creative writing fellowships 2021 uk

Supporting writers since 1790

We believe writers matter because writing matters.

Professional writers should be able to sustain themselves and thrive, even when times are hard. The Royal Literary Fund offers financial support, advice and earning opportunities across the UK, enabling writers to keep writing and to share their skills with others.

Supporting Writers

We offer a range of grants to professional writers needing short-term to long-term financial support. They might be facing an unexpected bill, reduced income, or unable to write due to a change in circumstances, sickness, disability, or age.

The RLF also offers earning opportunities for professional writers through our Fellowship scheme who work as Fellows sharing their expertise with others. We place writers in over 100 universities across the UK, helping students to develop their academic writing.

News & Features

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Our commitment to advancing public education begins with our Fellowship scheme. Find out how we work with educational institutions across the UK, our Bridge school workshops and consultancy programme, and how writers can apply to the Fellowship scheme.

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Our Writing for Life programme enables writers to share their skills in their local community. They are trained to deliver workshops on writing for self-expression, building writing skills in the workplace, and hosting reading round groups for their local communities.

WritersMosaic

WritersMosaic, a division of the Royal Literary Fund, is an online magazine and developmental resource focused on UK writers of the global majority, reflecting the changing reality of contemporary Britain, from its past and into its future.

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We offer a comprehensive range of guides to help students at all stages of the writing process.

Meet Our Writers

Browse our directory of RLF Fellows, past and present. Our writers help to deliver the many programmes we operate across the UK.

A collection of interviews, reflections and articles written by our writers, exploring all aspects of literary life.

The Jessie Kesson Fellowship

Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre invites established writers to apply for the 2024 Jessie Kesson Fellowship. This award was established in 2009 by Moniack Mhor to honour Jessie Kesson’s inspirational life and work.

The jessie kesson fellow receives time and space to develop their work, as well as opportunities to expand their practice. this includes delivering creative writing workshops based on or inspired by jessie kesson’s life and work, with local youth groups, libraries, or community groups., the 2024 jessie kesson fellow is daisy lafarge, read more about daisy and view the shortlist here, applications for the 2024 jessie kesson fellowship open on monday 22nd january and close at 23:59 on thursday 15 th february, 2024..

The 2024 Fellow will:

• Live on-site at Moniack Mhor from Monday 26 th August – Saturday 14 th September 2024 .
• Receive a stipend of £350 per week (up to 3 weeks), plus travel and accommodation.
• Have the opportunity to deliver a creative writing workshop based on or inspired by Jessie Kesson’s life and work, with young writers, local youth groups, libraries, or community groups.
• Take part in a public evening event in the form of a reading or lecture.
• Have the option to contribute one piece of work to Moniack Mhor at the end of the residency.

The final terms of the Fellowship will be agreed by the successful candidate and Moniack Mhor.

Eligibility

The fellowship is open to established writers working in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, song-writing, or playwriting. To be eligible for the fellowship, applicants must have had at least one major piece of work published by a UK publishing house (for example, one novel, one short-story collection, one poetry pamphlet or collection, one album, or had one professional production of their work staged). It is also desirable that applicants have experience of delivering workshops, or working with children and young people and/or community groups. The Fellowship is open to UK-based writers. Travel costs within the UK will be covered by the Fellowship. We would particularly encourage applications from those who experience barriers to the writing process.

Application

Please apply by sending one document (preferably in Microsoft Word format):

• A CV which includes previous experience of work with young people and/or community groups.
• A covering letter demonstrating your qualifications for the fellowship and how it would benefit your work.
• A sample of your work (maximum 2,000 words, or 6 pages of poetry, doubled-spaced and single-sided)
• We would also appreciate if you were able to complete our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Monitoring Form,  link to online form here.  The information in this form is gathered anonymously.

Applications open on Monday 22nd January 2024 and close at 23:59 on Thursday 15 th February, 2024. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by end of April 2024.

Applications should be sent by email to: [email protected] with the subject line Jessie Kesson Fellowship. You will receive an automatic email confirming receipt of your submission.  Please contact us on  [email protected]  if you do not receive the automatic reply.  (Please do check spam or junk folder first.)

Applications can also be submitted by post to Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre, Teavarran, Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire IV4 7HT. Please let us know by email or phone if you are submitting by post.

For any enquiries relating to the Jessie Kesson Fellowship, please contact us on [email protected]  or telephone 01463 592 828.

Read about our most recent Jessie Kesson Fellows below:

2024 Fellow

2023 Fellows

2022 Fellow

2021 Fellow

2020 Fellow

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• Whiting Award
• Nonfiction Grant
• Magazine Prizes
• Discover Writing

Creative Nonfiction Grant

Intensely researched nonfiction books, written with an artful sensitivity to depth and nuance, have always been important in shaping the way we understand the world; today they are essential..

In recent decades many extraordinary writers have contributed crucial works extending the form. Since this grant was established in 2016, the Foundation is proud to have supported dozens of books that have joined their ranks: Sarah M. Broom's The Yellow House , George Packer's  Our Man , Kristen Radtke's  Seek You , Andrea Elliot's Invisible Child , Meghan O'Rourke's  The Invisible Kingdom , Chloé Cooper Jones's  Easy Beauty , Rachel Aviv's  Strangers to Ourselves , Ilyon Woo's  Master Slave Husband Wife , and Patricia Evangelista's  Some People Need Killing , to name just a few examples. Such projects require a wealth of time and resources. The path to a groundbreaking book is long and intensive, and the research process is unpredictable—even a generous advance from a supportive publisher may run out just as a writer unearths an essential piece of the story they are trying to tell, something transformative that leads to new questions. Recognizing this challenge to the creation of such exemplary works of literature, the Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant’s chief objective is to foster original, ambitious projects brought to the highest possible standard . Knowing that writers of color often face additional structural hurdles to securing institutional resources to support such projects, we particularly encourage applications from them. Explore all previous grant winners here .

The application window for the 2024 Creative Nonfiction Grant is closed. Applications were due April 23, 2024.

The guidelines below are for reference only. Guidelines for the 2025 cycle will be available in February 2025.

The 2024 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant of $40,000 will be awarded to as many as ten writers in the process of completing a book-length work of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction for a general adult readership. It is intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and focused research, thinking, and writing at a crucial point mid-process, after significant work has been accomplished but when an extra infusion of support can make a difference in the ultimate shape and quality of the work.

Whiting welcomes applications for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays, among other categories. Again, the work should be intended for a general, not academic, adult reader. Self-help titles, historical fiction, textbooks, books primarily for a scholarly audience, and books for young readers are not eligible. Examples of the wide range of previous grantees can be found here .

