SHENANDOAH FELLOWSHIP FOR EMERGING EDITOR
Shenandoah
DEADLINE: Applications accepted on a rolling basis
INFO: The Shenandoah Fellowship for Emerging Editors will be open on will be open on October 1, 2025 for applications from fellows in all genres (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, comics). We will consider and accepts fellows on a rolling basis.
ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP: 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 specific genre, 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: 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:
Please 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).
shenandoah.submittable.com/submit
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The Xochitl Gonzalez Scholarship
Northern California Writers’ Retreat
DEADLINE: October 3, 2025
INFO: Northern California Writers’ Retreat brings writers together to create a community of individuals who love to write, read, and support each other. Join us in Northern California among oak trees and poppies to workshop with fellow writers led by our Editor or one of our Guest Literary Agents. Take part in daily conversations about publishing from the perspective of professionals who will give insights into the industry. Enjoy free time and space to write. Participate in a daily yoga practice and/or write to live piano music.
SCHOLARSHIP: Thanks to the generosity of our 2025 Author-in-Residence, Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Anita de Monte Laughs Last, and the award-winning Olga Dies Dreaming, we are proud to offer The Xochitl Gonzalez Scholarship for Diasporican Voices to one Diasporican fiction writer of any gender to one session of our 2026 retreats.
All retreat fees will be covered ($2,897) plus $500 in travel expenses, for a total of $3,397 in aid.
ELIGIBILITY: This scholarship is for one Diasporican writer of any gender. Diasporican refers to people of Puerto Rican descent who live outside of Puerto Rico and identify with the Puerto Rican diaspora. You must be over twenty-one by the retreat’s beginning to apply.
GOAL OF THE SCHOLARSHIP: To support and foster the creative life of one Diasporican writer who would be unable to attend the retreat without aid. We believe writers who want to learn more about the publishing industry, connect with other writers, and improve their craft, should have the ability to do so, despite their financial situation. This scholarship will make attendance possible to one writer, and offers a $500 stipend to offset travel expenses.
norcalwritersretreat.com/scholarship/
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WINTER ONLINE WORKSHOP
Tin House
DEADLINE: October 6, 2025
INFO: Tin House's Winter Online Workshop consists of curated workshops, industry panels, craft lectures, agent meetings, affinity groups, social hours, and, of course, online karaoke.
Additionally, every enrolled participant will have the opportunity to meet with one guest agent for ten minutes either Julia Kardon (HG Literary), Kent Wolf (Neon Literary), Mina Hamedi (Janklow & Nesbit), Reiko Davis (DeFiore & Company), Shabnam Banerjee-McFarland (Odom Media Management) or Sonali Chanchani (Folio Literary).
APPLICATION:
We ask for one unpublished writing sample. For short fiction/novel/nonfiction, 4,000 words or less. For poetry, four poems, totaling no more than eight pages.
If you have previously been accepted/attended, please do not apply with the same sample. A different excerpt from the same project is acceptable. Once admitted, you will have the opportunity to workshop a different manuscript.
In addition to the writing sample, the application includes several questions about your project.
Applicants must be 18 years of age to apply.
International writers may apply.
There is no cap on the number of Tin House Workshops you may attend.
Applications are read by a board composed of Tin House Workshop staff and Tin House Reading Fellows. Acceptance is based on the strength and promise of the writing sample and how much the board feels an applicant might benefit from the Workshop and contribute to the community. All applications are evaluated through the lens of our Core Values.
Scholarships are available for BIPOC Writers, authors identifying as Native American and/or Indigenous in North America, parent writers who have at least one child under the age of eighteen, writers who are trans, and writers who were born or reside outside of the United States. To apply, they ask for one unpublished writing sample. For short fiction/novel/nonfiction, 4,000 words or less. For poetry, four poems, totaling no more than eight pages.
tinhouse.com/workshop/winter-workshop/#scholarships-&-financial-assistance
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THE ADINA TALVE-GOODMAN FELLOWSHIP
One Story
DEADLINE: October 8, 2025
APPLICATION FEE: $0
INFO: The Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship will offer one writer a year-long mentorship on the craft of fiction writing with One Story magazine. The aim is to give the writer a significant boost in their career. The Fellow will receive access to One Story online classes; admission to One Story’s Writing Circle; a $2k stipend and free admission to One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference; and a full manuscript review and consultation with One Story Executive Editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words).
REQUIREMENTS: This fellowship calls for an early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an advanced degree program (such as an MA or MFA) in Creative Writing, English, or Literature, and has no plans to attend one in the 2026 calendar year. We are seeking writers whose work speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference. This means writing that centers, celebrates, or reclaims being marginalized through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, class, religion, illness, disability, trauma, migration, displacement, dispossession, or imprisonment. All applicants must be at least 21 years of age as of January 1st, 2026.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST:
To apply to this fellowship you will need:
A fiction writing sample (3,000 – 5,000 words) that best represents your writing and speaks to issues and experiences related to inhabiting bodies of difference (as defined above). Multiple short stories are permitted if they are under 5,000 words combined and submitted as a single file.
