Writers & Artists is proud to partner with Bloomsbury on this initiative, which we hope will remove some of the barriers to and mysteries around scholarly publishing.
The Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship is a brand new programme that is a step change in how Bloomsbury encourages and supports new authors and researchers within the scholarly community. It's the first of its kind in the UK academic community, and aims to uncover and nurture talented new authors who have started their work but have not yet turned it into a proposal which is ready to submit to a publisher.
In this first year, applications are open to up and coming authors and researchers with African or African Caribbean heritage based in the UK, though the aim is to grow and develop the remit of the Fellowship so that it can be offered to many more underrepresented author groups within core academic fields of study in the future. This aligns with Bloomsbury's DE&I Action Plan, which includes the need to support particular areas of academic publishing where Bloomsbury would like to have better representation and more diverse opinions, stories and ideas.
The recipient of the Fellowship will benefit from invaluable, industry-standard creative support as they develop their project, with the ultimate aim being that the author is in a position to approach appropriate publishers. The Fellow will also receive £1000 of financial support, £250 worth of titles from Bloomsbury Academic, plus event and networking opportunities.
And to ensure that submissions cover wide-ranging and topical subjects, manuscript submissions must focus on one of the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Gender Equality; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Reduced Inequalities; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and Climate Action.
The Fellowship will be reviewed and awarded by a panel that includes author Yassmin Abdel-Magied, lecturers Dr. Akin Iwilade and Dr. Kadian Pow, associate literary agent Eli Keren, Bloomsbury commissioning editor Lily Mac Mahon and David Avital, editorial director at Bloomsbury.
Why this matters: the importance of the Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship scheme, and how we hope to develop it in the years to come
How to apply: applications for 2023 close at 23:59 on 30th November, and the successful applicant will be announced in January 2024. (Please note: it's possible to start and then save an application. Saved applications are stored under the 'My competition entries' section of your W&A dashboard.) For full details and to view the application form, click here
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