Working scholarships for authors

Program description

The scholarships are intended exclusively for the artistic development of professionally working German-language authors and are intended as an award. In accordance with the statutes of the Deutscher Literaturfonds e.V., they are intended to serve the creation of literary works of above-average and high quality.

Funding is provided for specific work projects or the continuation or completion of certain works. The working grants are intended to enable authors to concentrate on their literary work without economic or material constraints for the duration of the grant. The criteria for awarding a grant are literary quality, development potential and continuity.

The requested duration of the scholarship must be based on the duration of the work on the manuscript (from the award meeting). The requested duration has no influence on the decision.

The amount of the scholarship is € 3,000 per month.

Institution

The German Literature Fund

The German Literature Fund is the only institution in the Federal Republic of Germany that promotes contemporary German-language literature on a supra-regional basis, independently of the market and beyond political guidelines. The sole responsibility for tasks, goals and decisions lies with seven literary associations, which founded the Fund in 1980. The Fund awards various literary and translation prizes as well as working scholarships. It also supports ambitious literary magazines, literary initiatives at schools and universities, or measures to safeguard important literary traditions for the present.

Deadline

Applications are possible twice a year:

• by March 31 for the fall session.
• by September 30 for the award session in spring.

Funding period

The maximum duration is one year, extension scholarships are only possible in justified exceptional cases.

Funding types (non-commercial)

Scholarship

Funding criteria

Authors who have already published at least one independent German-language literary publication in a recognized publishing house that they have not financed themselves are eligible to apply. Publications in anthologies or literary journals are not eligible, nor are publications as books on demand.

Additional conditions

In principle, funding is excluded if a scholarship from another source exists for the funding period.

It is possible to apply for other funding offers at the same time, but in the event of approval, simultaneous receipt of other funding (multiple funding) is excluded, even if the projects in question are different. This does not apply to awards with prizes.

Re-applications are only possible after one year has passed, but for projects that have already been rejected, only after a fundamental revision, which must be justified in detail.

Application type

Online form

Application procedure/documents

Applications can only be submitted electronically.

The following must be submitted with an application

• an exposé in which the intended project is presented (free text field in the application form, max. 5,000 characters)
• a work sample of ten to twenty pages that provides an example of the project as a PDF (the work sample should be paginated and contain the name of the applicant on at least the first page)
• a bio-bibliography (short CV and bibliography as PDF)

Jury/Decision-making body

The Board of Trustees or an award committee to be appointed by it decides on funding.

Funded by

Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media

Funding area

Germany

Funding source of the institution

federal government