Projects must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US by April 23 to be eligible. Contracts with self-publishing companies are not eligible.

Writers must submit the following materials via an online application   form by 11:59pm ET on Tuesday, April 23 :

• The original proposal that led to the contract with a publisher
• Up to 25,000 words from your draft. Please submit full-length draft chapters, rather than short excerpts from across your book, to the extent the word count allows
• A statement of work yet to be completed
• A plan for use of funds
• A signed and dated contract (please note that to be eligible, books must be under contract with a Canadian, UK, or US publisher – unfortunately, we can make no exceptions to this requirement)
• A current resume
• A list of grants, fellowships, or other funding received for the book
• A letter of support from your publisher or editor

Each project under submission will have two first-round readers who will evaluate for substance and execution (while understanding that they are reading a work in progress). Finalists will be considered by a separate panel of judges who will evaluate for need in addition to substance and execution. Readers and judges will consist of experts in the field from Canada, the UK, and the US, and will serve anonymously to shield them from any external pressures. The grantees will be announced in December.

The Foundation hosted two online information sessions to answer questions and offer guidance on applying for the grant. You can watch a recording of an info session here . If you have any questions about the eligibility of your project or the application process, please contact the Whiting Foundation at [email protected] .

Regardless of eligibility for this grant, Whiting encourages nonfiction writers at all stages of the writing process to consult the Poets & Writers’ Writing Contests, Grants & Awards  database for other opportunities for support.

Nonfiction authors with books under contract with a publisher might also consider applying to the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards .

A few opportunities open to nonfiction writers not under contract with a publisher include:

• AWP Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction
• Cullman Center Fellowships at the NYPL
• Fund for Investigative Journalism
• Gournay Prize from Ohio State University Press
• Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize
• Leon Levy Center for Biography Fellowships
• NEH Public Scholars program
• NEH Fellowships
• Silvers Grants for Works in Progress
• The Yale Nonfiction Book Prize
• Zone 3 Press Creative Nonfiction Book Award

Gavin Wallace Fellowship 2022 - Funding for organisations to host writing residency

05 July 2022

Creative Scotland invites applications from cultural, education, health and organisations within other environments to host a writer in residence.

Funding from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland is available to organisations to host a  Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship  which offers mid-career and established writers time to develop creative work during a year-long residency.

Previous Fellow partnerships include author and poet,  Jenni Fagan  at Edinburgh’s  Summerhall;  playwriter,  Morna Young  at  Aberdeen City Council’s Creative Learning resource ;  fiction writer,  Kirsty Logan  at the University of Glasgow’s  Association for Scottish Literary Studies ,  playwriter/poet,  Martin O’Connor  at the  Playwright’s Studio Scotland  in partnership with the  Royal Lyceum Theatre  and  Helen Sedgwick  with Creative Scotland.

Organisations applying to host the Fellowship are invited to suggest a broad theme related to their own work. The successful host organisation will then recruit a writing fellow. An award of £25,000 is available and will be split into a £20,000 stipend for the successful writer and £5,000 for the host organisation.

Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing at Creative Scotland said:  “The Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship provides not only invaluable time and space for a writer to create new work; it offers a partnership with a Scottish arts organisation and a specific context to help form that work and make something unique.

“We’re looking for applications from organisations interested in hosting a writer and being part of that creative partnership. The list of writers who have been awarded the fellowship in past years and the quality of the resulting work demonstrates just how beneficial this relationship can be for an organisation.”

Pictured: Helen Sedgwick (image by Michael Gallacher)

Author and 2021 Fellow, Helen Sedgwick  said: "The Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship has been transformational for me as a writer. The time and space to become fully immersed in an inter-planetary environmental science fiction series has enabled me to produce my most exciting writing to date, and the professional development support has revolutionised the way I was thinking about my own career. It has given me conviction, confidence, and a renewed belief in my writing and myself; it has been a life-changing year."

Full application guidance and application details can be accessed  on the Creative Scotland website .

Application deadline: Friday 12 August 2022.

The  Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship  was established in 2014 in memory of Dr Gavin Wallace who dedicated his entire professional life to supporting Scottish literature. Following the sad loss of Dr Wallace in February 2013, Creative Scotland established an annual fellowship in his name to honour his memory and commemorate and continue his good work. The fund is supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.

The National Lottery  has raised more than £42 billion for over 625,000 good causes across the UK since 1994. Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £1.2 billion has been awarded in the last year to support communities and thousands of organisations across the UK to cope with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.  https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/

Creative Scotland  is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at  creativescotland.com . Follow us on  Twitter ,  Facebook  and  Instagram.  Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at  www.ourcreativevoice.scot.

Media Contacts

You can find contact details for our Media & PR team in  our Media Centre.

Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS)

• Calls and funding
• Early Career Network

UCL Creative Fellowships open for 2021 - Encounters with the Creative Humanities

17 December 2020

The Institute of Advanced Studies is delighted to open its call for creative practitioners to become one of our Creative Fellows for 2021.

The Creative Fellowships are designed to create time and space for practitioners from any areas of creative practice to engage with researchers and students at UCL, and after a successful pilot last year we are re-opening the programme to applicants.

The Creative Fellowships award

This year we are offering a grant of £5,000 to work on a project titled ‘ Encounters with the Creative Humanities’.

Encounters aims to unpack creativity and the creative method, and to explore how creative practice operates as a form of knowing, exploring or discovering as well as doing, seeking to recognise the value of creative practice as knowledge creation and knowledge disruption. The Fellowship aims to allow a creative practitioner to explore, through their own practice, one or more of the following questions:

• How can creative practice connect with academic research to develop new ways of knowing?
• How can a creative, practice-based approach to the humanities help societies or communities create or disrupt the future?

The programme is broadly focused on the fields of performance, creative writing, visual arts or media, but we are open to receiving expressions of interest from practitioners from any creative field.

Our Fellows will be asked to respond creatively to the questions posed above and then plan and deliver at least two digital events aimed at staff or students at UCL. These could be seminars, creative workshops, performance events or any other medium that allows people to explore creativity collaboratively.

What we are looking for

We are looking for creative practitioners from any field who are interested in working within a university context for a period of time, to explore shared interests with researchers and students at UCL around the value of the ‘creative humanities’.

We are particularly interested in working with practitioners who may not have any prior experience of working with a university, and are committed to providing support to help the Fellow to navigate our university ‘walls’ and engage meaningfully with our communities.

