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Rhode Island writers who dream of having the resources to push their work to the next level have until Sept. 4 to apply for $30,000 fellowships from the Rhode Island Foundation. The grants are considered to be among the largest no-strings-attached awards available to authors in the United States. 

“This support will enable local writers to focus on their work rather than trying to make ends meet. Offering the financial support they need in order to advance their craft is an investment in them, and in nurturing Rhode Island’s vibrant arts sector,” said David N. Cicilline, president and CEO.    

The Foundation will award as many as three grants to emerging or mid-career writers through its Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowship Fund. Applicants must have been residents of Rhode Island for at least 12 months prior to the Sept. 4 deadline. High school students, college and graduate students who are enrolled in a degree-granting program and composers who have advanced levels of career achievement are not eligible. 

Applicants will be judged on the quality of their work samples, their artistic development and their creative contribution to writing, as well as the potential of the fellowship to advance their career. Applications will be accepted from authors creating new original work in any genre.   

Although the fellowships are unrestricted, recipients are expected to devote concentrated time to their art and to engage in activities that further their artistic growth. Examples include creating new work, training in technologies or techniques, purchasing equipment, travel, research and developing artistic endeavors. 

The recipients will be selected by a panel of out-of-state jurors who are practicing writers and professional authors managed by the Artists Community Alliance. For more information about applying for a MacColl Johnson Fellowship, visit the Alliance’s website. 

Established in 2003, the MacColl Johnson fellowships rotate among writers, visual artists and composers on a three-year cycle. Over the years, the Foundation has awarded nearly $1.5 million in fellowships. 

Previous recipients of writing fellowships include poet Sussy Santana, graphic novelist Susannah Strong and An Uong, a Vietnamese-American writer and editor orbiting themes of pop culture, food and womanhood. 

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through civic leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is improving the lives of all Rhode Islanders.