Breakthrough scholarship for memoir & narrative non-fiction writers with low income

Deadline for applications: 22nd September 2024

Turn your life experience or the true story that fascinates you into a compelling book, with expert Zoom teaching, workshops and tutorials from award-winning author Wyl Menmuir.

This scholarship will award one talented budding memoir or narrative non-fiction writer with limited financial means a place on Curtis Brown Creative's online Writing Memoir & Narrative Non-Fiction course.

This scholarship is part of the Breakthrough Writers' Programme, an initiative designed to break down barriers to entry for under-represented writers. We are keen to promote diversity in our student groups and to find a writer through this programme who we might not otherwise have heard from.

Eligibility

The scholarship is open to people over the age of 18, either:

• unmarried and not co-habiting with a partner, with an annual (gross, pre-tax) income of less than £25,000 and personal savings of less than £5,000.
• married or co-habiting with a partner, with a total annual (gross pre-tax) household income of less than £35,000 and personal savings (jointly or individually) of less than £5,000.

If you don’t quite fit our financial criteria but are nonetheless financially challenged, then do apply, explaining your circumstances in the form.

Our form asks you to make a statement about your financial income and the reason you deserve this funded opportunity.

Terms & conditions

• Applicants to the Breakthrough Scholarship for Memoir & Narrative Non-Fiction Writers must fulfil our eligibility criteria. Our form asks you to make a statement about your financial circumstances and the reason you deserve the scholarship.
• With respect to the earnings thresholds set out in our eligibility section: for salaried applicants, your current salary at date of application must be under the threshold. For self-employed applicants, your gross pre-tax profits (average figure for the last two financial years) must be under the threshold. State benefits such as jobseeker’s allowance should be counted as income.
• Applicants may be asked to provide proof of their financial circumstances in support of their scholarship applications.
• Because the scholarship is open only to those who do not have the means to attend the applicable course without financial assistance, applicants should bear in mind that their application will be considered only for the scholarship place on the relevant course and not for other fee-paying places on the course.
• Applicants to this scholarship must not be currently represented by a literary agent.

Ready to apply?

Curtis Brown Creative offers places on our courses on the basis of proven writing ability. We ask applicants to apply with the first 3,000 words of the memoir or narrative non-fiction book you’d like to work on during the course, and a synopsis of no more than a page (both need to be in the same document, as you can only upload ONE file in the application below). Please note that those with the financial means to attend our courses should not apply to this scholarship.

The Breakthrough Scholarship for Memoir & Narrative Non-Fiction Writers will be awarded to the applicant whose submission material shows the greatest potential and promise in our view. The decision will be made by the Curtis Brown Creative team.

Our application process is simple, and we encourage all writers meeting the eligibility criteria to apply.

Don’t worry if you have little or nothing to say in response to questions about e.g. writing experience or employment. Just fill out the form, upload your work and we’ll be in touch soon.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 22 September, and we will respond to applicants by Thursday 26 September. If you encounter any problems during the application process or have any more questions about the courses, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.