I think the openness and willingness to get involved is key; taking part in IAS seminars was the thing that I found most daunting, but it was the biggest surprise to me, how beneficial that was. The close scrutiny and attention of fellow researchers to one's work, was/is challenging at first but ultimately a really special experience.  Nicola Baldwin, Playwright and UCL Creative Fellow 2019-20

Completed applications should be submitted by Friday 22 January 2021 . You will be informed as to whether your proposal has been shortlisted by Friday 5 February, with short (online) interviews taking place the week commencing 8 February.

Fellowships would be expected to start from 1 March (or later by agreement), and must finish (including all payments made) by 31 July 2021.

Most of our community is currently still working remotely, but we hope to be able to return to some face-face interactions at some point during the first half of 2021, government regulations permitting.

Please complete and submit an Expression of Interest Form along with your CV and/or link to a digital portfolio/website, to the Creative Fellowships Project Manager by 5pm on Friday 22 January: Laura Mackenzie: [email protected]

Find out more about UCL Creative Fellowships:

• UCL Creative Fellowships 2021 - Programme Overview
• Launch of UCL Creative Fellowships – July 2019
• Recording of first draft reading of Wasteland , a new play by Nicola Baldwin

Creative writing competition: The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2021

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Hawthornden Literary Retreat

Located in Lasswade to the south of Edinburgh, Hawthornden Castle offers residencies in a peaceful setting where writers can work without disturbance. Fellows are provided with accommodation, board, and food. The Retreat houses six writers at a time, known as Hawthornden Fellows, in sessions lasting four weeks each. The Retreat is international in character and welcomes applications from writers from all over the world.

Writers awarded a fellowship will be invited to attend one of eight annual sessions. Each session lasts four weeks. The sessions run from January to June and from September to December.

Applications are made for the following calendar year and the deadline for submitting applications is 30 June. Visit this website for more details and information on how to apply.

Ignite Fellowship

The Scottish Book Trust Ignite Fellowship is an annual award supporting the talents and ambitions of professional writers. There are three awards available in total, including one specifically for a writer working in Gaelic.

The successful applicants receive a £2,000 cash award; a tailored personal development opportunities which can include mentoring from writers, industry professionals and networking opportunities; a week-long writing retreat at Moniack Mhor; a showcase event in a bookshop; and training and support in marketing, promotion and press.

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information and to apply.

In 2017, the Edinburgh International Book Festival supported ten writers to travel across the Americas as part of the Outriders: ‘an ambitious exploration of the idea that in shifting, disorienting times, a writer can make a unique contribution to our understanding of the world, giving voice to untold stories and providing new insights on contemporary geopolitical contexts.’  

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is planning to continue with the programme, this time supporting ten writers to embark on a journey through Africa. Visit this website to learn more and watch author videos.

Moniack Mhor International Writer Residency

Moniack Mhor is Scotland’s National Writing Centre based in the Scottish Highlands. With the support of the British Council, it has established an international residency to honour Muriel Spark’s inspirational international life and work.

The residency is open to established and mid-career writers living or working outside of the UK. The successful candidate receives a month-long residency, including a stipend of £1000, a travel budget, accommodation and all subsistence.

Visit the Moniack Mhor website for details of future residencies.

The Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship

The Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship is an annual award offering professional writers a month-long writing retreat at Hôtel Chevillon International Arts Centre at Grez-sur-Loing in France. In addition to the opportunity to write in a peaceful and inspiring environment, fellows receive a stipend of £1,200 and travel expenses to and from the hotel.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship is currently rescheduled for 2021. Visit the Scottish Book Trust website to find out more.

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Residencies.

The NCW residency programme encompasses in-person and virtual residencies for writers and translators. We work with a wide range of partners and funders to support NCW residencies and exchanges, and we also publicise opportunities for creatives to take part in residencies with fellow UNESCO Cities of Literature around the world.

What is the NCW residency programme?

Hear from NCW Associate Programme Director Kate Griffin and previous NCW residents on the different strands of our residencies, the benefits, and how we share and facilitate opportunities for writers and literary translators.

Explore NCW Residencies

Opportunities and past work from our residents.

Browse upcoming residency opportunities

We regularly host open calls for in-person and virtual residencies with the National Centre for Writing, as well as promoting residencies in other UNESCO Cities of Literature.

Past and future residents

Browse all past and future writers and translators in residence with National Centre for Writing.

Meet the World

A series of events which aim to celebrate our ongoing connections with international writers and translators by sharing their writing and ideas with new readers.

Dragon Hall Retreats

A Retreat in the Dragon Hall Cottage is an investment in your writing and an opportunity to get away from it all. We welcome applications for single or joint retreats from anyone interested in creative writing or literary translation.

Imagining the City

Virtual residencies and digital exchanges, connecting Norwich to writers and translators from around the world. The programme includes a wide range of commissions and events.

Walking Norwich

Find out more about all our residents’ experience of Norwich UNESCO City of Literature through Walking Norwich — a collection of real and imagined journeys through the city. Image © VisitNorwich

Being selected for this residency was a highlight of this year for me

Dragon Hall residencies

Throughout the year, we offer residencies in Norwich to writers and translators from the UK and around the world, introducing them to local writers and translators at the monthly Dragon Hall Social .

In-person residencies are hosted in the Cottage, part of the Dragon Hall campus, and generally last between one week and one month. You can discover more about the Cottage here →

Details of our current Dragon Hall residents and the projects they are working on are found below. 

Virtual residencies

We also offer virtual residencies to writers and translators, usually part-time over several months, bringing national and international voices and ideas to Norwich and beyond through commissions , podcasts and online events . 

Details of our current virtual residents and the projects they are working on can be found below. 

Current residents

We are delighted to host two residents in our cottage at Dragon Hall.

Mikołaj Denderski 

Gabriel Wu (September 2024)

We are delighted to host four writers in virtual residence, with support from the National Arts Council of Singapore. Joyce Chua, Marylyn Tan, Lisabelle Tay and Jerrold Yam will be in virtual residence from June to December 2024.

We are delighted to host three translators in virtual residence as part of the Visible Communities programme. Elhum Shakerifar, JC Niala and Phương Anh will be in virtual residence from September to November 2024.

View our past residents here →

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Fully Funded MFA Programs in Creative Writing

As part of our series  How to Fully Fund Your Master’s Degree , here is a list of universities that have fully funded MFA programs in creative writing. A Master’s of Fine Arts in creative writing can lead to a career as a professional writer, in academia, and more.

Fully funded MFA programs in Creative Writing offer a financial aid package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend or salary during the entire program, which for Master’s degrees is usually 1-2 years. Funding usually comes with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study. Not all universities fully fund their Master’s students, which is why researching the financial aid offerings of many different programs, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad, is essential.

