Bloomsbury Publishing, in partnership with Writers & Artists, has launched the Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship scheme to help early career academics get their book idea into a form which is ready for publication. If you are of African or African Caribbean Heritage, based in the UK, and have an idea you would like to develop into an academic book but are unsure where to start, this Fellowship is for you.
Why This Matters
Writers & Artists is proud to partner with Bloomsbury on this initiative, which we hope will remove some of the barriers to and mysteries around scholarly publishing.
The Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship is a brand new programme that is a step change in how Bloomsbury encourages and supports new authors and researchers within the scholarly community. It's the first of its kind in the UK academic community, and aims to uncover and nurture talented new authors who have started their work but have not yet turned it into a proposal which is ready to submit to a publisher.
In this first year, applications are open to up and coming authors and researchers with African or African Caribbean heritage based in the UK, though the aim is to grow and develop the remit of the Fellowship so that it can be offered to many more underrepresented author groups within core academic fields of study in the future. This aligns with Bloomsbury's DE&I Action Plan, which includes the need to support particular areas of academic publishing where Bloomsbury would like to have better representation and more diverse opinions, stories and ideas.
The recipient of the Fellowship will benefit from invaluable, industry-standard creative support as they develop their project, with the ultimate aim being that the author is in a position to approach appropriate publishers. The Fellow will also receive £1000 of financial support, £250 worth of titles from Bloomsbury Academic, plus event and networking opportunities.
And to ensure that submissions cover wide-ranging and topical subjects, manuscript submissions must focus on one of the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Gender Equality; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Reduced Inequalities; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and Climate Action.
"We recognise the urgent need to support people from all backgrounds and identities to become part of the global publishing industry, enabling diverse voices to reflect and shape our culture and society, We are committed to supporting new authors and creators to bring works across an array of genres and subjects to readers and learners worldwide, sharing ideas, knowledge and experience. We have a philosophy around the Fellowship programme which is based on one book at a time, supporting and mentoring an author to ensure we can create a lasting career for them.”
Pooja Aggarwal, Director of Academic and Professional Publishing at Bloomsbury Publishing
"Programmes like the Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship take seriously that inequality is not just historical, but structural in the ways it is sustained. It takes institutions of all kinds to recognize that there are talented, brilliant researchers and writers out there who are overlooked through no fault of their own. It is my wish that Bloomsbury can be a leader in this industry."
Dr Kadian Pow, Lecturer in Sociology and Black Studies, Birmingham City University, and member of the 2023 Fellowship judging panel
"Diversity of voice is hugely important across all avenues of progress, perhaps nowhere more so than in communication and outreach. We need to speak to all parts of society, and to achieve that we need to hear from all parts of society, which means it’s exceptionally important to boost the voices that are currently underrepresented. I’m really heartened by organisations like Bloomsbury offering these opportunities to redress the balance and I’m grateful to be a part of it. This fellowship will take someone’s research and turn it into a work of activism, and I’m hugely excited to see what comes out of it."
Eli Keren, associate literary agent at United Agents and member of the 2023 Fellowship judging panel
How To Apply
Applications for the 2023 Fellowship are now closed. Further details on the Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship 2024 are expected to be announced on this site later this year.
Introducing the 2023 Recipient of the Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship
Our panel of judges have selected the first ever recipient of the Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship, along with two runners up. Click here for full details.