Miles Morland Foundation 2022 Writing Scholarship for African Writers

Published: 03 Jul 2022 1,271 views

It can be difficult for writers, before they become established, to write while simultaneously earning a living. To help meet this need the MMF annually awards a small number of Morland Writing Scholarships, with the aim being to allow each Scholar the time to produce the first draft of a completed book. The Scholarships are open to anyone writing in the English language who was born in Africa, or both of whose parents were born in Africa.

Proposed Work:The candidates should submit a description of between 400 – 1,000 words of the work they intend to write. The proposal must be for a full length book of no fewer than 80,000 words. The MMF does not accept proposals for collaborative writing or short story collections. The proposal should be for a completely new work, not a work in progress, and must be in English.

Please note that if you are shortlisted for a Morland Writing Scholarship, you will be asked to send us a 3,000 – 4,000 word “chapter” of the book you are proposing to write on your scholarship year to help the judges assess your ability. Writers will be notified that they are on the shortlist at the end of October. Shortlisters will then have 15 days to return the sample “chapter”. In view of that, please do some advance thinking about the sample “chapter” you will have to provide if you are shortlisted.

Fiction or Non-Fiction:The Foundation welcomes both fiction and non-fiction proposals. We are aware that non-fiction Scholars may need extra time for research, so the Foundation may exercise its discretion to offer non-fiction writers a longer Scholarship period of up to 18 months.

Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship

Benefits of Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship

• Scholars writing fiction will receive a grant of £18,000, paid monthly over the course of twelve months. At the discretion of the Foundation, Scholars writing non-fiction, who require additional research time, could receive an additional grant, paid over a period of up to eighteen months.

Requirements for Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship

Qualifications:

• To qualify for the Scholarship a candidate must submit an excerpt from a piece of work of between 2,000 – 5,000 words, written in English that has been published and offered for sale, you must send clear evidence that the piece you upload as part of your application has been both published AND offered for sale.
• This will be evaluated by a panel of readers and judges set up by the MMF.
• The work submitted will be judged purely on literary merit.
• It is not the purpose of the Scholarships to support academic or scientific research, or works of special interest such as religious or political writings.
• Submissions or proposals of this nature do not qualify.

Scholarship Requirement:

• The only condition imposed on the Scholars during the year of their Scholarship is that they must write.
• They will be asked to submit by email at least 10,000 new words every month until they have finished their book, or their Scholarship term has ended.
• If the first draft of the book is completed before the year is up, payments will continue while the Scholar edits and refines their work.

Selection Process

Starting times:

 The Scholars may elect to start at any time between January and June in the year following the Scholarship Award. Their payments and the 10,000 word monthly submission requirement will start at the same time.

Important Dates:

Applications  will be received between 1st July 2022 and 18th September 2022. Applications submitted outside that period will not be looked at.

Application Documents

• A submission of between 2,000 to 5,000 words as a Word document of work that has been published and offered for sale. Please send proof of publication.
• Proof of publication and proof of sale.
• A description of between 400 – 1,000 words about the new book you intend to write. 
•  A scan of an official document showing that you, or both of your parents, were born in Africa.
•  A brief bio of between 200 – 300 words.
•  Please tell us how you heard about the Morland Writing Scholarships

Application Deadline

How to Apply