In addition to listing fully funded Master’s and PhD programs, the ProFellow fellowships database also includes external funding opportunities for graduate school, including fellowships for dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, study abroad, summer work experiences, and professional development.

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded Master’s and PhD programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards !

Here is the list of 53 universities that offer fully-funded MFA programs (Master’s of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing.

University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL): Students admitted to the MFA Program are guaranteed full financial support for up to 4-years. Assistantships include a stipend paid over nine months (currently $14,125), and full payment of up to 15 credit hours of graduate tuition.

University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ): All accepted MFA students receive full funding through a graduate teaching assistantship for 3 years. This package includes tuition remission, health insurance, and a modest stipend (in 2018 it was about $16,100 per academic year).

Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ): 3-year program. All students admitted to the MFA program who submit a complete and approved teaching assistantship application are awarded a TA by the Department of English. Each assistantship carries a three-course per year load and includes a tuition waiver and health insurance in addition to the TA stipend ($18,564 per year). In addition, students have diverse opportunities for additional financial and professional support.

University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR): Four-year program. Teaching assistantships currently carry an annual stipend of $13,500 for students with a BA. TAs also receive a waiver of all tuition costs and teach two courses each semester. Nearly all of our accepted students receive TAs. Additionally, the students compete each year for several fellowships.

Boise State University (Boise, Idaho): 3-year fully funded MFA program dedicated to poetry and fiction. All students receive a tuition waiver, health insurance, and a Teaching Assistantship with a stipend of $11,450 per year.

Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH): 2-year program, graduate assistantships (including stipend and scholarship) are available for all eligible face-to-face students. 100% tuition scholarship. Graduate stipend (the 2020-21 stipend is $11,500).

Brown University (Providence, RI): All incoming MFA students received full funding. All graduate students receive a fellowship that pays a monthly stipend and provides tuition remission, the health fee, and health insurance. The stipend for the 2020-2021 academic year is $29,926. Also, students in good standing receive a summer stipend of $2,993.

Boston University (Boston, MA): Tuition costs will be covered for every admitted student for the MFA degree in the BU Creative Writing Program. In addition, admitted students will receive university health insurance while they are enrolled, and all admitted students will receive stipend support of roughly $16,000 for the academic year.

Cornell University (Ithaca, NY): All MFA degree candidates are guaranteed 2 years of funding (including a stipend, a full-tuition fellowship, and student health insurance).

University of California Irvine (Irvine, CA): 3-year program. The Department is committed to providing 3 full years of financial support to all domestic students in the MFA Programs in Writing. Financial support for MFA students is given in the form of Teaching Assistantships providing full tuition coverage as well as University health insurance. Students will earn an estimated $22,569 for the academic year.

University of California San Diego (La Jolla, CA): MFA in Writing students are eligible for financial support if they study full-time, maintain good academic standing and make timely progress toward the degree. All students are eligible for full funding, including international students provided they meet the English language certification requirement for teaching assistants.

University of California Riverside (Riverside, CA): All incoming students are granted a full fellowship and stipend for their first year. After the first year, students receive full tuition and a salary through teaching assistantships.

Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL): 3-year program. All of the MFA students qualify for a position as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. The GTA position comes with a tuition waiver and a stipend. The standard stipend is $9,000, but some enhanced stipends are available. The Graduate College offers several fellowships for current graduate students.

Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL): The majority of students receive support in the form of a teaching assistantship and are provided with a stipend, a tuition waiver, and a health-insurance subsidy. MFA students receive a three-year assistantship. For 2022-23, MA/MFA stipends will be $16,400, and typically these amounts go up each year. Also, The FSU Graduate School offers several fellowships and awards.

Georgia College & State University (Milledgeville, GA): The MFA Program offers workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and students take cross-genre workshops. All students admitted to the MFA program receive a Graduate Assistantship for all 3 years that includes a stipend and tuition remission.

University of Houston (Houston, TX): MFA students can receive a teaching assistantship for 3 years. Starting salary for MFAs is $17,935/9 months. Students in the Creative. As part of the assistantship, students are awarded either a Graduate Tuition Fellowship, which remits tuition, or a Creative Writing Program Fellowship, which covers the cost of tuition.

University of Idaho (Moscow, Idaho): All English Teaching Assistants (TA’s) are offered full tuition waivers. Teaching Assistants are given a stipend of $14,000 per year. Also offers three scholarships and three outstanding fellowships to support qualified MFA, graduate students.

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, IL): Three-year MFA program. Students accepted into the MFA program will receive full tuition waivers, guaranteed teaching assistantships.

Indiana University (Bloomington, IN): M.F.A. programs offer a generous teaching package to creative writing students. All applicants receive consideration for appropriate fellowships that will carry a stipend of about $19,000, plus tuition and fee-remission that covers roughly 90% of the cost of enrollment.

Iowa State University (Ames, IA): 3-year MFA program. Starting half-time 20 hours per week teaching assistantships for MFA students total $19,250 over 10 months and also receive a full-tuition waiver scholarship (approximate value $10,140) and health insurance coverage. The department has several resources available through which to offer fellowships and scholarships to qualifying new students.

University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA): 2-year residency program. Financial assistance is available for all students enrolled in the program, in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Most fellowships and assistantships provide either tuition scholarships or full tuition remission.

John Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD): 2-year program. All students receive full tuition, health insurance, and a generous teaching fellowship, currently set at $30,500 per year. Some students work as assistant editors on The Hopkins Review. They often win prizes such as Stegner Fellowships or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

University of Maryland (College Park, MD): This 3-year program accepts 8 applicants who are fully funded by Teaching Assistantships for up to three years of graduate study. Our aid packages include a stipend of about $20,000 per academic year and 60 credit hours of tuition remission.

Miami University (Oxford, OH): All students admitted to the MFA program in Creative Writing hold generous Graduate Assistantships (which include a summer stipend). Non-teaching assistantships may also be available.

University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL): An intensive two-year study with a third year option. The James Michener Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships support all our graduate students. Awards include a full tuition waiver and annual stipend of $18,915.

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI): All MFA students accepted into the program are offered a full tuition waiver, a stipend of $23,000/yearly as well as $5,000 in summer funding, and health care benefits. Additionally, various fellowships and prizes are awarded each year to MFA students.

University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): All admitted MFAs receive full funding, in the form of teaching assistantships or fellowships. Teaching assistantships carry a full tuition waiver, health benefits, and a stipend of about $18,600. Also, a variety of fellowships are available for graduate students.

University of Mississippi (University, MS): All of our students are fully funded.  We offer two main sources of funding, the Grisham Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships.

