You can find Early Career Bursaries for London Writers information in BSL here: www.spreadtheword.org.uk/early-career-bursaries-for-london-writers-bsl-resources/
Are you on a low income struggling to make ends meet AND progress your creative work?
Thanks to a very generous donation from Sam and Rosie Berwick, Spread the Word has set up a new bursary programme to provide three unagented and unpublished writers with 12 months of financial and professional support to develop creative work. You can apply if you are a London-based writer on a low income and have a literary or commercial fiction or narrative non-fiction project you want to develop.
We know that time is of the essence when it comes to creativity. So, alongside time and space to write, we will create with you a package of support such as mentoring, writing retreats, writer networks and professional one to ones to enable you to carry out your creative work and build your writing career.
This is very much an open brief programme. Your writing project can be something new and at an early development stage, or much more advanced –where you need time and space to crack through it and complete. But there will be no expectation that you ‘finish’ a piece. You will bring determination and a clear sense of how you will use the year ahead of you to realise your creative ideas.
The Bursaries are worth £15,000 to each writer; £10,000 cash and £5,000 towards development opportunities. An access fund is in place to support any needs you may have. The Bursary programme will run from February 2023 to January 2024.
The Bursary programme is open to writers aged 18+ and living in London who are on low-incomes, earning London Living Wage or less, or in receipt of benefits and with limited recourse to personal funds, including savings.
We welcome applications from writers from the following communities which are underrepresented in publishing, including: Black, Asian and Global Majority, working class or of working class background, LGBTQ, refugee, care experienced and deaf and disabled writers.
The Early Career Bursaries for London Writers 2023 will be judged by Tice Cin, Luan Goldie, Jeffrey Boakye and Dr Mark Blacklock.
What you need to know before applying
Please read the following before applying. These are all .docx downloads.
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Eligibility Criteria: www.spreadtheword.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Early-Career-Bursaries-Eligibility-Criteria.docx
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Terms and Conditions: www.spreadtheword.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Early-Career-Bursaries-Terms-and-Conditions-September-2022.docx
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FAQs: www.spreadtheword.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Early-Career-Bursaries-FAQs.docx
- Application form for drafting / making notes: www.spreadtheword.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Early-Career-Bursaries-2023-Entry-Form-for-drafting-.docx
Attend a free online seminar about the programme
We will be running a free online information session about the Bursary programme on Wednesday 5 October, 7pm-8pm for writers who are considering applying. Attendance isn’t mandatory and attendees aren’t guaranteed a place on the Bursary programme. The session will be BSL interpreted. You can sign up through this Eventbrite link: https://early-career-bursaries-for-writers-information-evening.eventbrite.co.uk
How To Apply
Applications are open from: 10am, Thursday 22 September until 12pm (midday), Tuesday 1 November 2022.
You can apply online via Submittable: https://spreadtheword.submittable.com/submit/237243/early-career-bursaries-for-london-writers
Or you can apply by post:
You can find a postal application form here as a .docx download: https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Early-Career-Bursaries-2023-Postal-Entry-Form.docx
Published Thursday 22 September 2022