PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship

The PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship (EV) is a literary mentorship that aims to provide new writers who are isolated from the literary establishment with the tools, skills, and knowledge they need to launch a professional writing career. 

Emerging Voices is a rigorous national fellowship that is based in Los Angeles, with weekly meetings and an intense reading and writing schedule. If you are not a resident of Los Angeles, and you are awarded the fellowship you will need to relocate for the seven month period, from January to July of 2019. Housing is not provided. 

Components of the Emerging Voices Fellowship Include:

• Guidance from a professional mentor.
• Private Author Evenings with writers, agents, and publishers.
• Genre-specific master classes.
• UCLA Extension Writers' Program classes.
• A professional voice instruction class and recording session.
• A submissions workshop.
• A volunteer opportunity.
• Authors photos and professional bio.
• Three public readings in Los Angeles.
• A $1,000 stipend.

People ineligible for the Emerging Voices Fellowship:

• Those who have an M.A., M.F.A., Ph.D., or minor in Creative Writing.
• Students currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs.
• Writers who have published one or more books through major publishing houses, university presses, or established presses.
• Current professional magazine and or newspaper feature writers or editors.
• Writers who are widely published in top-tier literary journals and/or magazines.
• Anyone under the age of 21.

Applications Must Include:

• Completed short answers.
• A professional CV or résumé. Please list any writing experience, education, and publishing credits. 
• Two current letters of recommendation written by people who are either familiar with your writing, or can attest to your ability to complete a long term project. Letters must include the recommender's current e-mail address and phone number. Recommenders are not notified until the completed application is submitted. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the two letters are uploaded on August 1, 2018, by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.  (If you are waiting until the last minute to apply, be sure to notify your recommenders ahead of time so that their letters are ready to upload.)
• A writing sample of up to 20 pages of double-spaced fiction or creative nonfiction, or 10 pages of single-spaced poetry. This sample should be relevant to the project you are proposing in the short answer section of your Emerging Voices Fellowship Application. Writing samples that exceed this page count will be disqualified.

Writing Samples Must:

• Include full name and e-mail address on each page.
• Be typed, double-spaced, paginated in 12-point Times New Roman font.
• Uploaded as an attachment.
• Not be longer than the required page count. (See above.)

Notification:

Finalists will be notified mid-November and will be required to interview in person with the selection committee in Los Angeles. The list of selected fellows will be posted on the PEN America website following interviews.

Application Deadline: August 1, 2018 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

https://pen.submittable.com/submit/116936/2019-pen-america-emerging-voices-fellowship-application

PEN America does not discriminate based upon age, color, national origin, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, status as a veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.