University of Nevada Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV): 3-year program. All MFA students admitted to the Creative Writing International program at UNLV are offered Graduate Assistantship funding of $15,000 per year (which includes in-state tuition and provisions for health insurance).

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL): Funding is provided for 3 full years, summers included. Tuition is covered by a tuition scholarship during any quarter in which you are receiving a stipend.

University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN): Every student admitted to the MFA receives a full-tuition scholarship, a fellowship that carries a full stipend of $16,000 per year and access to a 100% health insurance subsidy.

North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC): A two-year, fully-funded program, They accept only about a dozen students each year and offer full funding in the form of a graduate teaching assistantship to all eligible admitted applicants.

Ohio State University (Columbus, OH): All admitted students are fully funded for our 3-year MFA program in Creative Writing. In addition, all students receive either a graduate teaching associateship, a Graduate School fellowship or a combination of the two. For graduate teaching associateships, the student receives a stipend of at least $17,000 for the nine-month academic year.

University of Oregon (Eugene OR): A two-year residency MFA program. All incoming MFA students funded with a teaching appointment. Student instructors receive tuition remission, monthly stipends of approximately $18,000.

Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR): All students admitted to the MFA program will automatically receive a standard teaching Graduate Teaching Assistantship contract, which provides full tuition remission and stipend of approximately $12,800 per year to cover living expenses. In addition to tuition remission, all graduate students have the option to receive 89% coverage of health insurance costs for themselves and their dependents.

University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA): 3-year MFA program. All students admitted to the program will receive Teaching Assistantships for two or three years. All Teaching Assistantships include salary, medical benefits, and tuition remission.

Rutgers University–Newark (Newark, NJ): Each full-time incoming student receives in-state Tuition Remission and a Chancellor’s Stipend of 15K per year. Students are also eligible for Teaching Assistantships, and Part-Time Lectureships teaching Comp or Creative Writing. Teaching Assistantships are $25,969 (approximate) plus health benefits.

University of South Florida (Tampa, FL): 3-year program. MFA students receive a tuition waiver, a teaching assistantship that comes with a stipend, and enrollment in group health insurance.

Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL): Almost all MFA students hold graduate assistantships, which provide stipends for the academic year and full remission of tuition. The annual stipend, which comes with tuition remission, ranges from $13,000 to $14,500.

Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY): Three-Year M.F.A. in Creative Writing. All students are fully funded. Each student admitted receives a full-tuition scholarship in addition to an annual stipend of $17,500.

University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC): 3-year MFA program. The MFA at Carolina is pleased to provide fellowship and/or assistantship funding to all accepted students, earning our program the designation of “fully funded” from Poets and Writers.

University of Tennessee — Knoxville (Knoxville, TN): There is no cost to apply to the MFA program. All of our PhD candidates and MFA students are fully funded, with generous opportunities for additional financial support.

University of Texas in Austin (Austin, TX): All students in the New Writers Project receive three years of full funding through a combination of teaching assistantships (TA), assistant instructorships (AI), and fellowship support. The complete package includes full tuition remission, health insurance, and a salary.

University of Texas James Michener Center (Austin, TX): A three-year, fully funded residency MFA program that provides full and equal funding to every writer. All admitted students receive a fellowship of $29,500 per academic year, plus total coverage of tuition.

Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN): Each year a small, select class of talented writers of fiction and poetry enroll in Vanderbilt’s three-year, fully-funded MFA Program in Creative Writing. The University Fellowship provides full-tuition benefits, health insurance, and a stipend of $30,000/yearly. In 2nd year and third-year students have the opportunity to teach for one semester.

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA): Three-year MFA program. Students will receive fellowship support and/or teaching income in the amount of $20,000 each academic year, as well as full funding of your tuition, enrollment fees, and the health insurance premium for single-person coverage through the university.

Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA): Three-year MFA degree offers tracks in Poetry and Fiction, and all students are fully and equally funded via GTA-ships of more than $20,000 per year.

Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO): Because of selectivity and size they are able to offer all the new students full and equal financial aid for both years in the program in the form of a University Fellowship, which provides a complete tuition waiver plus a stipend sufficient for students to live comfortably in our relatively inexpensive city. All MFA students receive health insurance through Washington University.

Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, KY): Three-year, fully-funded, residential MFA program in creative writing offering generous assistantships, which will allow MFA students to gain valuable experience tutoring and teaching.

West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV): A three-year program. All Master of Fine Arts students receive a full tuition waiver and an assistantship, which includes a stipend valued at $16,750.

Wichita State University (Wichita, Kansas): Most of the MFA students are GTAs who teach two composition classes each semester. They pay no tuition, receive $4,250 each semester and may buy discounted health insurance. The MFA program also awards two $12,500 fellowships each year.

University of Wisconsin–Madison (Madison, WI): All accepted MFA candidates receive tuition remissions, teaching assistantships, generous health insurance, and other financial support. In addition to the approximately $14,680 paid to each MFA annually in exchange for teaching, every MFA candidate will receive another $9,320 in scholarships each year.

University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY): All of our full-time MFA students are fully funded with two-year graduate assistantships. Currently, assistantships include a stipend of $12,330 per academic year, a tuition and fees waiver, and student health insurance. Students also receive summer stipends of up to $2,000 for the summer.

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Harper-Wood Creative Writing & Travel Award

• Award details

Further information

The Harper-Wood Creative Writing & Travel Award for English Poetry and Literature is to encourage a project of creative writing by making it possible for the holder to engage in relevant, project-related travel and study.

Please note that the Award is intended primarily for creative writers who are in the initial stages of their careers. Applications are encouraged from writers whose work has not yet achieved book-length publication (e.g. novel, book of short stories, poetry collection, play).

Applications are usually accepted in February, and at this time a written notice with further details is published.

Previous holders include Madeleine Pulman-Jones, Thom Gunn, Michael Hofmann, Giles Foden, Amit Chaudhuri, Gaby Wood, Sarah Howe, Isabella Hammad, Erin Soros and Vahni Capildeo.

The 2023-2024 Harper-Wood Award-holder is Mukahang Limbu from the University of Oxford. Mukahang has taken over from the 2022-2023 award-holder Lucy Thynne.

Applications for the 2024-2025 award are now open

During the period of tenure, the Award Holder is expected to engage in a course of study or research, not necessarily attached to a university or other institution, leading up to the production of original fiction, poetry or drama. If, however, the candidate proposes to study or research at a University or other institution, such an attachment need not be finalised before applying for the Award.  All or part of the period of tenure must be spent in a country of the candidate's choice, outside the United Kingdom (i.e. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). The Award refrains from imposing too many rules and regulations in an attempt to remain faithful to its ethos of enabling a period of creative writing in English Literature. In their application, however, candidates should give a detailed outline of their projected course of study/research and travel plan, and they should make a strong case for its relevance to the creative writing project. It is a condition of election that at the time of the election the candidate be a graduate of any University of Great Britain (i.e. England, Scotland and Wales), Ireland, the Commonwealth or the United States of America.  

