The Historical Fiction Writing Fellowship Grant

The Historical Fiction Writing Fellowship Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Newberry Library
Amount: US $3,000
Last Updated: September 15, 2025

Summary

The Historical Fiction Writing Fellowship at The Newberry Library offers one month of financial support to writers focusing on historical fiction, including novels, short stories, plays, and poetry. With a stipend of $3,000, this fellowship is open to scholars of any nationality, encouraging diverse voices in the genre. The Newberry, a historic Chicago institution, fosters research and creativity, making it an ideal environment for writers to develop their craft and explore historical narratives.

Overview

The Newberry Founded in 1887, the Newberry is one of Chicago’s most historic cultural institutions. Curious people from all over visit to research topics of interest, discover their family history, take classes, or learn something new and unexpected. Our collections, programs, and exhibitions are a portal to more than six centuries of human history, from the 15th century to the present. The Newberry welcomes anyone who is eager to learn about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. Our community of learning includes historians, genealogists, visual and performing artists, writers, graphic designers, teachers, students, and many, many others. Short-Term Fellowships Researchers with short-term fellowships spend one to two months investigating specific collection items that are essential to their scholarship. These fellowship opportunities are open to scholars at the ABD stage and beyond. The Historical Fiction Writing Fellowship Stipend: $3,000/month Length: 1 month

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Who can apply:Writers of historical fiction.Open to scholars of any nationality. The Newberry sponsors international scholars under the J-1 visa.If you live or work in the Chicago metropolitan area, you may be eligible for a short-term fellowship at the Newberry.Several short-term fellowships may be awarded to scholars from the Chicago area who meet one or more of the following criteria:Graduate students at the all-but-dissertation, or ABD, stage (those who have completed all required coursework and successfully passed their qualifying exams and prospectus defense)Adjunct, non-tenure track, or part-time facultyFaculty whose teaching load is three courses or higher each semester/quarter throughout the academic yearCommunity college or teaching track facultyTenured or tenure-track faculty at Minority Serving InstitutionsIndependent scholarsEarly career scholars, defined as scholars within five years of receiving their PhD The Newberry defines the Chicago metropolitan area as the following counties:In Illinois: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, WillIn Indiana: Lake, LaPorte, and PorterIn Wisconsin: KenoshaAny scholar whose principal residence or place of employment is within these counties is a Chicago-area resident Applicants outside the Chicago area are eligible to apply for all of our fellowships, including long-term fellowships, short-term fellowships, and artist-in-residence fellowships.

Ineligibility

Chicago-area scholars who are not advised to apply and will not be considered for short-term fellowships include:University or college tenure-track and tenured faculty members with access to departmental research fundsRetired or emeritus tenured faculty members If you've received a short-term fellowships before, you cannot apply for another short-term fellowship to work on the same project.Applicants pursuing masters degrees in fields that grant PhDs are not eligible for Newberry fellowships.