A personal statement (600 – 1,100 words)
Two professional or personal references who can speak to your commitment to writing (no recommendation letters required but please provide: name, email, phone)
A current resume detailing any work or educational experience. Please also list any writing classes you have taken, along with writing-related awards, fellowships, publications, and residencies (if any).
one-story.com/learn/fellowship/
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LYDIA GARCÍA AUTHOR FUND
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies
DEADLINE: October 10, 2025
INFO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) announces the Lydia García Author Fund, an initiative that seeks to support authors actively writing or in the process of promoting their recent written work. We recognize that authors often face unexpected and unreimbursed costs associated with their creative work or the promotion of their work, which we hope may be defrayed by these funds. Instances such as travel to book readings or presentations, preparations for such readings or presentations, childcare arrangements, or to finance or subsidize event(s) in venues that do not have budget for such activities but in which authors may nevertheless present their work are acceptable expenses.
AWARD: Thanks to a generous donation by Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, in honor of her mother Lydia Garcia, CENTRO will award five authors $1,000.
GUIDELINES:
To apply to the Lydia García Author Fund, prospective recipients will submit an application which will include:
A cover letter (maximum 3 pages) describing the type of written work they engage in, how the work they produce reflects the Puerto Rican experience, the obstacles they face in their creative process and how they anticipate using the granted funds.
A résumé or CV that includes a list of previous publications
A sample of previously published work. We will accept work that has been published in books, journals, magazines, and websites. We will also accept work that has been performed publicly, such as poetry or plays.
ABOUT LYDIA GARCIA:
Lydia Estell Pitsirilos was born Lydia Estell García in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1950. Following the path of thousands of other Puerto Ricans, she and her family moved to New York’s Upper West Side, where she resided for the rest of her life. A fateful encounter with a guidance counselor derailed her aspirations to become a writer by stating “Puerto Ricans can’t be writers.” She instead pursued a career as a registered nurse. While not a writer herself, Lydia García became the inspiration for other writers, most notably her daughter, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, who has endowed an Author Fund in her memory, honoring the little girl who had wanted to become a writer.
centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/lydia-garcia-author-fund/
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2025 JOHN LEWIS WRITING GRANTS
Georgia Writers Association
DEADLINE: October 10, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET
SUBMISSION FEE: $0
INFO: The Georgia Writers Association's John Lewis Writing Grants are inspired by the late civil rights icon and his more than three decades of service as Georgia’s 5th District representative. The John Lewis Writing Grants will be awarded annually in the categories of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and screen/playwriting.
The purpose of the John Lewis Writing Grants is to elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of promising Black writers in Georgia. Applicants must be emerging writers who are Black or African-American residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win the John Lewis Grant one time.
GRANT: The winning recipients will receive $500, and an invitation to read from their work at the next Red Clay Writers Conference.
QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and emerging writers who are Black or African-American residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award. Applicants are ineligible if they have published more than one traditionally published book. Promising writers without publication will be considered. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win a grant once. There is no submission fee to enter. Applicants are ineligible if they are of relations to any of the Georgia Writers staff or board of directors.
GUIDELINES:
Writers may apply in only one genre and must submit the following:
A completed grant application
An artist statement of 500 words (max.) as a concise description of your work and goals as a writer. Tell us what inspires your writing career, and how your work engages (directly or indirectly) with the legacy of John Lewis.
A writing sample of 10 pages (max.) of a published or unpublished piece in the genre in which you are applying: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or screen/playwriting. If submitting poetry, one poem per page please.
*Do not include your name or any identifying information in the writing sample.
georgiawritersassociation.submittable.com/submit/333082/2025-john-lewis-writing-grants
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2026 Black Writers Fellowship Program
Hand Papermaking
DEADLINE: October 10, 2025 at 5:00pm ET
APPLICATION FEE: $0
INFO: The Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher is an opportunity for a Black writer to research and write a long-form article to be published in Hand Papermaking magazine. Hand Papermaking initiated the Black Writers Fellowship Program in 2020 as one of several corrective steps to better fulfill our goal to truly reflect the full breadth of work in our field.
PAST RECIPIENTS: Keren Alfred (2020–21 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher) who shared her investigations of breadfruit as a papermaking fiber in the Summer 2022 issue; Payton Harris-Woodard (2021–22 Black Writers Fellow), whose interview with Howardena Pindell appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of the magazine; Gimbiya Kettering (2022–23 Black Writers Fellowship: Reporter) who profiled the artist Cheryl E. Edwards in the Summer 2023 issue; and sadé powell (2022–2024 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher) who interviewed established and emerging Black papermaking artists for her article that appeared in the Summer 2024 issue. The 2025 fellow Talia Kimberly Wright is researching the material history of cotton and will travel with an African American papermaker to connect with Black cotton farmers in North Carolina.
This RFP outlines the 2026 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher opportunity and application guidelines.
The Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher is offered annually to a Black writer who proposes a research topic relevant to hand papermaking and indicates an ongoing investment in research and inquiry in the field. The article will be long-form and eligible for publication in Hand Papermaking magazine, Summer 2027 issue.
STIPEND: The Researcher will receive a $1,000 award and a fellowship stipend of up to $1,000 for expenses incurred, including but not limited to research travel, resources, transcription or translation services, site visits, workshop or conference attendance, and other professional development opportunities. In addition, the Researcher will be supported by regular meetings with a fellowship coordinator and a collaborative working relationship with Hand Papermaking magazine editor Mina Takahashi. There is no fee to apply for this fellowship.
Hand Papermaking will host a virtual FAQ session on Wednesday, September 17, 7pm ET to answer questions from prospective applicants. To sign up for the session (or to let us know that you cannot make that date and time), email: bwfresearcher@handpapermaking.org by September 10.
For reference and inspiration, please review Hand Papermaking’s guiding principles and peruse the table of contents of recent magazine issues. To see two published Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher articles, these two are available during the application period: Payton Harris-Woodard’s interview with Howardena Pindell and sadé powell’s article on young Black emerging paper artists . You can search for topics published in the magazine’s history on the website. Applicants can receive up to two article PDFs if requested by October 3: bwfresearcher@handpapermaking.org.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES:
ELIGIBILITY
Eligibility is limited to self-identified Black writers.
Hand Papermaking Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher 2https:/ /www.handpapermaking.org | PO BOX 50336 Baltimore, MD 20211 | info@handpapermaking.org
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must submit:
A cover letter
Curriculum vitae
A research proposal and an outline for carrying out the study or project; 600-word maximum. Include a description of proposed research methods.
Optional: a draft budget for the fellowship stipend.
Two relevant writing samples (can be but not limited to essays, research papers, excerpts from dissertation); not to exceed 3,000 words in total.
Prepare all materials in one PDF and email to: bwfresearcher@handpapermaking.org.
Submissions will be acknowledged by email.
SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION PROCESS: Selection will be based on the demonstration of the applicant’s capacity to successfully address the criteria noted above. A final pool of candidates will be interviewed, and the 2026 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher will be announced by mid-December 2025. Jurors’ names will be made public following the announcement of the selected Researcher.
FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE:
After the Researcher is announced, they will work with the magazine editor and fellowship coordinator to establish a work plan, budget, and detailed timeline. The following is a rough outline of the deadlines.
October 10, 2025 Application deadline
December 19, 2025 Announce fellow
November 1, 2026 First draft deadline
December 10, 2026 Final draft deadline
June 15, 2027 Magazine distribution
July 1, 2027 Fellowship debrief
Researcher will receive:
A $1,000 award
Fellowship stipend of up to $1,000
Opportunity for a published article in Hand Papermaking magazine, Summer 2027 issue
Exposure of your research and writing to a global community of hand papermakers, artists, scholars, and professionals through our print and online publications
Opportunities for career advancement through connections with Hand Papermaking’s network as well as professional development experiences
Increased knowledge and skills in the editorial process and scholarly publication field through a collaborative working relationship with Hand Papermaking magazine editor Mina Takahashi.
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Art Critic Fellowship
AICA-USA
DEADLINE: October 13, 2025 by 11:59pm ET
INFO: AICA-USA is excited to announce the Art Critics Fellowship Program for 2026, reflecting our ongoing commitment to supporting critical writing within a vibrant arts ecosystem. As the oldest professional organization for art critics and writers in the United States, we believe that thoughtful criticism is essential—not only for the arts community but also for enriching the experiences of individual viewers, writers, and artists alike.
While writing programs continue to shrink and many publications are reducing or eliminating their cultural coverage entirely, the central tenet of our charter — the support of art criticism as a discipline – has never felt more pressing. From January to April, fellows will engage in a pitching workshop and two lectures led by award-winning editors and writers to discuss the joys and concerns of writing and editing art criticism today, and will meet one-on-one with their assigned mentors to develop a piece of criticism for publication on the AICA-USA website. We embrace an expansive definition of art, which includes performance, dance, video art, and other transmedia practices. Each of our mentors comes with a distinct voice, area of focus, scholarly positions, sets of concerns, editorial background and mediums. From radio to small press to newspapers to academic forums, each mentor brings a rich diversity that speaks to the different avenues that artists and critics take on the way to publication in this 21st century landscape.
We particularly encourage applicants from non-traditional backgrounds to apply. To enhance accessibility, the program is hybrid, allowing for in-person meetings when fellows and mentors are in the same location, with lectures streamed online. When applying, please indicate any accessibility measures that would support your participation in the program.
TIMELINE + STRUCTURE:
The program opens on January 12, 2026 and ends on April 3, 2026. Fellows are required to meet with their assigned mentor at least four times over the course of the program, and to attend every workshop and lecture. There is no cost to attend, and Fellows will be awarded a stipend of $750 to cover potential lost wages while participating in the Fellowship and will be compensated according to W.A.G.E. standards for their work upon publication in the amount of $250.