The Award is tenable for one year and is not renewable. The Award Holder will be admitted to membership of the College and will normally be expected to take up their Award on 1 October of that academic year. The Award Holder will be invited by the Fellows in English to visit the College either during or immediately after their tenure, to give one or more talks about their experience. Funding of the Award will be determined by the College Council in light of the candidate’s qualifications and financial circumstances (including payments from other sources), up to a maximum of £17,600. This sum is intended to cover accommodation and other living expenses during the successful candidate's tenure. Additional financial assistance is also available to enable the successful candidate to meet travel costs incurred.

Applications for the 2023-2024 Award are now closed.

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CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS

The National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in  prose  (fiction and creative nonfiction) and  poetry  to published creative writers that enable the recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. 

This program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years. In 2024 we will be accepting applications in poetry.  

Learn  more about past recipients of our literature fellowships  in the Literary Arts Impact section. 

If you have questions about your application, please contact the Literary Arts staff at 202-682-5034 or email  [email protected]

Stay Connected to the National Endowment for the Arts

MA Creative Writing

Course options

Key Details

Course Overview

UEA pioneered the teaching of Creative Writing more than 50 years ago and is globally regarded as a leader of the subject. UEA has mentored countless award-winning authors, including Booker Prize winners Ian McEwan, Anne Enright, and Nobel Laureate Sir Kazuo Ishiguro. 

But today Creative Writing is changing, and so are we. Stories are now adapted from novels to streaming platforms to games and so much more. Digital technologies and AI are reshaping writing's possibilities and practical applications. Exciting fusion genres from authors across the globe are dominating bestseller lists and streaming platforms. Career opportunities in the creative industries across the world are increasingly vibrant and ever more dynamic. 

This course will equip you to engage with this world and its vast audiences, now and in the future.  You'll have the unique opportunity to work across forms of writing to help you discover and enhance your talent. You'll explore prose fiction and non-fiction, script and poetry, and hybrid, multimodal, and cross-genre writing. You'll also have the opportunity to develop all kinds of industry-oriented genre writing, from speculative fiction to young adult, fantasy to historical. You'll learn how AI and digital technology are transforming our ideas of writing and writers. You'll also find opportunities to experiment with writing for multiple digital realities and platforms, which are widely accessible and easily integrated. Most of all, you’ll develop skills to get noticed, published and build an audience in this digital world.  

At the same time, you'll benefit from UEA's established teaching excellence, creative writing workshops, and unrivalled connections with the fast-changing publishing industry in the UK and beyond. You'll become part of the university’s vibrant creative writing ecosystem, with events such as UEA Live , research and internship opportunities in the British Archive for Contemporary Writing , and a host of more informal occasions to share and celebrate your work and hear from prize-winning alumni. You’ll study in the historic city of Norwich, one of UNESCO’s Cities of Literature . You'll benefit from UEA's exceptional expertise in the world-wide breadth and history of literature, building your confidence and authority as a writer. 

You'll graduate a respected and versatile writer, steeped in practical and professional knowledge. You might translate that experience into a career in the creative industries, such as publishing and editing, writing for advertising, marketing, arts, culture, heritage and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sector organisations, VR and XR experiences, digital gaming, streaming TV, and more. You may be embarking on a new writing career or you may be an established professional looking to upskill in a changing environment. Perhaps you want to understand more about writing and feel the thrill of seeing your work come together on page or screen. Whatever your ambitions, this course will inspire and enable you to discover your own voice and make the most of it in the next stage in your writer’s journey. 

Study and Modules

This is a year-long course. You'll take two taught modules each semester, and then over the summer you'll complete your dissertation (submitted early September) with the support of your supervisor.   

In the autumn semester, you'll take a Creative Writing workshop in which you'll explore and experiment with a range of forms of writing, from genre fiction to screenwriting and poetry, establishing a competency and confidence across genres.  

At the same time and in dialogue with this module, you'll also be studying the ways digital technology is reshaping writing. This may in turn inspire your creative workshop, leading you to work with multimodal forms or interactive narratives. By the end of the semester, you'll have a firm sense of the exciting potential of writing for new technologies and have begun to incorporate that potential into your writer’s toolkit.  

In the second semester, you'll take a second Creative Writing workshop where you'll continue to establish your craft, confidence and professionalism as a writer across forms. By the end of the semester, you might decide to specialise in a single form or continue to commit to the path of versatility and hybrid experimentation.  

Alongside this second semester module, you'll choose from a rich range of optional modules across the School and Faculty. These draw especially on the wealth of knowledge and experience of the School's literary critics, and currently include modules on writing and play (which encourages your own playful experiments in writing), contemporary fiction, or how writing is inspired by place. These modules will help put your own writing into context and provide you with touchstones for your own creations. 

Over the summer, you'll plunge into the thrilling culmination of your MA – your creative writing dissertation. You'll be supported by a member of our Creative Writing team as you write your project, which will become your calling-card as a writer and help to launch the next phase of your career.    

Compulsory Modules

Workshop: introduction to forms, workshop: finding your forms, creative writing in a digital world, creative writing dissertation, creative writing research methodology conference, optional a modules, theory and practice of fiction, creative encounters, adaptation and interpretation, process and product in translation, creative-critical writing, ludic literature, environmental humanities: human cultures and the natural world, digital storytelling, japanese literature, the non fiction novel, the poetics of place, critically queer: sex, gender and sexuality.

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

Teaching and Learning

Throughout the course, you'll benefit from UEA's unrivalled Creative Writing tuition and literary critical expertise. Expert creative writers will both lead your workshops and supervise your dissertation, helping to mentor you as you find your voice as a writer. You'll encounter leading practitioners of many of the forms you'll explore – novelists, scriptwriters, poets – who will help you to hone your craft and give their tips and insights into success in each genre. 

Literature tutors will introduce you to traditions of writing from across the globe, helping you to interpret them and put them into context. But they'll also support you in your own creative experimentation. UEA has many years of experience pioneering forms of 'creative-critical' pedagogy, where you are invited to demonstrate your critical thinking and understanding through writing creatively. In this exciting environment, creative and critical thinking are often fused together.  

