There are plenty of awards for writers. These pay tribute to the skills needed to create novels, plays, poetry and non-fiction works. But there are also grants for writers. It’s these grants that can make the difference between the publication of a work and its failure to appear on bookshelves, in theatres or on television.
Fiction
Novelists, poets and dramatists may all find much-needed financial support from a grant. Some grants apply solely to unpublished writers; others are available for any authors, published or otherwise. All such grants, however, are for writers. In other words, an applicant must have a piece of writing to place before the panels that make the funding decisions.
Writers’ grants may also have a specific aim. For instance, the purpose of a grant may be to help finance a trip abroad.
Examples of grant bodies are the Eric Gregory Trust Fund; the Pearson Playwrights’ Scheme; the Somerset Maugham Trust Fund; and the Scottish Arts Council Book Awards.
The Eric Gregory Trust Fund is for poets under the age of 30. The Pearson Playwrights’ Scheme offers four bursaries a year to dramatists sponsored by a theatre. The Somerset Maugham Trust Fund helps writers under 35 to travel. And the Scottish Arts Council Book Awards are mainly for novelists who live in Scotland or who have written books that relate to Scotland.
Non-Fiction
There are almost as many grants for non-fiction authors as grants for fiction writers. For example, the Scottish Arts Council Book Awards mentioned above also apply to non-fiction works.
Many of the grants highlight one of the main problems of writing non-fiction: the time needed to conduct research. Grants such as those from the K. Blundell Trust help with this. The Trust exists to aid writers under 40 meet the costs of research. The research must relate, however, to social and economic organisation. Another body that gives grants to help with research is The Authors’ Foundation. But only published authors can apply.

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 our Grant Eligibility Finder free, here on this site →Journalism
A number of grants recognise the need for journalists to have the chance to work at national level. The Laurence Stern Fellowship operates such a national work scheme, as does the Guardian Research Fellowship. What’s more, the latter not only allows journalists to publish the results of their research; it gives the opportunity to present a Guardian lecture.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Academic
Academic writers often need time and money to bring their work to fruition. Among available grants are The Fulbright Awards. These can help if the writer’s work is postgraduate and he or she needs to travel to the United States.
For UK-based authors writing about social sciences and the humanities, the British Academy may be able to assist. Its Small Personal Research Grants can provide useful funds. If a writer’s area of academic interest is national and international law, The Airey Neave Trust is worth considering. The Trust offers fellowships of up to three years.
Sample
The grants listed here are just a sample of those available. Research on the Internet or at a library can uncover many more. The library is a particularly good place to enquire because the staff may have details of grants designed to encourage local writing talent.
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.
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.
Please let me know if you can help.
Iain
I'm a writer and would like to get a grant . How could I get it ?
With best regards !
Many thanks.
David Barker
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
Kind Regards
Nicola Fearnley
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.
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.
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 .
I have the ability to come up with new ideas and concepts for books in a heart beat
I am a film maker, over 50. I am ready to write a novel. Huge wealth of life experience, very unique. Need some funding to spare the time to focus on writing! Not very good at writing long and complicated grant applications.
I am not worried about finding a publisher. The story is great. SO even if someone could invest in my project on profit sharing basis, thats also fine with me.
Any suggestions will be highly appreciated.
Thanks
“ THE DAY FIGHTER” is a tremendous "sports drama and long distance love", a combination of different societies, comedy , action, suspense, car/bike racing, business competition ,auction, rich families issues and much more.
People will love to read how a celebrity can afford long distance love in this modern era..
Book summary
An Arab lass falls in love with a British writer (also a wrestler ) after reading his articles, she gets a chance to go England to find him but all of vain, she quits her efforts but when the wrestler came to know he decides to find her himself and while trying this the biggest match in the wrestling history was organised to decide their destiny.
Thanks
Best,
If you have any questions, please let me know
Kind regard saher~
My grandfather was an army officer For lord Batton the Queen father in Singapore in the 1950s.
Then my grandfather chanan Singh moved to England and retired in the 1960.
The government is like a mother and father to me now I need your help as I'm a ill health conditions woman.
I'm 36 and under my illness unable to work and under hardship on a low income.
So I wrote a nanscript called to conquer within Also quotes taken from my grandfather.
We all breath the same air.
We are all from one human race.
No matter what colour or creed we are. We all have the one same thing inside us we have a soul.
Thank you.
I am a screenplay writer who
Is currently out of full time employment and in financial hardship.Is ther W any grant assistance available
Steve Gallimore
I'm unemployed due to sickness and I'm writing a book. I wondered whether I am eligible to apply for an Arts Council grant or will they think I have time and money already because I'm not working?
I can't live on my benefit so I'll be forced back into doing work of some sort.
Receiving a grant would legitimize my position as a writer and give me more confidence and a period of time when I can concentrate solely on my book and not worry about my immediate financial situation.
I would appreciate your opinion.
Thank you
Thanks
I am encountering serious problems. I would need some funding to complete my research to tell a good story. I would like to request your agency can guide me to a funding source that would be willing to fund this research.
Thank you so much.
I feel that if I continue in this direction I will never get this work done (nothing has been published about the foundation of my home town before) if I don't take the leap of faith and give up work.
My needs are small and a small grant would help, not only to get this published, but other associated work. Once you get into the medieval 'tis difficult to get out. There are other projects, but I only need a start with this one, please! Anyone!
Do you know if there are any grants available for radio play writing? I am 37 years old.
are there any publishers smart enough to invest in a book that i feel has a great need to be read by people in the current situation we are stuck in and will be as long as there are brainless entities ruling the country?
I require funding for a ghost writer (I have been in contact with someone). I live in the North West, but originally from Anglesey. I hope to raise monney for the Liverpool Women's Hospital where Rhys was born.
Thank you in anticipation
Although currently writing my third novel, I have as yet had no luck being published. Although I have had some positive comments, (part of one of my books was published in a local literary magazine) to date I have had almost twenty rejection on my first two books.
I am struggling by on the government pension, so am not in a position to self-publish or e-publish and would be interested in any grant available for someone in my position
John Mckenna.
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