Literature Wales, the national company for the promotion and development of literature, has announced that the next round of Writers’ Bursaries are now open for submission.
The bursaries, which are funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Wales, enable writers of all genres and backgrounds to take time out to write. Since 2004, Literature Wales has awarded over £1 million in Writers’ Bursaries, supporting 272 writers, and generating 102 books and 13 articles.
Many past Bursary recipients have gone on to achieve huge successes and acclaim. Belinda Bauer’s novel Blacklands (Transworld) won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year 2010, and Dark Tales from the Woods (Pont Books) by Daniel Morden won the 2007 Tir na n-Og Prize for the best English language book for children. Multi award-winning poet Gwyneth Lewis won the Crown at the 2012 National Eisteddfod for her sequence of Welsh-language poems on the subject of “Island”. Jonathan Edwards won the Costa Poetry Award 2014 and the People’s Prize in Wales Book of the Year Award 2015 for his first collection of poetry My Family and Other Superheroes (Seren). Lleucu Roberts’ prose collection Saith Oes Efa (Y Lolfa) won the Literature Medal at the 2014 National Eisteddfod, and went on to scoop the People’s Prize in Wales Book of the Year 2015.
The 2016 Literature Wales Bursaries are now open for applications from new and published writers resident in Wales. Applicants may apply for a New / Emerging Writer’s Bursary; a Published Writer’s Bursary; or a Support Fund Bursary. Support Fund Bursaries are available for writers with mobility problems or disabilities in need of specialist equipment and assistance.
In addition, Literature Wales’ Mentoring Service for Writers offers support and practical advice to writers, in the form of face-to-face meetings with professional writers, to develop specific work in progress to a publishable standard.
Literature Wales Chief Executive, Lleucu Siencyn, said: “Supporting the writer at every stage of their career is fundamental to the work of Literature Wales. Literature Wales Writers’ Bursaries and Mentoring are vital for ensuring development and experimentation within the artform.We are pleased to note that the Bursaries and Mentoring Service will again this year be generously supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Wales. The Writers’ Bursaries will enable many new and emerging writers, as well as more established literary figures, to produce literary work of exceptional standard, proving that Wales punches above its weight with its literary talent.”
The closing date for 2016 applications for Bursaries and Mentoring is 5.00 pm on Friday 23 October 2015.
The guidelines and application forms for the 2016 Literature Wales Writers’ Bursaries and 2016 Mentoring are available to download from the Literature Wales website.
For further information contact Literature Wales on: [email protected] / 029 2047 2266