Finally, your encounters with contemporary creative digital technology will be facilitated by our cutting-edge BLOC resources . These include our Music and Media Suite, which offers facilities for podcasting, digital design and publishing, audio production, and access to a host of creative software. These facilities are also supported by a superb team of professional technicians who will support you as you discover new creative abilities.  

Over the course of the MA, you’ll build and develop your portfolio of writing. At the end of each of the workshops you'll submit work which demonstrates your growing versatility, craft, and experience as a writer. In your module focused on digital writing, you’ll also be assessed on the underlying writing you produce for a digital form – this could be writing for a podcast, game, XR experience, or even a combination of forms. Your optional module may invite you to write a literary critical essay, further creative work, or an experimental creative-critical piece. Finally, your dissertation will bring your whole creative journey together, where you’ll produce an original piece of 12-15,000 words in length (or equivalent weight, in your chosen form(s)). This piece will be a reflection of the writer you have become. It may demonstrate your growing mastery of a single form – a substantial extract from a work of genre fiction, for instance – or it may show off your dexterity in moving across forms. You may also choose to focus on the digital side of your degree, producing writing for multimodal platforms, such as digital gaming or immersive VR experience. 

Entry Requirements

UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.

Degree classification

Bachelors degree - 2.2

Degree Subject

Any subject

Candidates are required to submit a portfolio of writing for assessment with their application  of 2500-3000 words in length. This could be part of a novel, non-fiction prose, script, poetry, a combination of short pieces from multiple forms, or a hybrid piece which combines forms together.

Our  Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.

UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent 

Any subject 

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):   

IELTS:  6.5 overall (minimum 6 in all areas) 

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.  

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date. 

 If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2025/26 are: 

UK Students: £10,675

International Students: £22,700

We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month. 

Further Information on tuition fees can be found  here .

Course Related Costs

Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs. 

How to Apply

How to apply.

Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University. 

To apply please use our  online application form . 

Further information

If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us: 

Postgraduate Admissions Office 

Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515  Email:  [email protected]  

International candidates are also encouraged to access the  International Students  section of our website. 

Employability

After the course.

You'll graduate as a confident creative writer, with an understanding of genre, audience, and the craft needed to shape writing. You'll also have a strong awareness of the contemporary writer's world and the digital dexterity needed to navigate it. This may lead to a career as a successful novelist or scriptwriter. You'll also be ready for careers across the creative industries: in publishing and journalism; marketing; roles in the arts, culture, heritage and GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) sectors; writing for digital gaming and the creative computing sectors. The creative confidence our courses give graduates have also underpinned successful business entrepreneurship. Graduates from our Creative Writing MA courses go on to careers in teaching or undertake PhDs (including UEA's own creative-critical PhDs). Many also undertake our courses for the profound pleasure and sense of achievement given by writing itself.  

Examples of careers that you could enter include: 

• Novelist/Scriptwriter 
• Publishing or Journalism 
• Marketing 
• Arts/GLAM-sector roles 
• Writing for digital gaming or creative computing sectors 
• Teaching or Academic careers 

Discover more on our Careers pages .  

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IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship

An inspiring idea to unpack?

Or a new form of theatre to explore?

Then the IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship 2025 is for you.

Applications for 2025 are now open  for playwrights and theatre makers for the IASH/Traverse Creative Fellowship. The Fellowship is a collaboration between IASH (the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, supporting innovative research and public engagement activities across the arts, humanities and social sciences) and the Traverse Theatre, Scotland’s leading New Writing Theatre.

IASH has supported playwrights for more than twenty years. Notable writers-in-residence have included Douglas Maxwell, Femi Fatoba, Rona Munro and David Harrower, whose multi-award-winning play Blackbird was commissioned by IASH and the Edinburgh International Festival.

In 2025, we are providing one Creative Fellowship that commissions, develops and supports an exceptional and innovative playwright in the creation of a new piece of work that speaks to our lives now and into the future.  

You can find out more about IASH via the About page .

You can find more about the Traverse here: www.traverse.co.uk

ABOUT THE 2025 FELLOWSHIP

A writing Fellowship of up to 10 months to take place from January 2025 onwards.  

• This Fellowship will be open to writers with an idea or story for an audience-focused, ambitious and entertaining new play that speaks to the urgent issues impacting on our lives now and into the future, contributing to the cultural voice.
• This Fellowship will be spread across a 10-month period, giving the writer the time, space and support needed to research and write the play whilst working around other commitments.
• Each Fellowship will be tailored to the writer's needs and availability but it is expected that the writer can work at the University on a regular basis – such as two or three days a week, or two weeks per month for example. Applicants do not need to be based in Edinburgh, but should be able to travel to IASH regularly.
• The recipient will enjoy a private office at the University, as well as access to the university library and the Institute’s many other resources, including joining the community of other Fellows working at IASH during this time.
• The recipient will receive dramaturgical support from the Traverse Literary Department, with the expectation that up to two drafts be completed during their residency, with another draft due at some point after the residency finishes (exact timelines to be tailored to needs of the project and Traverse Theatre). There may also be the opportunity for practical development periods working in collaboration with the Traverse artistic team and other creatives as required.
• The Fellow will be expected to contribute to IASH and Traverse Theatre events as mutually beneficial, giving at least one work-in-progress seminar and/or reading of the work to an invited audience.
• The stipend for this fellowship is £12,000.

A webinar for potential applicants will take place from 13:00-14:00 UK time on Thursday 12 September. The webinar will be recorded for any applicants unable to join, but please register in any case to receive the recording link. You can register for the webinar on Eventbrite .

Application process

Please send a cover letter (no more than 2 pages of A4) and CV to [email protected] containing the following information by 17:00 UK time on Friday 27 September :

• Why you are interested in the Fellowship.
• A short statement about you and your work.
• A short statement about the story or idea you want to use as a starting point for your play.

Notes: Candidates must have had at least one professionally produced play to be considered. We’re particularly interested in knowing what the story is you want to tell (even if it’s just a starting point), thematically how it might link in with the Traverse Theatre and IASH’s interests, what research areas or university expertise you wish to tap into, and, crucially, what your ambitions would be for an audience experiencing your work.

Shortlisted writers will be interviewed via Zoom or in-person on Thursday 24 October. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to send two examples of their writing / work prior to interviewing – please do not include any writing examples in your initial application.

We welcome applications from all writers and theatre makers interested in the Fellowship. If you have any questions about the application process or Fellowship please don’t hesitate to get in touch at [email protected] . We are particularly interested in applications from groups who have been traditionally unrepresented.

