Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts

South Arts’ Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts acknowledge, support, and celebrate the highest quality literary work being created in the American South. The State Fellowships for Literary Arts are awarded to artists with a commitment to artistic excellence as evidenced by the quality of their work.

The Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts will be awarded to writers of a one creative literary arts genre each year. The 2024 program genre is Fiction.

Annual Cycles and Genres

• 2024 Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts: Fiction
• 2025 Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts: Drama/Playwrighting
• 2026 Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts: Poetry
• 2027 Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts: Creative Non-Fiction
• 2028 Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts: Young Adult Fiction

For the 2024 Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts cycle, the following categories of Fiction can be included: science fiction, mystery, historical fiction, thriller, realistic fiction, romance, horror, and fantasy. For more information on categories, please reference the Guide to 9 Types of Fiction.

Who May Apply/Awards/Selection

The program is open to individual artists who meet all eligibility criteria and live in the South Arts region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Please refer to the eligibility and guidelines section below for full details on who may apply for the Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts.

Applicants are required to submit (through South Arts’ online application portal-currently SlideRoom): an application, a writing sample, an artist’s statement and Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) as outlined in the Guidelines. Writers at all stages of their career are eligible to apply; successful applications show evidence of outstanding talent and commitment to the creation of new work.

The South Arts State Fellowship for Literary Arts is awarded to artists whose work reflects the best of the literary arts in the South. A national jury will select one winner per state, for a group of nine State Fellows based on artistic excellence that reflects the diversity of the region, each of whom will receive a $5,000 award. The nine awarded State Fellows will compete for the Southern Prize for Literary Arts. Each of the nine state fellowship recipients will be required to attend the awards ceremony. The $25,000 Southern Prize will be awarded to the literary artist whose work demonstrates the highest artistic excellence, and a finalist will be awarded a $10,000 Prize. Additionally, both Southern Prize awardees will receive a two-week residency at The Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences. 

The cohort of nine State Fellows is selected through a two-tiered selection process by a national jury. A separately appointed national jury will select the Southern Prize Winner and Finalist. Jurors will make their selections based on artistic excellence as reflected in the application package (writing sample and artist’s statement) that reflects and represents the diversity of the region. 

South Arts is committed to practices and funding that create greater cultural equity, represent the diversity of our region, are inclusive of diverse voices and artistic expression, and are accessible to everyone.

Timeline and Other Information

Applications accepted online from May 22 - August 4, 2023.

Application Deadline: Submission at or before 11:59 p.m. ET, August 4, 2023 

• Award Announcement: February 2024. (Recipients will be notified before fellowship awards announcement)
• Please note that the fellowship awards announcement may be earlier or later than the date listed above.
• Applicants who are not awarded a fellowship will receive notification via email (email of record within the SlideRoom application portal) in advance of the fellowship awards announcement.
• South Arts reserves the right not to
  • Consider incomplete or improperly submitted applications.
  • Inform applicants of incomplete or improperly submitted applications.
• Jurors will not provide comment on any applications.
• Applicants who move from the South Arts region after they submit their application are encouraged to notify South Arts and will not be eligible to receive a fellowship.
• Southern Prize for Literary Arts Awards Ceremony: Date and location is to be determined.

While preparing your Southern Prize and State Fellowships application, please refer to the following guidelines. 

Eligibility

Applicants to the Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts program must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a literary artist at any stage of your artistic career.
• The applicant must be the artist whose original work is represented in the submitted work sample.
• Age 18 or Older.
• Artists must be a legal US citizen or have permission from the Department of Homeland Security to work permanently in the U.S.
• A permanent legal resident of the South Arts’ nine-state region for at least the prior two years (August 2021). The applicant must be a current resident of the State they are applying in at the time of application and agree to maintain residency in that state until June 30, 2025. Applicant must be able to prove current state residency as requested by South Arts staff.
• Cannot be a matriculated student in a graduate, undergraduate literary arts program. Works cannot be submitted if created while a matriculated student.
• Submit a complete, accurate and properly prepared application through the SlideRoom application portal.
• Actively practicing literary artists of Fiction.
• South Arts State Fellows for Literary Arts are ineligible to apply for this program for six years (not earlier than 2031).
• Southern Prize for Literary Arts recipients are ineligible to apply to this program for a period of 10 years (not earlier than 2035).
• Only one application per artist per grant cycle will be accepted.
• Please note: Collaborations are ineligible for the Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts.

