The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is offered annually to an author of children’s or young adult fiction for a novel-in-progress. Previously called the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, the award was developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and assist a writer at a crucial moment in their career to complete their novel. The author of the winning manuscript, selected blindly by judges unaware of nominees’ names, will receive an award of $5,000.
Deadline: Submissions will be accepted from April 1, 2020 through August 1, 2020.
Who Is Eligible:
- The candidate is a writer of children’s or young adult fiction.
- Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated significant sales.
- The writer’s previously published book(s) must be published by a U.S. trade publisher. Self-published works are ineligible.
- The submitted work must be a novel-in-progress.
- Judges will be looking for candidates whose work has not yet attracted a broad readership.
- Please note: At this time, graphic novels and picture books are not eligible for the fellowship.
How to Apply or Nominate:
Writers may apply themselves or nominate a fellow writer. To apply, please submit the following materials:
- Cover letter: A 1-2 page letter including a brief (1-3 sentence) summary of the project, a description of how the candidate meets the criteria for the fellowship, and a list of the candidate’s published novel(s) for children and/or young adults.
- One professional review: Copies of or links to 1-3 reviews of the candidate’s novel(s) from professional publications.
- Letter of recommendation: A 1-2 page letter of support from an editor or fellow writer.
- Project outline: A brief (2-4 page) outline of the novel-in-progress being submitted. The candidate’s name should not appear anywhere on the outline to ensure anonymity, as only the outline, letter of utility, and manuscript will be given to the judges for consideration.
- Letter of Utility: A brief description (1-2 pages) of how the funds will be used to complete the project. What will the candidate be able to accomplish with this funding that they could not do otherwise? Book sales, earnings, or other relevant information may be included here. The candidate’s name should not appear anywhere on the letter of utility to ensure anonymity, as only the outline, letter of utility, and manuscript will be given to the judges for consideration.
- Manuscript sample: 50–75 pages of the text. The candidate’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript sample, in order to ensure anonymity for the judging process. The outline and manuscript sample (and only the outline and manuscript sample) will be given to the judges for consideration. Please note that graphic novels and picture books are not eligible for this fellowship.
- Please upload the Project Outline, Letter of Utility, and Manuscript sample as one anonymous PDF file. Please upload the Cover Letter, Professional Review(s), and Letter of Recommendation as a separate PDF file.
About the Author
