Submissions are now open for the third annual Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant. Individual awards of $40,000 are given to up to eight writers in the process of completing a book of creative nonfiction.
Creative nonfiction writers currently under contract with a U.S. publisher and at least two years into their contract are eligible. Writers of color are particularly encouraged to apply. Accepted book categories include history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy, criticism, food writing, travel writing, and personal essays, among others.
Using the online submission system, submit up to three chapters of a manuscript-in-progress, the original book proposal, a signed and dated contract, a statement of progress, a résumé, a letter of reference from the publisher, and two additional letters of reference by May 2. A panel of four anonymous judges will select the winners from a list of fifteen finalists; the grantees will be announced in the fall.
Established in 2015, the Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grant provides support for multiyear book projects that require large amounts of research. The Whiting Foundation created the grant to “foster original, ambitious projects that bring writing to the highest possible standard.”
Previous recipients include Sarah M. Broom for The Yellow House, forthcoming from Grove Press; Pacifique Irankunda for The Times of Stories, forthcoming from Random House; and Julie Phillips for The Baby on the Fire Escape, forthcoming from W.W. Norton. Visit the website for a full list of previous grantees and complete application guidelines.