The 2021 A Public Space Writing Fellowships

We are pleased to announce that applications will open on January 1, 2021, for the 2021 A Public Space Writing Fellowships. ​The aim of these fellowships is to seek out and support writers who embrace risk in their work and their own singular vision.

Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply.

Three fellowships will be awarded, which will include:

—six months of editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine;
—a $1,000 honorarium;
—the opportunity to meet virtually with members of the publishing community, including agents, editors, and published writers;
—the opportunity to participate in a public reading and conversation with A Public Space editors and contributors.

Eligibility: ​Only writers who have not yet published or been contracted to write a book-length work are eligible. International applicants are encouraged to apply, but we are only able to consider submissions in English. Only one submission per person is allowed. Please do not submit a piece you have previously submitted to A Public Space, either through the Fellowship category, the General Submissions category, or an Open Call. A Public Space reserves the right to invite submissions.

Timeline: Submittable will be open for Fellowship submissions from January 1 – January 31, 2021, only. Submissions for the Fellowships close at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on January 31, 2021. Successful applicants will be informed no later than April 1, 2021 The fellowship period will be April 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021.

Procedure: Only electronic submissions will be considered. Applications must be submitted through the Fellowship category in Submittable. (The category will not be available until January 1.) There is no application fee. Please submit the following:

— A cover letter containing a one-paragraph biographical statement; one paragraph that is a favorite of yours from a book you've read, be it recently or long ago; and a brief statement telling us why this particular passage is meaningful to you. Please also note in your cover letter if you are a resident of one of New York City's five boroughs. (One of the three selected fellows will be a New York City writer.)
— One previously unpublished prose piece. There is no word-count requirement. If selected, the piece submitted is the piece that will be published in the magazine.
—We accept simultaneous submissions, but please note that if your piece is accepted elsewhere, you will be required to withdraw your entire application; replacement submissions will not be accepted once the deadline has passed.

Note that we only accept PDF or Word files (.doc and .docx). The cover letter and manuscript should be submitted as separate files. Incomplete applications will not be considered and will be returned unread.