A new fellowship programme is being launched to offer tailored, practical and financial support to help writers find time and space to fire up their careers.
Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has today launched the Ignite Fellowship, recognising the achievements of professional writers.
The Ignite Fellowship has been developed in consultation with Scottish Book Trust’s Writers Advisory Panel and is a renovation of the previous Mentoring programme.
The panel concluded that professional writers needed a range of support for their career. The Ignite Fellowship will provide a flexible programme to suit the individual needs of the selected awardees.
There are three awards available and Scottish Book Trust is working in partnership with the Gaelic Books Council, who will fund one of these specifically for a writer working in Gaelic. The Trust also strongly encourage applications from writers working in Scots.
Each fellow will be given the opportunity to discuss and identify the support they would find most useful. Assistance to develop a project (within a budget of £1500) may include mentoring, a manuscript appraisal, editorial feedback or research and development.
Writers based in Scotland are encouraged to apply for the Ignite Fellowship.
Applicants must meet the criteria for Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Database, though do not need to be on the database to apply. Applications are welcome from writers, comic makers, poets, illustrators, storytellers, playwrights and spoken word artists.
The Ignite Fellowship will support writers with a particular project including novels, poetry, screenplays and radio scripts. To apply, writers must have a project that still needs work. This project can be in the very early stages of development, such as an idea, outline or pitch. The project can be similar to a work completed before – for example a new book in a familiar genre – or one that sees the author switching genre or medium.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘We’re delighted to launch the Ignite Fellowship, which will help writers develop their work and connect them with the help they need. Whether in English, Scots or Gaelic, we are looking forward to receiving submissions from writers across Scotland.’
Gaelic entries will be assessed by the Gaelic Books Council.
Awardees will receive:
• A £2000 bursary;
• Tailored creative project support.
In addition to the tailored creative project support the following opportunities will also be available:
• A week-long writing retreat at Moniack Mhor (alongside writers from the New Writers Awards programme);
• Optional training in press, PR and social media and performance and presentation;
• A showcase event (to be organised with the selected writers)
• Networking opportunities;
• Other reasonable support (including marketing, promotion and press) as needed;
• Reasonable travel expenses for all trips to attend programme commitments.
The fellowship will run for one year from December 2018 to December 2019.
To apply for the Ignite Fellowship, click HERE.
Gaelic applications will open on Monday, 1 October. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 14 November 2018 at noon.
Those with specific questions about an application or eligibility should send them to applications@scottishbooktrust.com.
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