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Criticism National Endowment for the Arts

NEA Creative Writing Fellowship (Nonfiction)

Criticism Fellowship
Paid

About this opportunity

The National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship provides $25,000 to published writers of creative nonfiction, which includes literary criticism, essays, and arts journalism. The fellowship enables writers to focus on their craft and produce new work.

Application tips

Submit your strongest published work. The fellowship is highly competitive, with preference given to writers with a demonstrated track record of published criticism or nonfiction.

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Opens: December · Closes: March

The Buchsenhausen Fellowship Programme in Innsbruck, Austria, brings together artists and theorists for six months of research, production, and critical exchange. The programme specifically supports work at the intersection of artistic practice and theoretical inquiry, fostering dialogue between creative and critical approaches.