Timeline
Late November 2025: Finalist Notifications
January 12 - April 3, 2026: Program Dates
January 12, 2026, 7PM ET (Virtual): Orientation & Theme Discussion
January 23, 2026: Pitch Deadline
January 31, 2026, 12PM ET (Virtual): Workshop on Making a Pitch & Review with Sky Goodden
February 21, 2026, 12PM ET (Virtual): Lecture #1 with Niela Orr (Public Lecture)
March 7, 2026, 12PM ET (Virtual): Lecture #2 with Jameson Johnson (Public Lecture)
March 21, 2026, 12PM ET (Virtual): Lecture #3 with Ciarán Finlayson (Public Lecture)
March 23, 2026, 7PM ET (Virtual): Peer Review Meeting of Drafts
April 3, 2026: Final Draft & Program Evaluations Due
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must be 24 years or older and reside in the United States or Puerto Rico.
You must be able to attend all program dates.
You must be legally eligible to complete and submit a W-9 form.
Students are welcome to apply.
Although it's not required, applicants are encouraged to have an interest in visual arts, writing, criticism, art history, and contemporary visual culture.
aicausa.org/art-critic-fellowship2026
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call for submissions: 1.1 Foglifter Online Exclusive: Body Politics
Foglifter
DEADLINE: October 15, 2026
INFO: As Foglifter revitalizes our website and digital production, we are interested in creating and holding space for works that may not fit within the constraints of our print edition. We are now accepting submissions for our new Online Exclusive Issue dedicated to showcasing queer voices across a wide spectrum of creative forms.
As always, we are seeking art that aligns with our mission of promoting queer, transgressive, and original work. The themes will change from issue to issue. For 1.1, our theme is Body Politics. Bodies are sites of power, protest, pleasure, oppression, transformation, and resistance. They are legislated, labeled, liberated, and loved. In a world where bodies are constantly scrutinized, marginalized, and controlled—especially queer, trans, fat, disabled, racialized, and reproductive bodies—we want to create a space for work that responds, reclaims, and reimagines.
Please submit work that engages with themes that may include gender expression and transition, reproductive justice, disability and chronic illness, surveillance and censorship, body modification culture, fat liberation and anti-ableism, queer desire and sexuality, the racialized body, and performance and protest. We invite works that grapple with the political, personal, and cultural dimensions of the queer body.
Pieces must be original, unpublished work in genres including, but not limited to: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, comics, visual art, scripts, and multimedia (video, audio, music, interactive pieces, experimental work, etc.) that align with the current issue’s theme.
This online exclusive issue will be published as a winter issue on our website. We’re especially interested in pieces that experiment with form, push boundaries, and reflect the complexity, joy, rage, beauty, and multiplicity of the queer experience.
WHY ONLINE EXCLUSIVE?
Our print publication has limits—page counts, dimensions, ink. This digital issue is a space without borders. We want to uplift work that can’t—or won’t—fit in print: multimedia projects, audio pieces, visual art, and performance pieces that demand to be seen and heard in digital space.
GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
We accept only first rights to publication.
We do accept simultaneous submissions, however please withdraw pieces that have been accepted elsewhere.
Please include a short bio, description of your work, any past publications, and applicable trigger warnings in your cover letter.
Visual and [multi]media work must be web-viewable—please include links or uploads through Submittable and include content warnings if applicable
GENRE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES:
Please submit up to 5 pieces
For video and audio submissions, please limit to 5 minutes
We accept art created via all mediums (except AI -- no AI art submissions). This includes, but is not limited to, photography, painting, digital, ink, pencil, collage, etc.
Acceptable file types: .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .png, .svg, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .odt, .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mpg, .3gp, .wmv
All applicable artworks submitted will be considered for cover art for the online exclusive issue
We love experimental work, feel free to submit hybrid forms that blend genres
For grant purposes, we cannot consider submissions that do not include a completed demographic survey with their submission
Foglifter aims to reflect the vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ+ literary community in our award-winning journal. Fill out our anonymized Demographics Survey to be considered for publication—then take a screenshot of the thank-you screen at the end and attach it along with your submission.
foglifter.submittable.com/submit
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Art Omi: Writers Residency
Art Omi
DEADLINE: October 15, 2025
INFO: Art Omi: Writers hosts authors and translators from around the world for residencies throughout the spring and fall. The program’s strong international emphasis provides exposure for global literary voices and reflects the spirit of cultural exchange that is essential to Art Omi’s mission.
Guests select a residency of approximately one month in either the spring or autumn, with ten writers at a time gathering to live and work in a rural setting overlooking the Catskill Mountains. Daytime is reserved for writing and quiet activities, while evenings are more communal. A program of weekly visits brings guests from the New York publishing community. Noted editors, agents, and book scouts are invited to share dinner and conversation on both creative and practical subjects, offering insight into the workings of the publishing industry, and introductions to some of its key professionals. Readings throughout the year invite the public to experience finished and in-process work by writers and translators in residence.