Previous IASH/Traverse Creative Fellows

• Jo Clifford (2010) and Linda McLean (2011) were both writing on aspects of the life, work and legacy of David Hume, as part of the 2011 celebrations to mark the tercentenary of his birth. Jo’s play The Tree of Knowledge , written during the Fellowship, was performed at the Traverse Theatre in December 2011.
• Pamela Carter was in residence in the autumn of 2012 and Iain Finlay Macleod in spring 2013. The theme for 2012-13 was “Difficult Dialogues”.
• Clare Duffy was in residence from September 2014 to May 2015, working on her play Arctic Oil , performed at the Traverse Theatre in 2018.
• Peter Arnott was the 2017 Fellow, working on his play Variant , performed at Òran Mór and the Traverse Theatre in 2023.
• Frances Poet was the 2018 Fellow, working on her play Still , performed at the Traverse Theatre in 2021.
• Lewis Hetherington was the 2019 Fellow, working on his play Deep Time .
• AJ Taudevin was the 2020 Fellow, working on her play A(u)nti(e) Empire .
• Apphia Campbell was the 2021 Fellow, working on a new play.
• Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney were the 2022 Fellows, working on their play Union of Craic .
• Isla Cowan is the 2024 Fellow, working on a new play.

IASH is a precious island of intelligent, creative, and free discourse.  It's an intellectual community in the very best sense of the word: an amazing and astonishing space to write a play in. Jo Clifford

The work I've done here includes the final draft of Melody (produced by the Traverse Theatre); a rough first draft of a new play called The Gypsy Grave ; an adaptation of an American novel I've titled Mancub and the first act of a play called If Destroyed True (Paines Plough commission) which is the most directly inspired piece from my time here. It's a lot of work, about double what I would normally achieve in the time frame. Douglas Maxwell

My time at IASH was extremely productive and memorable. A really special period when I rediscovered the process of writing a play at a desk, which just so happened to be exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. I really valued the cross-pollination process through the IASH structure of lunches and work-in-progress sharings and I felt that my place as a creative writer was of interest as well to the other Fellows. Clare Duffy

The Traverse Theatre

As Scotland’s new writing theatre, the Traverse Theatre is a dynamic centre for performance, experience and discovery, often referred to as Edinburgh’s ‘beating heart of the Fringe’ in August. Enabling people across society to access and engage with theatre is our fundamental mission.

Our year-round programme bursts with new stories and live performances that challenge, inform and entertain. We empower artists and audiences to make sense of the world today, providing a safe space to question, learn, empathise and – crucially – encounter different people and experiences. Conversation and the coming together of groups are central to a democratic society, and we champion equal expression and understanding.

We commission, produce and programme for existing and future audiences to offer new and exciting experiences for everyone, and our partnerships with other theatre companies and festivals enable us to present a wide range of innovative performances.

The Traverse would not exist without our over-arching passion for talent development and embracing the unexplored. We work with the newest and rawest talent – with an emphasis on the Scottish-based – nurturing it to become the art, artists and performances that can be seen on our stages through a variety of creative learning and literary programmes.

The timely, powerful stories that start life on our stages have global impact, resulting in dozens of tours, productions and translations. We are critically-acclaimed and recognised the world over for our originality and artistic risk, which we hope will create some of the most talked-about plays, productions, directors, writers and actors for years to come.

The Traverse remains the best new writing theatre in Britain. - The Guardian

For more information about the Traverse, please visit www.traverse.co.uk.

Unleash your creative and literary potential through our captivating master’s programmes in English and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University . Our postgraduate study options will ignite your intellectual curiosity and equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in your chosen field. Part of what makes Aberystwyth special is our thriving research culture : you’ll get to join an engaging and interactive community where staff, students, and guest speakers come together to share and showcase their research. You’ll also learn alongside researchers who are recognised internationally for their contributions to knowledge and the furthering of the discipline.   

Join us as esteemed staff challenge and inspire you to push the boundaries of your imagination, honing your writing skills and nurturing your unique voice.   

• In the annual university awards, voted for by the students, we have won almost every category going, marking our excellence in teaching and pastoral care. This year our students nominated us for “Department of the Year”, and the student-run English and Creative Society were nominated for “Society of the Year”.  
• You’ll be taught by some of the UK’s leading scholars in Creative Writing and Literary Studies, whose nationally significant research forms the basis of our teaching. They are either qualified to PhD level or have commensurate professional experience. Our lecturers either hold or are working towards a Higher Education teaching qualification, and most academic staff also hold Fellowships with Advance HE. Staff research interests are as broad and dynamic as our curriculum, and recently the majority of our research activity was judged either internationally excellent or world-leading (REF 2021).    
• The facilities here are some of the best in the UK – the National Library of Wales, next to the university, has a copy of every book published in the UK since the 1920s. We have one of the largest arts centres in the UK on campus, fantastic sporting facilities, a busy Students’ Union, and did we mention that we’re in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with the sea on our doorstep?  

Our Masters degrees are:   

• MA Literary Studies  

This degree will help you develop your creative vision and writing abilities through a balanced programme of reading, analysis, and writing workshops.  

• MA Creative Writing    

This degree offers you a stimulating engagement with English literature in all its depth and diversity, with the opportunity to develop expertise in several specialist areas.     

Creative Writing  

Our lecturers will introduce you to a range of contemporary writers of both prose and poetry to serve as a catalyst for your own creative growth, allowing you to develop greater confidence and maturity in your writing approach. You will also engage in discussions about technique and undertake an exploration of the wider issues related to the practice of writing, such as the significance of genre and the mechanics of publication. The scheme also includes a strong critical element, encouraging you to reflect on your own creative practice as well as that of others.   

You will receive individual tuition from the excellent Departmental staff, all of whom are published creative writers. Under their guidance, you will produce a substantial portfolio in the form of a collection of poetry or an extended piece of prose.  

Literary Studies   

Our research-led specialist option modules offer fascinating insights into the literature of specific periods, national cultures, and literary traditions. Staff research interests are diverse and continuously evolving, so you will discover a wide variety of approaches to literature and cultural history that blend advanced scholarship with critical thinking.   

By studying the latest developments in critical theory and research methodology you will cultivate the necessary skills to undertake your 15,000-word MA Dissertation, an extensive piece of critical research in your chosen field. You will also develop a host of transferable skills which you may deploy in a range of other academic or employment contexts.  

Guidelines for MA Writing Portfolios  

When you apply for one of our MA courses, we ask that you provide a writing portfolio. The writing portfolio should consist of:   

4,000–5,000 words of critical and/or creative prose. In cases where portfolios comprise or include poetry, 100 lines of poetry is considered equivalent to 1000 words of prose.   

The portfolio helps us to get an insight into each applicant's writing style, critical thinking abilities, and capacity to communicate effectively.