Submissions are now open to the PEN/Bare Life Review Grants. If you are an immigrant or refugee writer with a literary work in progress, make sure to submit your work for a chance to win a $5,000 grant.

The PEN/Bare Life Review Grants support literary works in progress by immigrant and refugee writers, recognizing that the literature of migration is of inherent and manifest value. This year, PEN America will confer two PEN/Bare Life Review Grants of $5,000 each.

The award is a collaboration between nonprofit organization PEN America and literary journal The Bare Life Review, which celebrates world literature and has been a champion for migrant and diasporic arts.

Eligibility Guidelines:

  • The submitted project must be the work of a single individual, written in or translated into English. In the case of translated works, the grant will be conferred to the original author.
  • The project must be an unpublished work-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2025, as the grants are intended to support the completion of a manuscript.
  • The project must be a work of a literary nature: fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry.
  • This grant is available to foreign-born writers based in the U.S., and to writers living abroad who hold refugee/asylum seeker status.
  • Writers may only submit one project per year.
  • Scholarly or academic writing is NOT eligible.

How to Submit:

  • The application must be submitted as one PDF file and all documents within should be in 12pt, Times New Roman, with 1-inch margins. All documents should be single spaced except the writing sample which should be double spaced. The application should include the following documents in this order:
    • A 1-2 page description of the work, answering: Why is this project important, and why did this author choose to undertake this project?
    • A 1-2 page statement answering: How will this grant aid in the completion of the project? (This space can additionally be used to discuss any permissions, rights, contracts, publication timelines, or other aspects of your project.)
    • A CV for the author of the project, which should include information on previous or forthcoming publications.
    • An outline that includes the work completed thus far and the work remaining.
    • A writing sample of up to 40 pages for poetry, and 75 pages for other genres. This, exceptionally, should be double spaced for legibility.

Please consult the FAQ page before contacting [email protected] with any questions.

Deadline: July 21, 2023

Submit here.