Speculative Literature Foundation
Submit a personal statement (up to 750 words) explaining eligibility and goals, plus a writing sample (up to 10 pages of poetry/drama or 5,000 words of fiction/creative nonfiction).
Does this fit your work? 5 questions score every call to your medium, location and budget. Free.
Get matched →- Deadline
- annual cycle, check dates
- Entry fee
- Free
- Award
- $1,000
About
Overview
The Working Class Writers Grant has been awarded annually since 2013 to speculative fiction writers who are working class, blue-collar, financially disadvantaged, or homeless, and who have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction due to financial barriers. The SLF seeks to bring more of these marginalized voices into the field.
Award & Key Dates
- Award: $1,000 USD
- Open: September 1–September 30 (annually)
- Winner announced: November
- All times UTC -4
Eligibility
You may be eligible if any of the following apply: you qualify for government assistance (food stamps, Medicaid, tax credits, free school lunch) for a significant period of time; you live paycheck-to-paycheck; your parents did not go to college; you rely on payday loans; you're currently in a single parent household; you're supporting yourself and paying your own way through college; you've lived at or below 200% of the poverty line for your state for at least one year; or you've experienced stretches of time when food was not readily and easily available. International writers are welcome.
What to Submit
- Cover letter: Personal statement (not to exceed 750 words) explaining why you qualify for and what you hope to accomplish with the grant. A bibliography of previously published work may be included and will not count toward the word limit. Prior publishing credits are not required.
- Writing sample: Your best work—up to 10 pages of poetry, 10 pages of drama, or 5,000 words of fiction or creative nonfiction. If sending a segment of a novel, novella, or novelette, include a one-page synopsis as the first page. The work must be speculative as defined by the foundation.
Special Notes
Recent winners can reapply but will be considered low-priority within a 2-year window of winning. You may choose to receive this grant anonymously or pseudonymously. Jurors will deliberate with the goal of announcing winners in November.
Accessibility
If you are unable to use the online form for accessibility reasons, send an email to [email protected] and an alternative means of submission will be provided.
- Award
- $1,000 USD
- Entry fee
- Free to enter
- Theme
- Speculative fiction writing, encompassing hard science fiction, epic fantasy, ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, slipstream, and magical realism.
- Eligibility
- Open to speculative fiction writers who are working class, blue-collar, financially disadvantaged, or homeless, including those who qualify for government assistance, live paycheck-to-paycheck, have parents without college education, rely on payday loans, are in single-parent households, are self-supporting through college, have lived at or below 200% of the poverty line for at least one year, or have experienced food insecurity; international writers welcome.
- Priority given to
- Currently in financial need
- Audience
- Speculative fiction writers who are working class, blue-collar, financially disadvantaged, or homeless.
- Contact
- [email protected]
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.