The Ashley Bryan Fellowships Grant

The Ashley Bryan Fellowships Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance
Last Updated: October 23, 2025

Summary

The Ashley Bryan Fellowships, offered by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, provide crucial support to emerging Maine writers facing barriers in professional literary spaces. Named in honor of the acclaimed artist Ashley Bryan, these fellowships foster creativity and community among writers from marginalized backgrounds, including Black writers and members of Native communities. Participants receive free membership, workshops, and resources to enhance their literary skills, promoting equity and inclusion in the literary world.

Overview

The Ashley Bryan Fellowships In honor of award-winning writer and artist Ashley Bryan’s life, the MWPA is pleased to offer the Ashley Bryan Fellowships, which support emerging Maine writers who face significant barriers to traditionally exclusive, professional literary spaces. Bryan Fellows receive free membership, workshops and other support—you will find full guidelines, application details, and backgound info below. In collaboration with all of the 2021 Ashley Bryan Fellows, Coco McCracken writes the following about the fellowship: Ashley Bryan Fellows are invited to hone their literary craft and build community in safe spaces. Whether addressing relevant social themes in our work or in conversation with one another, this Fellowship is designed to break down barriers that have impacted marginalized communities in Maine. We do so by honoring each other’s work, making space for authentic truth-telling, and calling one another in rather than calling out in order to repair harm when necessary. Through these means, we are building a network of mutual support to bolster each member’s creative and professional goals. Until our literary world provides equal access to opportunity for historically excluded writers, this group sees the Ashley Bryan Fellowship as an opportunity to build stronger connections and to acknowledge and celebrate literary ingenuity within our vibrant, multifaceted communities.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. In honor of award-winning writer and artist Ashley Bryan's life, MWPA offers the Ashley Bryan Fellowships, which support emerging Maine writers who are Black, people of color, and/or members of one of the Wabanaki Nations or other Native peoples.