Residency Verification

To be eligible to apply for this grant, you must be a legal resident of the South Arts region which includes the following nine states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Legal residency in the South Arts region must be for at least two (2) years prior to the application deadline and the artist must maintain residence in the state of residency as submitted on the fellowship application during the entire grant period; have a permanent South Arts residential address, as listed on government issued identification or tax returns. Post office boxes may not be used as a primary address.

To demonstrate proof of South Arts regional residency, you will be required to submit a current state driver's license or a state ID with the application. South Arts staff may request at any time during the application process additional proof of residency requirements including the submission of one or more of the following documents that establishes residency and reflects the artist’s home address(es) over the prior two-year period (August 2021. Please redact sensitive information.)

• Utility bills with address provided on the fellowship application, and payment receipts.
• Proof of automobile insurance showing the applicant’s state residency address.
• Active lease agreement, certified deed, or mortgage statement with South Arts regional state address.
• A valid state motor vehicle registration or state DMV identification card Valid Voter Registration.
• Other Commercial Correspondence that includes the artist’s home address(es).

Literary Arts Genres

The 2024 Southern Prize for Literary Arts will accept applications for writers of Fiction.

Work Samples

Your writing sample must be:

• A minimum of 20 pages and a maximum of 25 pages
• One synopsis page is allowed but not required. Include it as the first page of your work sample. It is counted in the total pages allowed (25 in prose). If the work sample consists of multiple excerpts, use the synopsis page to give information for each. The synopsis page can also indicate whether the selections are from a larger series, additional description, or details about where the piece fits within a larger body of work.
• Work created from as early as January 1, 2016 – August 4, 2023, and for which you have sole artistic responsibility. You may submit published work, unpublished work, or work in progress. Do not indicate whether the material has been published.
• Completely free of your first name, last name, initials, address, or any other marks that could identify you.
  Important: If your first or last name appears in your writing sample or in your header, your application will be deemed ineligible. For example, if your name is John Doe, neither John nor Doe may appear anywhere in your writing sample.
• Labeled to indicate title and genre of the sample. In the header of every page, include the title and genre (only fiction works will be accepted for the 2024 application cycle) of the writing sample and the page number in the upper right corner. The title should match the title entered as your Project Title in your Application and may be the title of your complete piece or the title of the first piece in a writing sample that includes selections from multiple pieces.
• Submit your writing sample in typewritten, manuscript form: 12-point standard font, double-spaced and margins of at least one inch at the top, bottom, and sides of all pages. 
• Only submit up to the maximum number of pages allowed; excess pages will be removed and not reviewed.
• Save and submit your writing sample as a PDF file.

Ineligible Work Samples
Please note the following work samples are ineligible and should not be submitted

• Collaborative work samples
• Works created while the applicant was a student.

Review Criteria and Process

The cohort of nine State Fellows will be selected through a two-tiered selection process by a national jury. A second national jury will select the Southern Prize winner and finalist. The jurors will make their selections based on artistic excellence that reflects the diversity of the region.

Awards and Notification

Artists will receive notification of the state fellowship award by Spring 2024. The Southern Prize winner and finalist will be announced at the Southern Prize for Literary Arts awards ceremony.

The Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts awards are unrestricted and do not have a matching requirement. Each of the 9 competitive state fellowships includes a $5,000 award. The Southern Prize winner includes a $25,000 additional award while the finalist includes a $10,000 additional award and a two-week residency at the Hambidge Center.

