Grants for Writers

Originally written by Kevin Watson, updated by the editorial team on 3rd September 2026

What are grants for writers?

Writers can apply for grants to help fund their work. Unlike awards or prizes, which recognise finished pieces, grants typically support work in progress or help cover costs that would otherwise make a project difficult to complete.

A grant might pay for research time, travel, living expenses while writing, or specific project costs. For many writers, this kind of support can significantly help towards completing a manuscript that might otherwise be set aside.

Grants are available for:

Novelists
Poets
Playwrights
Screenwriters
Non-fiction authors

Some are open to anyone with a strong proposal. Others focus on writers at particular stages of their career or from specific backgrounds.

Grant Eligibility Finder

Tell us what you need funding for and we will match you with the types of UK grant most likely to accept your application.

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Grants for fiction and poetry

Several UK organisations offer grants to fiction writers and poets. These typically require applicants to submit samples of their work alongside a proposal or application form.

The Eric Gregory Awards, administered by the Society of Authors, support poets under the age of 30. Winners receive funds to help them develop their writing. Eligibility extends to British subjects and nationals of Commonwealth countries, though applicants should confirm current criteria on the Society of Authors website.

The Somerset Maugham Awards help writers under 35 to travel and broaden their experience. The scheme was set up with the aim of encouraging younger writers to spend time abroad. Applicants must have published a literary work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry within the previous year.

The Authors' Foundation and K Blundell Trust, also run by the Society of Authors, offer grants to writers working on specific projects. These are open to both published and unpublished authors, depending on the particular fund.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Support for playwrights and screenwriters

Playwrights may find support through schemes linked to theatres or arts organisations. Some of these offer bursaries that allow writers to work with a theatre company while developing a script.

Arts Council England provides funding for individual artists, including writers, through its Developing Your Creative Practice programme. This can cover costs such as research, mentoring or time to write. Similar schemes operate through Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Eligibility and focus areas vary, so checking the latest criteria on each organisation's website is advisable.

Screenwriters may also apply for development funding through organisations such as the BFI, which runs a specific Development Fund for writers. Regional screen agencies offer similar support. These grants often focus on helping writers develop scripts to a stage where they can attract production funding. Competition is strong and criteria vary, so consulting official websites before applying is worthwhile.

How to find and apply for grants

Most writing grants have specific eligibility rules. These may relate to age, location, genre, publication history or the nature of the project. Reading the criteria carefully before applying will save time.

Applications usually require a writing sample, a project description and sometimes a budget or timeline. Many grants are highly competitive, with far more applicants than available funds.

To begin your search for grants, consider the following resources:

The Society of Authors, which lists grants and awards for UK writers
Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council of Northern Ireland for individual artist funding
The Royal Literary Fund, which supports writers facing financial hardship
Regional literature organisations and writing centres

Some grants are offered annually with fixed deadlines, while others accept applications throughout the year. Schemes can change or close without notice, so checking official websites for current information before applying is sensible.

For details on tax treatment of grants and bursaries, GOV.UK provides guidance on how these payments may affect your income.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Grant Eligibility Finder lets you tell us what you need funding for and we will match you with the types of UK grant most likely to accept your application. Try it now →

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GrantsExpert Editor 23/05/2026 at 9:17 am

@Mario Have a look at the Royal Literary Fund, which offers grants to published authors facing financial difficulty, and Arts Council England's National Lottery Project Grants, which can fund writing projects from £1,000 upwards. Mind also runs occasional bursaries for writers with lived experience of mental illness, so it's worth checking their site. For self-published authors specifically, the Society of Authors has hardship funds and contingency grants you can apply for once you've got some publication history behind you. Good luck with book two.

Mario 25/04/2024 at 7:33 am

Hello Team,
I struggle with a mental illness but however it define me. I have self published a book and I looking for additional funding to continue book two of this tribology. I write from a place of brokenness and hurt to help other confront their fears . Be it love, relationships or even health. I am interesting in contributing to the betterment of the humanity and bring conscious to people through my craft.

Seedy Drammeh 27/02/2024 at 2:27 pm

I am looking for funding to publish my book title, Meet me in Banjul. Once published, the proceeds will be used to support needy people.

