2024 John Lewis Writing Grant Submission

Georgia Writers Association's John Lewis Writing Grants, inspired by the late civil rights icon and his more than three decades of service as Georgia’s 5th District representative. The three John Lewis Writing Grants will be awarded annually, one each in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

The purpose of the John Lewis Writing Grants is to elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of Black writers in Georgia. Applicants must be emerging writers who are Black or African-American residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win the John Lewis Grant one time.

There is no submission fee to enter.

Deadline: October 28th, 2024

Qualifications: 

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and emerging writers who are Black or African-American residents of Georgia for at least one year, or full-time students at a Georgia college or university at the time of application and on the date of the award. Applicants are ineligible if they have published more than one traditionally published book. Promising writers without publication will be considered. Writers who are eligible may apply annually but may only win a grant once. There is no submission fee to enter. Applications will be reviewed anonymously. Applicants are ineligible if they are of relations to any of the Georgia Writers staff or board of directors.

Guidelines: 

Writers may apply in only one genre and must submit the following:

—A completed grant application

—An artist statement of 500 words (max.) as a concise description of your work and goals as a writer. Please tell us what inspires or challenges your writing career.

—A writing sample of 10 pages (max.) of a published or unpublished piece in the genre in which you are applying: fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. If submitting poetry, one poem per page please.