Expectation of Winners

Publicity and Awards Ceremony

Winners of the South Arts State Fellowships are required to attend the Southern Prize for Literary Arts awards ceremony. Location and exact date are to be determined. Transportation, lodging and meals associated with attendance will be covered by South Arts. One round-trip flight (or rental car coverage) and one hotel room will be provided and booked by South Arts. This offer does not extend to any of the winners’ guests.

Use of Funds

There is no requirement for how the State Fellows and Southern Prize winner and finalist use the awarded funds. South Arts hopes the money would go towards pursuit of artistic achievement, but winners are not required to submit their use of the funds for approval. The funds are expected to be used between May 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. State Fellowship and Southern Prize winners should note that the award money constitutes taxable income. Please Note: South Arts cannot accommodate any award distribution adjustments related to tax planning. Awarded artists should consult with a professional tax accountant.

Fellowship and Prize winners are expected to write a one-page final report and submit images (if appropriate) on how they used the fellowship winnings.

Expectations of Southern Prize Winners

Engagement opportunities—in the form of speaking engagements, increased publicity, and more opportunities to display work through South Arts—can be reasonably expected by South Arts Southern Prize for Literary Arts recipients and State Fellows.

Technical Assistance and Other Resources

Make an appointment here for any questions about the requirements or application process for Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Literary Arts program.

Make an appointment

Applicants to the South Arts State Fellowship for Literary Arts program are required to complete an online application via SlideRoom. The application will be open to receive submissions beginning May 22, 2023. The online submittal process will include the following items:

• Online application
• A $25 application fee (Please note: If the application fee creates a barrier, the applicant may request a waiver from South Arts by contacting southernprize@southarts.org).
• Scanned or photographed copy of either applicant’s state-issued identification or driver’s license must be submitted with application.
• WORK SAMPLE (Please note: The 2024 application cycle will accept application for Fiction only)
  • Your writing sample must be:
    • A minimum of 20 pages and a maximum of 25 pages
    • One synopsis page is allowed but not required. Include it as the first page of your work sample. It is counted in the total pages allowed (25 in prose). If the work sample consists of multiple excerpts, use the synopsis page to give information for each. The synopsis page can also indicate whether the selections are from a larger series, additional description, or details about where the piece fits within a larger body of work.
    • Work created from as early as January 1, 2016, and for which you have sole artistic responsibility. You may submit published work, unpublished work, or work in progress. Do not indicate whether the material has been published.
    • Completely free of your first name, last name, initials, address, or any other marks that could identify you. Important: If your first or last name appears in your writing sample or in your header, your application will be deemed ineligible. For example, if your name is John Doe, neither John nor Doe may appear anywhere in your writing sample.
    • Labeled to indicate title and genre of the sample. In the header of every page, include the title and genre (only fiction works will be accepted for the 2024 application cycle) of the writing sample and the page number in the upper right corner. The title should match the title entered as your Project Title in your Application and may be the title of your complete piece or the title of the first piece in a writing sample that includes selections from multiple pieces.
    • Submit your writing sample in typewritten, manuscript form: 12-point standard font, double-spaced and margins of at least one inch at the top, bottom, and sides of all pages. 
    • Only submit up to the maximum number of pages allowed; excess pages will be removed and not reviewed.
    • Save and submit your writing sample as a PDF file.
  • Please note collaborative work samples or works created as a student should not be submitted.
• Documentation and Demographic Information  
  • Birth Year
  • Gender Identity
  • Race/Ethnicity
• An artist statement of up to 250 words is required. If you have not yet developed an artist statement, this article may be helpful.
• Professional Resumé or Curriculum Vitae 
  • This summary should include educational background, arts-related employment, residencies, awards, honors, teaching, publications, and/or other pertinent experience. The resumé can be as brief as one page and up to five pages and should be saved as a pdf file.