2026 NEA CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowships program offers $50,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Applications are reviewed through an anonymous process in which the primary criteria for review are the artistic excellence and artistic merit of the submitted writing sample. Through this program, the NEA seeks to strengthen the literary arts ecosystem by sustaining and nurturing a wide range of creative writers at various stages of their careers, and to continue to expand the portfolio of American art available to people from all backgrounds.

The program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years.