Strong in faith 30/01/2024 at 9:16 am

I am writing to find out more about the process regarding gaining funding for writing a book linking to my faith and experiences.
I think I might be on one of your email lists already, but just need some extra pointers. I am currently on benefits trying to register under sole trader and am having immense issues with a variety of legal entities that are only interested in themselves.

Lola 11/07/2023 at 3:25 pm

I have a children's book accepted to be published by Pegasus as hybrid for 1.700 pounds therefore I am looking for a grant to help me publish my book.
Please let me know if you can help.

Dunnyman 21/06/2023 at 11:16 pm

I'm writing a very important educational book, a guide on sustainability and planetary survival which needs to be done quickly but I have to work to survive. Help. No other book has ever been more important.
Iain

Td 25/02/2023 at 11:25 pm

Are there grants given to women who write journals and help motivate other women. Interested in information.

Sherry 28/11/2022 at 10:11 am

I have translated and adapted a collection of ancient Zoroastrian stories into English and although the feedback from publishers is that my stories are wonderful, they have been rejected so far and I wish to apply for a grant to self publish or hire a PR to market my stories.

Blue Irene 02/08/2022 at 10:42 am

Greetings ,
I'm a writer and would like to get a grant . How could I get it ?
With best regards !

Dizzy 09/04/2022 at 11:33 am

Hi, I've recently completed my book - Why I said: Apark4Stoke and while Stoke-upon-Trent is still the only town without a park, the Victoria Ground is now Victoria Park with houses on. Funding to get this information out to the community which is being withheld from them by the media is important and I'm hoping you can help.
Many thanks.
David Barker

Pete 21/03/2022 at 11:02 am

Hello, I was wondering if there's any possibility of me getting a grant towards helping with the cost of publishing books
I have a book ready to be in the shops soon with a publisher and another with them waiting to be printed however I now have bowel cancer and am soon having an operation I'm 63 and will be out of work for a while and am paying a publisher so will struggle for a while.
I would appreciate any help or any information you can provide me with.
Many thanks Pete

Nikki 22/06/2021 at 12:45 pm

Hello I am currently recovering from cancer. I had an idea about a book and just started writing . I have never written a book before it is really coming along now I am struggling as I do not have a laptop or any office type furniture. I lost my job due to my illness and as I am still weak from the treatment I am unable to work as yet so things are really tight and I am just looking for a bit of assistance with some equipment and some help with going on courses as I feel like this could be my next career.

Kind Regards

Nicola Fearnley

John 20/05/2021 at 11:54 am

Hi,
I am a new fiction writer of childrens books,and I have recently had my first book accepted by a well respected publishing house. My book will be due for release in December 2021.
Due to the Covid crisis, and my age, I have lost my day job and now am unemployed. I have continued to work on sequels to my first book under severe financial restrictions throught the pandemic, and would like to ask
if any funding exists to support my writing career, so I may carry on.
Advice would be appreciated.

dickyjohn 06/03/2021 at 5:34 pm

Hi, three years after the Wright brothers first flew their heavier-than-air machine, my stepfather was born. it was the beginning of the 20c with all its inventiveness mainly brought about two world wars! As a child, I wondered how these new inventions would help the four animals Toad, Ratty, Mole and Badger venture in their daily rounds.
I'm 73 years old and suffer from MS so trying to put some of my ideas into book form is just something to keep me busy.

dickyjohn 06/03/2021 at 11:35 am

Hi my stepfather was born just three years after The Wright Brothers first flew their heavier-than-air machine. It was the beginning of the twentieth century and one of the most inventive eras of mankind, all fueled by wars! I have used the characters Toad, Ratty, Mole, and Badger all the grandchildren of the originals.with vehicles that drive themselves and airoplanes that can fly at the speed of sound and computers with their "assistants " to help the people using them.

