Hurston/Wright Foundation and our sponsor, ESPN, permission to publish an excerpt or the entire work. The author retains all rights.
Hurston/Wright maintains the right to decline any submission not deemed eligible.
AWARD:
$2000 to one recipient
Tuition-free attendance of a 2024 Hurston/Wright summer writer’s workshop
Complimentary ticket to the annual Legacy Awards Ceremony in October 2024
hurstonwrightfoundation.submittable.com/submit
_____
2024 Gulf Coast Prizes
Gulf Coast Journal
DEADLINE: April 10, 2024
ENTRY FEE: $26
INFO: The 2024 Gulf Coast Prizes in Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction are now officially open.
Our final judges this year will be Zaina Arafat (Fiction), Monica Youn (Poetry), and Edgar Gomez (Nonfiction).
AWARD: The contest awards $1,500 and publication in Gulf Coast to the winner in each genre. Two honorable mentions in each genre are awarded $250. All entries are considered for publication and the entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast.
Entries for the Gulf Coast Prizes in Fiction and Nonfiction should be a single prose work not exceeding 7,000 words. Entrants for the Gulf Coast Prize in Poetry may submit up to five poems not exceeding 10 total pages in length. We only accept submissions via Submittable.
Entrants may submit more than once or in more than one genre, but each new entry must be accompanied by a separate $26 entry fee.
CONTEST GUIDELINES:
Submit your work as a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.
Only previously unpublished work will be considered.
The contest will be judged blindly, so please do not include your cover letter, your name, or any contact information in the uploaded document. This information should only be pasted in the “Comments” field in Submittable.
Submittable accepts all major credit cards for the $26 entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast.
gulfcoastmag.org/contests/gulf-coast-prize