Diverse writers are encouraged to apply for the 2018 Writer of Color Fellowships available through Literary Arts.
Literary Arts is a community-based nonprofit literary organization dedicated to serving Oregon's readers and writers. Its mission is to engage readers, support writers, and inspire the next generation with great literature.
The Writer of Color award is $3,500, and is designed to help working artists develop or complete literary projects. Writers and publishers who are current, full-time Oregon residents are eligible; emerging writers are encouraged to apply. Applications are due on Monday, July 10, 2017.
Susan Moore, Director of Program for Writers at Literary Arts, shares more about the Writers of Color opportunity in this Q&A. In her role, she oversees the judging and administration of the Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships program, programs the writing classes and curates the free literary events at the downtown Literary Arts center.
How did the Writers of Color fellowship come about?
We wanted to encourage more diversity in our fellowship applications overall. We awarded our first Writers of Color Fellowship in 2016. This year will be our third year offering it. The goal of the Writers of Color Fellowship is to promote perspectives from a variety of cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds, and encourage diverse writers to apply for fellowships. Literary Arts hires out of state judges to determine the recipients.
Why is this an important undertaking for Literary Arts?
We want the Oregon Literary Fellowships recipients to represent the diversity of our community.
Also in the past there has been a lack of diversity in the finalists and winners of the Oregon Book Awards, which are awarded every year to Oregon’s published writers. One of the long-term goals with the Writer of Color fellowship is that it will help support more writers of color on the path to book publication, and increase the diversity of Oregon Book Awards finalists overall.
What does Literary Arts hope to accomplish with the fellowship?
In addition to the above stated goals,we hope that the financial support will give voice to those writers who have historically been excluded.
Literary Arts is also partnering again this year with Ooligan Press at Portland State University to offer free admission to Ooligan’s Write to Publish conference for all Writer of Color fellowship applicants.
Who should apply?
Self-identified writers of color who are current, full-time Oregon residents are eligible to apply. There is no charge to apply, and although we award one Writer of Color fellowship each year, all writers who apply for a Writer of Color fellowship will also be considered for our other fellowships as well. For example, the writer Josha Nathan received the 2017 Writer of Color fellowship. We awarded nine fellowships to writers overall, and in addition to Josha, four of the other nine fellowshisp went to writers of color who had applied for the Writer of Color fellowship but ended up receiving another fellowship in their genre.
What are the top criteria for the fellowship?
Literary merit is the top criteria for all of our fellowships. Applicants submit a writing sample, and the writing sample is the primary information the judges use to determine fellowship recipients.
What are the expectations for selected fellows?
Literary Arts asks that all fellowship recipients, within one year of receiving their fellowship, submit a brief, written report regarding the use of funds. In addition, recipients are asked to acknowledge Literary Arts in any publications which fellowship funds assisted and to provide a copy for Literary Arts’ permanent collection.
What other ways can diverse, up-and-coming writers connect with Literary Arts programs?
Literary Arts partners with many local organizations throughout the year to offer free literary programming at our downtown center. Last year, some of our free literary events included a panel discussion on race and writing, a reading of writers of color with local publishers, a reading series focused on LGBTQ writers, and several events produced with Unchaste Reader Series, a series which features a diverse line up of female-identified writers.
We also offer writing classes throughout the year, with scholarships and also the opportunity to volunteer in exchange for class tuition.
Wordstock, Portland’s Book Festival, is November 11. The festival features a diverse line up of local and national authors. Our Writers in the Schools program (WITS) is now offering an apprenticeship opportunity for writers of color. Self-identified writers of color who do not currently have the experience necessary to be a lead teacher with Writers in the Schools and would like to gain that experience, can consider applying to our apprentice program.
The Writer of Color fellowship is designed to promote perspectives from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds, and encourage diverse writers to apply for Oregon Literary Fellowships.
Literary Arts is a community-based nonprofit literary organization dedicated to serving Oregon's readers and writers. Its mission is to engage readers, support writers, and inspire the next generation with great literature.
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| Spotlight on Writers of Color: Literary Arts recently hosted author Samiya Bashir at the Poetry & Politics reading. |
Susan Moore, Director of Program for Writers at Literary Arts, shares more about the Writers of Color opportunity in this Q&A. In her role, she oversees the judging and administration of the Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships program, programs the writing classes and curates the free literary events at the downtown Literary Arts center.
How did the Writers of Color fellowship come about?
We wanted to encourage more diversity in our fellowship applications overall. We awarded our first Writers of Color Fellowship in 2016. This year will be our third year offering it. The goal of the Writers of Color Fellowship is to promote perspectives from a variety of cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds, and encourage diverse writers to apply for fellowships. Literary Arts hires out of state judges to determine the recipients.
Why is this an important undertaking for Literary Arts?
We want the Oregon Literary Fellowships recipients to represent the diversity of our community.
Also in the past there has been a lack of diversity in the finalists and winners of the Oregon Book Awards, which are awarded every year to Oregon’s published writers. One of the long-term goals with the Writer of Color fellowship is that it will help support more writers of color on the path to book publication, and increase the diversity of Oregon Book Awards finalists overall.
What does Literary Arts hope to accomplish with the fellowship?
In addition to the above stated goals,we hope that the financial support will give voice to those writers who have historically been excluded.
Literary Arts is also partnering again this year with Ooligan Press at Portland State University to offer free admission to Ooligan’s Write to Publish conference for all Writer of Color fellowship applicants.
Who should apply?
Self-identified writers of color who are current, full-time Oregon residents are eligible to apply. There is no charge to apply, and although we award one Writer of Color fellowship each year, all writers who apply for a Writer of Color fellowship will also be considered for our other fellowships as well. For example, the writer Josha Nathan received the 2017 Writer of Color fellowship. We awarded nine fellowships to writers overall, and in addition to Josha, four of the other nine fellowshisp went to writers of color who had applied for the Writer of Color fellowship but ended up receiving another fellowship in their genre.
What are the top criteria for the fellowship?
Literary merit is the top criteria for all of our fellowships. Applicants submit a writing sample, and the writing sample is the primary information the judges use to determine fellowship recipients.
What are the expectations for selected fellows?
Literary Arts asks that all fellowship recipients, within one year of receiving their fellowship, submit a brief, written report regarding the use of funds. In addition, recipients are asked to acknowledge Literary Arts in any publications which fellowship funds assisted and to provide a copy for Literary Arts’ permanent collection.
What other ways can diverse, up-and-coming writers connect with Literary Arts programs?
Literary Arts partners with many local organizations throughout the year to offer free literary programming at our downtown center. Last year, some of our free literary events included a panel discussion on race and writing, a reading of writers of color with local publishers, a reading series focused on LGBTQ writers, and several events produced with Unchaste Reader Series, a series which features a diverse line up of female-identified writers.
We also offer writing classes throughout the year, with scholarships and also the opportunity to volunteer in exchange for class tuition.
Wordstock, Portland’s Book Festival, is November 11. The festival features a diverse line up of local and national authors. Our Writers in the Schools program (WITS) is now offering an apprenticeship opportunity for writers of color. Self-identified writers of color who do not currently have the experience necessary to be a lead teacher with Writers in the Schools and would like to gain that experience, can consider applying to our apprentice program.