Applications open for NEA Literature Fellowships: Prose (US)

Applications are reviewed through an anonymous process in which the primary criteria for review are the artistic excellence and artistic merit of the submitted writing sample. Through this program, the NEA seeks to strengthen the literary arts ecosystem by sustaining and nurturing a wide range of creative writers at various stages of their careers and to continue to expand the portfolio of American art available to people from all backgrounds.

The fellowships were designed to give recipients time and space to write and revise, and—should they seek it—time to conduct research and work towards gaining more exposure, publication opportunities, critical reviews, job offers, self-confidence, financial security, and a sense of community.

Since its inception, the fellowships program has supported more than 3,800 writers, often years before their work was acknowledged by other awards and appointments and at critical stages of their careers.

Funding Information

• Total Expected Award Funding: $1,750,000
• Expected Dollar Value of Awards: $50,000
• Anticipated Number of Awards: 35
• Duration: NEA support of a project may begin any time between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026, and may extend for up to two years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Individual U.S. citizens or permanent residents who meet the publication requirements are eligible to apply. Ineligible applications will be rejected without panel review.
• Publication Requirements:
  • You are eligible to apply if you have had published between January 1, 2015, and March 12, 2025:
    • At least five different short stories, works of short fiction, excerpts from novels or memoirs, or creative essays (or any combination thereof) in two or more literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or publications that regularly include fiction and/or creative nonfiction as a portion of their content; or
    • A novel or novella; or
    • A volume of short fiction or a collection of short stories; or
    • A volume of creative nonfiction

Ineligibility Criteria

• An individual may submit only one application for FY 2026 Literature Fellowships funding. You cannot apply for a Creative Writing Fellowship if you applied at the January 16, 2025, deadline for an FY 2026 Translation Project Fellowship.
  • You also may not apply:
    • If you have already received two or more Fellowships (in poetry, prose, or translation) from the NEA, or
    • If you have received any NEA Fellowship (in poetry, prose, or translation) on or after January 1, 2017 (FY 2017).
• The following content cannot be used to establish eligibility:
  • Pre-publication material, such as galleys, proofs, and advance reader’s copies
  • Work that has appeared in a publication for which you are the editor, publisher, or staff
  • Collaborative work
  • Scholarly writing
  • Instructional writing
  • News Reporting
  • Book reviews
  • Editorials/letters to the editor
  • Interviews

Application Requirements

• A complete Creative Writing Fellowship application consists of:
  • An Application for Federal Domestic Assistance—Individual Form
  • Attaching the required items to the Attachments Form:
    • Writing sample
    • List of publications to establish eligibility.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.