Art Omi: Writers welcomes published writers and translators of every type of literature. All text-based projects—fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible. International, cultural, and creative exchange is a foundation of our mission, and a wide distribution of national background is an important part of our selection process.
All residencies are fully funded with accommodations, food, local transport, and public programming provided. However, please note that Art Omi: Writers does not provide travel funds. We have some limited travel funds available for those who find it a barrier to participating in the program, reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Emma Ramadan, Art Omi: Writers Residency Program Director, at eramadan@artomi.org for more details.
Notable alumni include:
Joseph O'Neill author of Netherland, which won the Pen/Faulkner Award
Aleksander Hemon, author of The Question of Bruno, recipient of a "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation
Gary Shteyngart, bestselling author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook, Absurdistan, and Super Sad True Love Story
Susan Choi, bestselling author of American Woman and inaugural recipient of the PEN/W.G. Sebald Award.
Goce Smilevski, author of Freud's Sister, which won the European Union Prize for Literature
Jan Brandt, bestselling author of Gegen Die Welt (Against the World)
Buket Uzuner, international bestselling author of Istanbulians
James Hannaham, author of Delicious Foods, which won the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Hurston-Wright Award.
Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin which won the National Book Award
Kiran Desai, bestselling author of Inheritance of Loss, which won the Man Booker Prize
Shehan Karunatilaka, author of Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Matthew, which won the Commonwealth Prize
Mikhail Shishkin, bestselling author of The Taking of Izmail, which won the Russian Booker Prize
TRANSLATION LAB:
In September Art Omi: Writers hosts an annual Translation Lab, in which English language translators are invited to work alongside the writers whose work they translate. The focused residency provides an integral stage of refinement, allowing translators to dialogue with the writers about text-specific questions.
Following in the tradition of the Art Omi: Writers residency as started by Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt, the Translation Lab emphasizes translation as a means towards cultural exchange. It serves as an essential community builder for English language translators who are working to increase the amount of international literature available to American readers, as it is currently estimated that less than three percent of all books published in the United States are translated works.
The residency is a rare and unique opportunity for writers and their translators to work together, considering that most writers never meet their translators in person. All text-based projects—fiction, nonfiction, theater, film, poetry, etc.—are eligible.
ACCOMODATIONS + FACILITIES:
Art Omi is located two and a half hours north of New York City in the historic Hudson River Valley. Named for the hamlet of Omi, which is within the town of Ghent, New York, Art Omi is also near to Albany and Hudson, which offer train connections thirty or fifteen minutes' drive from campus, respectively.
The facilities, situated on three hundred acres of open land, include a large two-story barn with indoor studios; contemporary residence buildings designed with a vernacular reference to local barns, surrounded by abundant perennial beds, expansive lawns dotted with fruit trees, adjacent to The Sculpture and Architecture Park. Residents receive private bedroom accommodations with shared bathrooms and common areas.
A Federal Period farm house serves as a gathering center, providing a full kitchen and library; while the front porch overlooks rolling hills and the majestic outline of the Catskill Range. A swimming pool, bicycles, WiFi access and a computer with printing capability is available on the premises.
Columbia County, and the nearby Berkshire Mountains, are popular destinations because of their historical, natural and cultural riches. From bird sanctuaries to modern dance, presidential mansions to farmer’s markets, the environs offer a singular blend of rural quiet and cultural stimulation. Staff and friends in the neighborhood are often available for excursions of interest to residents. The local library has a modest collection, but is a member of the Mid-Hudson group, calling on the resources of libraries within much of eastern New York.
TIMELINE:
Decision Notification: January 2026
RESIDENCY DATES:
Art Omi: Writers 2026 takes place over four sessions, two in the Spring and two in the Autumn.
SPRING 2026
Spring Session One: Wednesday, April 1–Monday, April 27
Spring Session Two: Thursday, April 30–Tuesday, May 26
AUTUMN 2026
Session One: Thursday, September 24–Thursday, October 15
Session Two: Wednesday, October 21–Wednesday, November 18
Art Omi: Translation Lab 2026 takes place from Wednesday, September 9–Monday, September 21. Please note, a separate open call only for Translation Lab will run in early 2026.
artomi.org/residencies/writers/
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Open Call: Artist Publishing Cohort
at Louie Place
DEADLINE: October 24, 2025 at 11:59pm ET
INFO: at Louis Place (aLP) is a community for artists and writers. Through an accessible, collaborative online platform, at Louis Place is an ecosystem for artistic practice that values liberation, experimentation, cooperation, and shared leadership. Through daily co-writing, weekly writing groups, and monthly guest workshops, participants find opportunities for personal and creative growth, as well as connections to peers from across the continent and the world.
With support from the Wagner Foundation, the second edition of the Artist Publishing Cohort will continue offering personalized support for artists with publishing projects in progress.
