Academic and Non-Fiction Authors' Association of South Africa announces grants scheme

ANFASA, the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors' Association of South Africa, announces the start of a ground-breaking Grants Scheme to benefit South African authors of academic, educational and general non-fiction works.

The Grants Scheme owes its existence to the generosity of the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association, Kopinor and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the first year of the three-year scheme, ANFASA will be able to make up to ten awards of approximately R25 000 each. This sum of money would enable an author to take leave, for instance, and devote herself or himself to the writing or the preparation of a manuscript, or to travel, or to undertake research.

The ultimate objective of the scheme is to develop writing and knowledge production in South Africa and to encourage the writing and publishing of high-quality non-fiction works, especially by young authors.

An independent Grants Committee will be set up to determine criteria and select the successful candidates. At this point, however, the only criterion that has been set is that applicants for awards should be members of ANFASA.

ANFASA's mission is to promote the recognition and fair remuneration of authors, and respect for their rights, and to facilitate the creation, publication and dissemination of quality works by both published and aspiring authors.

Applications for grants will open in mid-year, and an announcement will be made at the Cape Town Book Fair, 16-19 June 2007, and in the media.

ANFASA Dedicated to empowering authors

ANFASA membership application forms may be obtained by sending an e-mail to info@anfasa.org.za. The membership fee is R50 per annum.

Monica Seeber, Director: ANFASA
monica@anfasa.org.za