National Endowment for the Arts Literature (Poetry) Fellowships, FY2017

You may submit only one application per year. You may not apply for a Literature Fellowship (in poetry or prose) and a Translation Fellowship in the same year.

Applicant Eligibility

Creative writers who meet the publication requirements are eligible to apply. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

You may submit only one application per year. You may not apply for a Literature Fellowship (in poetry or prose) and a Translation Fellowship in the same year.

Grant Program Description

The National Endowment for the Arts’ Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Applications are reviewed through an anonymous process in which the only criteria for review are artistic excellence and artistic merit. To review the applications, we assemble a different advisory panel every year, each diverse with regard to geography, race and ethnicity, and artistic points of view.

The Literature Fellowships program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years. For FY 2017, which is covered by these guidelines, fellowships in poetry are available. Fellowships in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) will be offered in FY 2018 and guidelines will be available in the winter of 2017. You may apply only once each year.

Competition for fellowships is extremely rigorous. We typically receive more than 1,200 applications each year in this category and award fellowships to fewer than 5% of applicants. You should consider carefully whether your work will be competitive at the national level.