TIMELINE:
Applicants notified: mid-December, 2025
Program dates: January - May, 2026
ELIGIBILITY:
The Artist Publishing Cohort is created to support:
Visual artists, choreographers and performing artists, and other interdisciplinary artists over the age of 18 whose primary training and professional profile is outside of the field of creative writing
Artists preparing a publishing project featuring their own creative work, such as a novel, memoir, monograph, or book of poems
Artists looking for regular practical and creative support on their publishing project, who are self-directed, proactive, and able to take initiative to participate in the community's full range of program offerings
Artists who are willing and able to participate in a small group cohort for peer support and workshop, who are looking to build their work in fellowship with other artists and writers
Artists preparing work for digital publication, self-publication, or traditional publication
Artists with projects actively and urgently in progress and ready for support
We love all writers, but the program is not suited for:
Academically-trained writers preparing academic manuscripts in any field
Playwrights and other trained writers preparing projects for performance rather than publication
Published authors with access to extensive writing networks
Artists preparing print editions that won’t require an editorial process
Artists preparing projects that will be distributed in editions less than 50
Artists ineligible to work in the US.
Current and past aLP writers are eligible for this opportunity, along with those who are new to our community.
BENEFITS:
Participating artists receive:
Financial support: A stipend of $1,000 to support their creative work—use it to offset childcare, research, rent, groceries, supplies, or anything else connected to life as an artist.
Workshop: Participate in a bi-weekly workshop to share pages for feedback and accountability and identify opportunities and connections, facilitated by aLP staff.
Practicums: In spring 2026, aLP will offer a second comprehensive Artist Publishing Practicum designed to demystify the pathway to publication for visual artists featuring a network of special guests.
Resources: Benefit from monthly writing workshops by guest lecturers, our archive of past events, our prompt and resource libraries, our extended network of writers of all kinds, and all other aLP offerings.
Artist Publishing Cohort artists should be prepared to participate fully in program offerings, including biweekly workshop. Cohort artists are not required to attend every event, but should be able to make a meaningful commitment to regular participation.
at Louis Place was created by and for writers marginalized by conventional writing communities, including Black, Indigenous, immigrant, disabled, over-50, and writers outside urban centers; it is open to everyone who shares our values. at Louis Place is led by Steffani Jemison, Naima Lowe, Janavi Janakiraman, and Quincy Flowers.
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Call for Zine Submissions - Act Your Age: Fandom at 35+ and Beyond
Wild Ramp Publishing
DEADLINE: October 24, 2025
INFO: For Act Your Age Volume 3, we’re diving into the theme of "Generations". We're looking for stories, art, and creative work that explore how fandom connects across age, time, and family lines.
Are you a second- or third-generation fan in your family?
Maybe your love of a band, show, book, or game was inherited from a parent or grandparent—or maybe you’re the one who passed it on to your child, your sibling, your nibling, or even your neighbor.
Do you participate in fan activities that bring together people of different ages?
Have you found meaning in how fandom acts as a bridge between generations, cultures, or communities?
We’re accepting essays, stories, visual art, comics, poetry, and other creative work that fits the theme. Both personal reflections and imaginative takes are welcome.
Microsoft Word, Google Drive links and png artwork is accepted. If your work is selected for publication, you’ll receive two copies of the zine as a thank-you.
Got questions? wildramppublishing@gmail.com
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2025 Walter Grants
We Need Diverse Books
DEADLINE: October 31, 2025
INFO: The Walter Dean Myers Grant provides a financial boost to promising writers and illustrators who are currently unpublished. Each grantee receives $2000 to hone their craft and support their career development.
Marginalized writers and illustrators often face financial and systemic barriers in telling their stories and getting published. That’s why we established this grant, which recognizes the talent of diverse creators and gives them monetary assistance as they pursue publication.
The Walter Grant can be used in a variety of ways, from attending conferences to purchasing new writing devices to covering childcare. Since 2015 we have awarded over 70 Walter Grants, and we’re incredibly proud of our recipients who have now published nearly 60 books and have won major literary awards.
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must identify as diverse, as per WNDB’s definition of diversity.
Applicants must be unpublished as illustrators and/or authors. This includes both trade publishing and self-publishing. (NOTE: publication in zines or publication of poetry chap books are permissible.) If the applicant has a book deal for an as yet unpublished book, the applicant is considered published for purposes of this grant. Applicants may have published shorter pieces, such as essays, short stories, and articles.
Applicants who have books on submission to publishing houses are not eligible for the Walter Grant. Books on submission to procure an agent, however, will be considered.
Applicant must be working toward a career as a children’s author and/or illustrator. This includes but is not limited to: Picture Books, Early Reader Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade Books, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Non-Fiction, Poetry.
Applicant cannot apply for funding to self-publish their project.
Applicant must be a U.S. resident or a refugee living in the States. (Note for refugee applicants: receiving a grant might affect your income limitations and any government assistance you may receive. You may want to reach out to appropriate officials, like an immigration attorney, for advice.)
Applicant must be at least 18 years in age.
Please note: Under Executive Order 13224, all 501(c)(3) organizations must confirm that grant recipients are not affiliated with federally identified terrorist groups. To comply, we must compile any of your former legal names that have been registered with the United States government. We are aware that we are asking for potentially sensitive information and we apologize for this intrusion. WNDB will keep this information in the utmost confidence and will never use any former name(s) in our correspondence with you.
