National Endowment for the Arts: Literature Fellowships for Prose

Creative writers who meet the publication requirements that are listed below are eligible to apply. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. See "How to Prepare and Submit an Application" LINK for the documentation that is required to demonstrate eligibility. Ineligible applications will be rejected without panel review.

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

The NEA 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, the NEA assembles a different advisory panel every year, each diverse with regard to geography, race and ethnicity, and artistic points of view.

The NEA Literature Fellowships program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years. For FY 2014, which is covered by these guidelines, fellowships in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) are available. Fellowships in poetry will be offered in FY 2015 and guidelines will be available in the fall of 2013. You may apply only once each year.

Competition for fellowships is extremely rigorous. We typically receive more than 1,000 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.