Queer-Writer Fellowships

Established in 2019, these fellowships assist with our commitment to increasing philanthropic support for LGBTQIA+ writers and expanding the American literary canon. Application for the fellowships is open to all queer-identified writers, ages 18 and older. 

FELLOWSHIP PRIZES:

Two Full Fellowship Winners (one prose and one poetry) will receive the Full Attendance Package to the MVICW Summer Writers' Conference which includes registration, lodging, and a manuscript session.

Two Second-Place Fellowship Winners (one prose and one poetry) will receive full registration to the MVICW Weekend Writers Series which includes four virtual weekend-long craft seminars on poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Please note: Previous First Prize Fellowship & Contest Winners (who attended the in-person conference) are not eligible to apply. Second-place winners and all virtual conference winners are eligible.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME IN THE TITLE, FILE NAME, SUBMISSION, OR LETTER OF INTEREST. Submissions will be judged anonymously.

For Poetry Submissions

• Letter of Interest (approx. 750 words): Please tell us about who you are as a person and an artist. We'd like to hear about your life, your artistic career, and your creative work. If you have specific needs (financial or creative) which would be met by this award please outline them in your letter.
• Submit your single best poem (1-3 pages max)

For Prose Submissions

• Letter of Interest (approx. 750 words): Please tell us about who you are as a person and an artist. We'd like to hear about your life, your artistic career, and your creative work. If you have specific needs (financial or creative) which would be met by this award please outline them in your letter.
• Submit one short story OR one flash fiction piece OR novel excerpt OR creative nonfiction entry. (The submission should not exceed 3,000 words)

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

• Payment is $20 per submission. You are welcome to submit more than one piece by submitting them separately and paying the submission fee for each entry.
• The entry must be submitted in English and must be your own original work.
• You may submit new or previously published material. As the manuscripts will not be published/reprinted, the author retains all rights to the work.
• There is no restriction to style, content, or genre.
• You must identify as queer-writer.
• You must be 18 years old or older on the day the retreat begins to enter.
• The submission must not include your real or pen name or any information that identifies you in any way.
• You must submit before midnight on the deadline date.
• Previous First Prize Fellowship & Contest Winners (who attended the in-person conference) are not eligible to apply. However, second-place winners and all virtual conference winners are eligible.

Note: While MVICW publicizes fellowship winners on social media and in our newsletter, we recognize and respect a recipient’s potential wish for anonymity. For this reason, fellowship recipients may choose to remain anonymous.

DETAILS ON AWARDS AND RULES:

Full fellowship recipients will receive registration, lodging, and a manuscript session at the MVICW Summer Writers’ Conference. Runner-up recipients will receive registration for the virtual MVICW Weekends with Writers Series. The lodging for full fellowship recipients is a triple room with two other attendees at MVICW lodging. If a private room is preferred, the winning writer may choose to pay the difference. The prize does not include lodging outside of MVICW shared-lodging, but the winner may choose to forfeit the lodging stipend and arrange for their own accommodations on the island. The awards do not cover air/travel to the island or food/personal expenses.

You are not eligible to enter the competition if you are (a) our employee or independent contractor of MVICW; (b) a family member (spouses, domestic partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and grandchildren) of our employees; (c) a judge involved in the competition, including any reviewer who participates in selecting the nominees and finalists; (d) a close friend of the judge so that the judge can identify your work; (e) a previous MVICW full fellowship/first place contest winner. However, first place winners of our Virtual Conference Fellowships are eligible to apply in hopes of winning attendance to our in-person conference.

We will notify potential winners via telephone or email. If potential winners decline the prize or fail to respond within seven (7) days after the first contact, the winners will be deemed to forfeit the prize and MVICW has the right to select alternate potential winner(s) in their place.