FAQs:
Can I submit multiple samples in different genres? Please choose one category to submit to — whichever you feel is a better fit for consideration.
Can I submit multiple projects for consideration? Please choose one creative project to submit, whichever you feel is the best fit for consideration. We do not accept multiple simultaneous applications from one creator, and you will be disqualified if you submit more than one application for a Walter Grant.
Will the application close after a certain amount of entries? No, there is no limit to the number of entries accepted. Applications are accepted through our application form online.
Can I apply if I am not a U.S. Citizen? You are eligible to apply if you have legal residence in the United States regardless of citizenship.
When will winning applicants hear back? We aim to notify winners before January 15, 2026.
Can I mail in my illustration submissions? Unfortunately, we cannot have original works or copies mailed in. Any illustration must be submitted electronically.
Is there an application fee? There is no application fee to apply for the Walter Grant.
Are self-published authors eligible? No, authors who have self published are not eligible for the Walter Grant. Publication in zines or publication of poetry chap books are permissible.
Am I eligible if I've published a non-children's book? No. Authors who have published outside of children’s literature are also not eligible for the Walter Grant.
Do I need a certain degree or previous publishing credits? There are no degree or publication credits required to apply for the grant.
Who can I contact with further questions? Please direct any questions to info@diversebooks.org.
What does it mean to have "books on submission"? Applicants who have books on submission to publishing houses are not eligible for the Walter Grant. Applicants who are querying literary agents, however, are eligible.
Submitting to other grants, contests, and similar writing opportunities does not disqualify for a Walter Grant. If you do receive a book deal from one of these submissions, you are required to notify us info@diversebooks.org.
diversebooks.org/programs/waltergrants
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19th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
DEADLINE: October 31, 2025
INFO: To enter a published book or galley for review, send the completed registration form and eight (8) copies to:
Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
c/o Baton Rouge Area Foundation
100 North St., Suite 900
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802
Non-winning entries will be donated to an area nonprofit. Ineligible entries will not be returned.
The Literary Award, initiated by donors of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to honor Mr. Gaines, is designed to inspire and recognize rising African-American writers of excellence as they work to achieve the literary heights for which Ernest J. Gaines is known.
CRITERIA:
Criteria for the 19th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence:
A work of fiction (novel or collection of short stories) that is published between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Galleys for a 2025 publication are also accepted.
The nominee must be a rising author, not yet widely recognized for their work.
Author must be an African-American U.S. citizen.
Self-published books will not be accepted. Self-published defined as publishing one's work independently and at one's own expense.
Emailed entries will not be accepted.
The winning author must be willing to attend the award ceremony in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2026 and participate in media and educational outreach activities during that week.
TIMELINE:
May 1, 2025 – October 31, 2025 Eligible entries for the 19th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence will be accepted. See eligibility criteria and submission instructions above. All entries for the book award will receive written notification of receipt.
Spring 2026 – The winner will be selected by a national panel of judges. The judges reserve the right not to issue the award if they feel the selection pool lacks an acceptable candidate. Once the winner is selected, written notification will be sent to all eligible entries.
2026 – The 19th Annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence Ceremony will take place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
https://ernestjgainesaward.org/criteria
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2026 Fresh Voices Fellowship
Epiphany
DEADLINE: November 1, 2025
INFO: The Fresh Voices Fellowship supports one emerging Black, Indigenous, or other writer of color who does not have an advanced writing degree and is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting creative writing program. Our fellows have gone on to sign with agents, publish books, win prizes, and develop their careers in writing and publishing.
One writer, in poetry or prose, will receive:
A $2000 stipend
A year-long editorial fellowship at Epiphany, which entails the opportunity to participate in the editorial and publication process of a small non-profit literary magazine, and to build close relationships with the editorial team
Publication in a print issue of Epiphany
Because this opportunity is designed to support writers currently working outside traditional literary and academic systems, applicants must not have an advanced degree (MA, MFA, PhD) in creative writing or English and must not be enrolled at the time of application in any degree-granting program. A BA in Creative Writing or English is acceptable, as is a Masters or PhD in an unrelated field. Applicants must also not have published or be contracted to publish a full-length book (excluding self-publication). Applicants must also be based in or be living in the United States during the twelve-month fellowship.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Work Sample: Please include a 5-page, double-spaced sample of work you feel most represents you, your interests, and your literary style. (If you’re sending a novel excerpt, please include a short synopsis of the novel and an explanation of where, in the story, the excerpt falls.) This sample need not be unpublished.
