Stanford University in California is accepting applications for the Wallace Stegner Fellowship program for 2020 – 2022. A total of ten fellowships will be awarded.
A Wallace Stegner Fellowship provides writers with a living stipend of US$37,500 per year for a period of two years. In addition, fellows’ tuition and health insurance are paid for by the University’s creative writing program. Five of the fellowships will be awarded to fiction writers and five will be awarded to poets.
To apply for this fellowship writers do not require a degree and there are no tests for admission. In awarding fellowships, the selection committee considers the quality of the candidate’s creative work, their potential for growth and their ability to contribute to and profit from its writing workshops (all the fellows in each genre convene weekly in a 3-hour workshop with faculty.)
There are no citizenship restrictions and the program is open to writers around the globe regardless of their United States Visa status. There are also no age restrictions: the youngest fellow to date was aged 22, the oldest 75. A history of publication is not necessarily required, though past Stegner Fellows have frequently had work published by literary journals prior to being accepted into the program.
The Stegner Fellowship is a full-time academic commitment and is not intended to be pursued concurrently with another degree program. Fellows must live close enough to Stanford to be able to attend workshops, readings, and events.
To apply writers must supply:
- biographical information including education and publication history (if any)
- contact information for two recommenders (letters of recommendation not accepted)
- a statement of plans of up to 1000 words that gives the selection committee a sense of why they are applying for the fellowship
- a manuscript of their writing – approx 9000 words for fiction or 10 to 15 pages for poetry
- an application fee of $85 (waivers available)
Applicants may only apply in one category – either fiction or poetry – and simultaneous applications will disqualify the writer entirely.
Wallace Stegner Fellowship applications for 2020 – 2022 close on Sunday 1 December 2019. UPDATE: the closing deadline for 2020-2022 fellowships is now 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time on Tuesday 3 December.
For further information and to apply visit the Stanford University website.
Image: View of Wallenberg Hall on the Stanford University Main Quad (King of Hearts via Wikimedia Commons)