Chris 28/01/2021 at 12:36 pm

I have been asked to write seom study guides on health/medical sciences for a publisher to help L3 and foundation courses. I have so far written 7 chapters on the topic Infectious diseases and the immune system but would appreciate some funding to get a new laptop as I currenlty do supply teaching which due to the lockdown has now dried up. Can anyone help or offer advice please Thanks

N/A 26/01/2021 at 3:08 pm

I have just completed an historical book about Pembrokeshire's Mediaeval Shipping .I have a publisher and am seeking funding to meet the costs of publication. details of the content below, please let me know if you are able to grant aid this project and if so what I am to do next.
Thanks, David James

Pembrokeshire's Mediaeval Ships
Saxons, Vikings and Normans to Tudors
The ships, the Men and the Graffiti

by David James

About the book
There are in Pembrokeshire, six examples of contemporary mediaeval ships, two are to be found in misericords in St David's Cathedral ,two are graffiti images scratched on the walls of the cathedral and two are images on the town seals of Haverfordwest and Tenby .This book examines the images ,and weaves an historically accurate tale around the images and the men who lived , fought and worshipped in Pembrokeshire at that time ,including Giraldus Cambrensis , Pembrokeshire's most notable mediaeval historian.
Celtic peoples regularly crossed from Ireland and Cornwall to Pembrokeshire in deceptively frail curraghs.
There are many contemporary sketches and drawings which lead up to the construction of a ship model of the one portrayed on the Haverfordwest town seal The Vikings had a strong influence in Pembrokeshire ,leaving many Viking place names to remind us of their presence. Viking style ships were used by the Normans to invade England in 1066 and the method of construction survived until it was gradually superseded by Cogs first developed by the Hanseatic League of Germany.
The Saxons came and left a great number of inland place names with the suffix --- ton, e.g. Cosheston, Upton, Letterston etc .
These were, in turn, overrun by the Vikings, who too left many coastal place names and not a few inland ones. All the Pembrokeshire Islands have Norse names, Skomar, Skokholm, Grassholm, even their name for paradise, Asguard, where the halls of Valhalla were to be found, still exists in Pembrokeshire, now known as Hasguard Cross.
There is a Chapter on Viking Navigation methods and their surprisingly accurate calculations ,not bettered until the late 18th century.
As the mediaeval period evolved so heraldic devices began to appear on the main sails. These appear on town seals, those of individuals and the Monarch. The seals conveniently always have some form of identification on them.
Heraldic devices of the local noble families are also considered to try to link ships to local families
This is the tale of the ships of the peoples and those who sailed in them of the post Roman period up until the Tudor times .

Angie 04/08/2020 at 9:21 pm

I currently work as a Learning & Development Officer writing e-learning courses for staff that support people with learning disabilities. I enjoy my work and the workload keeps me busy, however, I have been writing a Novel as a therapy because the subject matter in my day job can be heavy going at times and I believe writing what I want to write in my spare time inspires me. however, I am please with my progress and believe if I wish to complete my writing and aim to have my work published I need to focus my efforts, which is near impossible working full time. Are there grants I can apply for to support me to achieve this?

Susy 02/06/2020 at 10:56 am

Hi my name is susana , i overcame depression 11 years a go but unfortunately many people youths, elderly, rich, poor they take their lives daily through depression and i know by fact as my volunteer job allow me to speak with hundreds of people with suicidal toughts, self harmed,anxiety and the list goes on ...the work is great but still lots to be done and i was wondering how can i contribute at least to reduce the high rate of suicide ,especially in young people, so i understood that if am still here after all i went through there is much to be done and i start wrinting my story to help families that lost their loved ones through this and to help them with some answers they might need to carry on, also to prevent more families in this path noticing signs and act quickly as possible... i started writing a book and am looking for a publisher that will share same values and principles as me that will look in to the details of this story and understand that something needs to be done quickly as the suicidal statistics is increasing and will increase more, but if 1 of this books reaches 1 family house am sure we will be rewarded by playing our best part as possible. The book will show steps to overcome depression, etc...Am open with share profits. Thank you

Poetnanna 17/04/2020 at 4:31 pm

My name is Alana and I’ve written a lot of poems during the times of my two sister suffering with cancer whom have sadly passed away and my dear mum too all within a couple of years one sister just recent I have thought of a name for the book I would love to put the poems in to dedicate to my my sisters and mum it helped me also cope through the grief of losing them it brought out emotions sad funny angry and helplessness in these times and when and if published I would donate some money to Macmillan nurses and furness hospice for there help and support I’ve had a poem published years ago I wrote about one of my sisters in an anthology of poetry and had a 5 minute radio play acted out by Shakespearean actors about Romeo and Juliet’s play modern day version and was on radio stations I’m a mature student presently in my third year but I can’t afford publishing I would really love to publish this book to leave a lasting legacy to my family friends and hope for others going through cancer and how it effects everyone and to bring them hope and comfort thank you Alana

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