Cover Letter: Please tell us a bit about yourself as an artist, your relationship to the mainstream literary/publishing world, and what you are hoping to gain by working in a literary magazine environment for a year.
epiphanyzine.com/features/2025/9/13/applications-are-open-for-the-2026-fresh-voices-fellowship
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: A Special Folio on Soccer
Michigan Quarterly Review
DEADLINE: November 1, 2025
ENTRY FEE: $3
INFO: Michigan Quarterly Review invites submissions for a special issue dedicated to exploring the rich and complex world of soccer, a global phenomenon that transcends sport to influence culture, politics, identity, and society. We seek scholarly articles, personal and reflective essays, memoirs, biographies, short stories, poetry, and translated works that illuminate soccer’s multifaceted dimensions across regions and disciplines.
We encourage contributions addressing a wide range of topics, including but not limited to: soccer and national identity in diverse contexts such as multiracial societies in Europe, multiculturalism in the United States, and postcolonial narratives in Latin America, Africa, and Asia; labor issues, human trafficking, and the globalization of the football industry; the impact of soccer on youth and marginalized communities; racism, right-wing radicalism, and social justice movements within and beyond the sport; intersections of soccer with religion and politics; and the influence of global capital on the governance and commercialization of soccer.
We particularly welcome works that engage with historical and contemporary developments in regions including the Gulf, South Asia, China, Europe, the United States, and Latin America, reflecting the sport’s global reach and cultural significance.
Submissions in genres ranging from academic analysis to personal memoirs and creative writing are encouraged. Translations of significant works from non-English languages that offer international perspectives will enrich this issue.
Please submit original, unpublished works between 2,000 and 8,000 words. The folio will be published as part of our Summer 2026 issue.
Join us in examining soccer not merely as a game but as a profound lens into identity, power, culture, and society worldwide.
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2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Commonwealth Foundation
DEADLINE: November 1, 2025
INFO: The 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize is open for entries.
The prize is free to enter and open to any citizen of a Commonwealth country aged 18 and over. It is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words).
Submissions should be made via the online entry form, which is available via the link above. The eligibility requirements and entry rules can be found here.
Writers have until 11.59pm GMT on 1 November 2025 to enter their story. Click here to find out what time the prize closes in your timezone.
An international judging panel will select a shortlist of around twenty-five stories, from which five regional winners are chosen. One of the regional winners is then selected as the overall winner, who receives £5,000. The regional winners will receive £2,500. All five regional winning stories will be published on Granta.
For any inquiries regarding the prize, please email: creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com
commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-prize/
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Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize
North American Review
DEADLINE: November 1, 2025
ENTRY FEE: $23 (include copy of the Summer Issue)
INFO: The Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition sponsored by North American Review. This award is intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut.
We love Vonnegut’s dark humor, but please avoid mere imitation. We are enthusiastic about all work painted with speculative fiction’s broad brush: fairytale, magical realism, fabulism, the fantastic, horror, Afro-futurism, science fiction hard and soft, and everything in between. The winning entry will appear in the North American Review's annual summer fiction issue, and all finalists will be considered for publication.
Results will be announced in 2026.
AWARD: $1,000
WORD COUNT: 500 - 10,000 words
JUDGE: Rachel Yoder
northamericanreview.submittable.com/submit
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MQR Mixtape: SWANA Insomnia
Michigan Quarterly Review
DEADLINE: November 5, 2025
ENTRY FEE: $3
INFO: In the words of the Sufi mystic and poet Hayyuna, an individual with “a state of closeness [with the Beloved] cannot sleep, and experiences moments of profound sorrow.”
Hayunna lived in the port town of al-Ubulla, in present-day Iraq. There, she taught and influenced the famous Rabia of Basra, who learned to situate sleeplessness on a well-defined spiritual path to divine Love – a far cry from insomnia’s clinicalization in the West. Sleeplessness is deeply rooted in various SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) cultures and cosmogonies: as a sign of spiritual fortitude; in figures like Abdel Halim Hafez’s sawwah, or night wanderer; in late nights spent gossiping over coffee and cigarettes; and in diasporic transcendence of local time to stay in tune with family and beloveds experiencing war and occupation time zones away.
For this issue of MQR Mixtape, I am seeking poems, essays, short fiction, visual, and sound pieces from artists of the SWANA region and its diasporas engaging with insomnia as a site of “holiness, estrangement, and resistance,” as Egyptian choreographer and visual artist Doa Aly puts it. Map the topographies of your sleepless state, its cultural, political, psychological, and somatic dimensions. Send your stories of endurance and exhaustion, your waking dreams, your late-hour longings, griefs, and epiphanies. I am just as interested in works where sleeplessness is an ambient occurrence as those featuring it as the main event.
EDITOR: Noor Al-Samarrai
GUIDELINES:
For this particular issue, please submit:
Poetry (up to three poems)
Prose (up to 4,000 words) Short fiction, Non-fiction essays, Hybrid works
Visual art/photography (up to five works; if sculpture please provide multiple angles)
Video (up to 20 minutes)
Sound/audio works (up to 15 minutes)
Hybrid works (up to three pages) Comics, collages, collaborations, choreographic and performance scores, archival materials, letters, etc.
Only previously unpublished work will be considered. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted by another publication. Please send only one submission per window; subsequent submissions will be rejected automatically.