Grants for Authors

Many writers are unaware of the many grants they could apply for and how useful a really good CV can be in securing opportunities: from grants to public art commissions, high-status roles such as Writer in Residencies and much more. In this session we look at where to find grants, create a great CV and move on to how to apply for those opportunities. We also look at how to deliver well so that your funders will be happy. A great session for all writers and especially those creating a full-time writing career.

Melissa successfully bid for almost £75,000 worth of funding over 5 years (annually more than the average author’s income!), including for a PhD in Creative Writing, travel, a public art commission and being the Leverhulme Writer in Residence at the British Library. In 2026 she secured an additional £12,000 from an Arts Council England grant.

The session covers:

Part One: the Writer’s CV

• Why your writing CV shouldn’t look like your previous CVs
• What goes in (and what stays out)
• Identifying what could be added (and how to achieve it)
• The ‘artist’s statement’: a crucial item you’ve never had to write!

Part Two: applying for opportunities

• What’s out there (study, travel, commissions and more)
• How to find and assess it (is it right for you? Are you right for it?)
• Writing a bid
• Building up to opportunities
• Delivering on what you promised