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Writing and Translation Grants (Worldwide)

Currently 7 active writing and translation grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in Worldwide. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Every entry is funded, no exposure-only calls. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.

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Open calls

  1. PEN America: PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants 2026

    PEN America · Worldwide (translators of any nationality; project must translate a book-length work into English) · Deadline: 15 Jun 2026 · Award: USD 4,000 per project (up to 10 awards per year). No application fee.

    PEN America's annual grants for in-progress book-length literary translations from any language into English. Up to 10 grants of USD 4,000 each. Preference for early-career translators and works from underrepresented languages and regions. Eligible genres include fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and drama. ELIGIBILITY: translators of any nationality; the project must be a translation of a book-length work into English; previous PEN/Heim recipients are eligible after a waiting period. No application fee. Apply by 15 June 2026 via PEN America's grants portal.

  2. Tractor Beam: Issue 6 'The Water Issue' - Call for Submissions

    Tractor Beam · Online publication (remote submissions; geographic eligibility not stated) · Deadline: 30 Jun 2026 · Award: $1,000 USD per accepted submission. Accepted work is considered for publication online (Tractor Beam website and Substack) and, in some cases, for one-off printed editions. Stories may also be considered for the Protopian Prize with contributor consent. No submission fee mentioned.

    Tractor Beam's sixth issue, themed around water in soil, growth, land and ecosystems large and small, is open for submissions. Editors are seeking anti-apocalyptic visions that explore the future of water in farming and food production, island ecologies, hybrid sea-soil technologies, the people who move water and the people water moves, plus stories about drought, diaspora and what gets carried downstream. FORMAT: stories under 6,000 words; comics 12-16 panels. Submissions accepted via the call page on Tractor Beam's Substack.

  3. Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2026

    Wasafiri and Queen Mary University of London · Online (UK-based, international entry) · Deadline: 30 Jun 2026 · Award: GBP 1,000 cash plus print publication for the winner of each category. Entry fee GBP 12 (single) / GBP 16 (double); a subsidised GBP 6 fee is available with no proof required.

    Annual international writing prize from Wasafiri and Queen Mary University of London, with three categories: Poetry, Fiction, and Life Writing (creative nonfiction). The prize is specifically for writers who have NOT yet published a book-length work, making it strongly debut-friendly. The Life Writing category suits a self-contained creative-nonfiction piece (for example an extract or essay drawn from a longer project). ELIGIBILITY: open to anyone who has not published a complete book; no restrictions on age, gender, nationality or background. Deadline 11:59pm BST, 30 June 2026. NOTE: entry fee applies (GBP 12/16, or a subsidised GBP 6).

  4. Pulitzer Center: AI Accountability Fellowships 2026-2027

    Pulitzer Center · Worldwide; reporters may be based anywhere and the fellowship is remote. Proposals from the Global South and from journalists representing a broad array of backgrounds are encouraged. · Deadline: 12 Jul 2026 · Award: Up to USD 25,000 per fellow, paid in three installments (up to USD 20,000 for reporting and USD 5,000 for engagement activities); covers records requests, travel, data analysis and engagement costs. Freelancers may budget up to one third of the total as a stipend; newsrooms are expected to pay staff salaries. No application fee.

    The AI Accountability Fellowships support journalists working on in-depth AI accountability stories that examine how governments and corporations use predictive, generative and surveillance technologies to guide decisions in policing, medicine, social welfare, criminal justice, hiring and more. Designed for reporters from all beats, desks and formats, the fellowship asks applicants to propose a concrete reporting project (with evidence of pre-reporting) that uses approaches such as data analysis, records requests and shoe-leather reporting to examine the real-world impact of algorithms. For the first time this year, the fellowship also includes funding, mentorship and training to develop and execute an impact/engagement plan to reach strategic audiences. SUPPORT: up to USD 25,000 per fellow (up to USD 20,000 reporting plus USD 5,000 engagement), paid in three installments; freelancers may budget up to one third as a stipend, while newsrooms cover staff salaries. Fellows also receive mentors, specialized training, pro bono legal and public records support, and a lasting community of peers. ELIGIBILITY: staff or freelance journalists across print, radio, video and multimedia, able to work collaboratively; reporters may be based anywhere (fellowship is remote). Experience reporting on AI is not required, but a track record of in-depth, impactful reporting and investigative/data/explanatory experience is valued. Small teams may apply with a designated lead Fellow. REQUIREMENTS: a mandatory monthly 1.5-2 hour meeting, at least one community call, engagement with other fellows, and sharing of methodologies and lessons learned; fellowship communication, meetings and training are in English, but fellows may publish in any language. APPLY: submit a 500-word statement of purpose, a 500-word project description with reporting plan, an engagement plan, a budget, three links to recent work, a letter of commitment from a publishing media organization (or editor support letter for staff), three references and a CV. Funded with support from the MacArthur Foundation, Luminate, Omidyar Network and others. Contact: reacheditorial@pulitzercenter.org. Deadline: 12 July 2026, 11:59pm EDT.

  5. IWMF: The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism 2026

    International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) · Worldwide; projects reported and published in English anywhere in the world. Open to women and nonbinary journalists. · Deadline: 12 Jul 2026 · Award: Grants average around USD 5,000 (based on previous years). No application fee.

    Established in memory of editor Kari Howard, who championed narrative journalism that wove the music of everyday life into stories illuminating the most important issues of the day. Offered by Kari's family and friends together with the International Women's Media Foundation, the fund supports narrative journalism projects. Grants average around USD 5,000 (based on previous years). ELIGIBILITY: open to women and nonbinary journalists. Applicants may be a print journalist or a print journalist leading a multi-media team, and may be freelance or staff; they may apply individually or as part of a multi-format team. Professional journalism must be the applicant's primary profession, with three or more years of professional experience (internships do not count). Applicants must show proof of interest from an editor or a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets. Applicants must apply and publish in English; projects published anywhere in the world are eligible, and stories may be published digitally (not necessarily in a newspaper or magazine). Any multi-format reporting must supplement a printed project. All reporting and publishing must be completed within six months of the award. Applicants receive a decision by early September. DEADLINE: 12 July 2026, 11:59pm EST.

  6. CRAFT Literary: Creative Nonfiction (Year-Round Submissions)

    CRAFT Literary · Online (US-based, international writers accepted) · Deadline: Rolling / undated · Award: $200 per original creative-nonfiction piece ($100 for flash). No submission fee.

    Online literary magazine paying for original creative nonfiction (essays and flash), open year-round with no submission fee. Useful, low-barrier way for an emerging writer to publish a standalone critical/creative-nonfiction piece and build a publication record toward a book. ELIGIBILITY: open to any emerging or established author; submissions accepted from international writers. Creative categories are open on a rolling basis year-round.

  7. C Magazine: Call for Pitches (Art Writing & Criticism)

    C Magazine · Toronto, Canada (open to writers internationally) · Deadline: Rolling / undated · Award: 35-45 cents/word; print reviews flat CAD $430; online reviews CAD $210. No fee.

    Contemporary art magazine commissioning paid art writing and criticism, with pitches accepted on an ongoing basis (online reviews/pitches continuous; themed print issues have set deadlines, e.g. the Spring issue around 15 September 2026). A direct paid outlet for criticism on digital, new-media and AI art. ELIGIBILITY: writers at all experience levels are invited; not restricted to Canada. Mostly pitch-based, with short online reviews accepted unsolicited.