Brown Graduate Program in Literary Arts seeking applications and nominations

The Brown Graduate Program in Literary Arts and Thomas J. Watson Institute for International Studies are seeking applications and nominations for the 2009 - 2010 International Writers Project Fellowship.

The fellowship, which is sponsored by the William H. Donner Foundation, provides institutional, intellectual, artistic and social support to writers who face personal danger, oppression, and/or threats to their livelihood in nations throughout the world. Each academic year, the fellowship is granted to one writer who is unable to practice free expression in his or her homeland. Deeply practical in nature and intention, the academic-year fellowship covers the costs of relocation and the writer's living expenses in the U.S., and also provides an office on the campus of Brown University for ten months.

International Writers Project founder Robert Coover points out that, while the Literary Arts Program at Brown has been providing freedom-to-write fellowships since 1989 and has a long history of engagement in freedom of expression issues, "not in recent history has the basic principle of free expression been under such worldwide threat as right now, making fellowships like this one a top priority for any writing program or university. Not only does the fellowship provide needed support and sanctuary to an individual writer, it also signals a commitment to the principle of freedom of expression and, through its association with cultural programs, seeks to heighten awareness of that principle's vulnerability and the need for international solidarity in its protection."

The 2008 – 2009 IWP Fellow is Burmese novelist Thida. Previous IWP Fellows have included Zimbabwean novelist Chenjerai Hove, Iranian novelists Moniro Ravanipour, Shahryar Mandanipour, and Shahrnush Parsipur, and Congolese playwright and novelist Pierre Mumbere Mujomba.

The IWP Fellowship is open to established creative writers (fiction writers, poets, or playwrights) who are persecuted in their home countries or who are actively prevented from pursuing free expression in their literary art. Writers interested in applying for the fellowship should send a case history, providing publishing history and explaining need, a writing sample, and a resume, to the Graduate Program in Literary Arts, Box 1923, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, or they may email materials to iwp@brown.edu. Persons wishing to make the IWP aware of a writer in need, or wishing to nominate a candidate, should also contact the program as noted above. The IWP will be accepting applications until February 15, 2009. More information about the IWP is available on the Literary Arts Program website, www.brown.edu/cw (click on IWP).

Literary Arts Program
Box 1923
Providence, RI 02912
401 863-3260
Fax 401 863-1535

A call for stories

ISPIRATO

A new young MG/YA publisher is looking for passionate, talented writers to submit proposals and/or completed manuscripts of approximately 80 000 words.

About the publishers

"The Publishing Company is named Ispirato - it is very new in the 'commercial book' market (though it has been operational since 2006 in the corporate world). We decided to 'open' this side of the business since there seems to be a niche market for the MG/YA books (MG - Middle Grade/YA - Young Adult - so 9-18 years reader group) in South Africa - as sadly, so many seem to still be imported.

"We do not look at massive print runs initially, but the company will cover the costs of initial runs and marketing in selected stores. The author must obviously be available to appear at marketing drives/launches etc., etc. and as the sales increase so the runs will too (we are also looking to promote books - of any kind - online and are looking at a discount rate between 30-40% initially. Other on-line store usually charge around 45% " Our mission is to get young adult SA readers reading SA writers!

Contact details

"Our website is www.ispirato.co.za (the online store Ispirato Books -
one of the tags on your left - is still in development phase but you could link to it to see the work-in-progress), our contact details:

karen@ispirato.co.za or info@ispirato.co.za, our current address is 15 Sprigg Road, Tableveiw, 7441 and contact numbers are 0215579836.

"We use external editors (www.livewriting.co.za - the site is in development too but the main Editor is Maire Fischer) and depending on the amount of editing that will need to be done, we will negotiate with the writer (obviously if there is a lot of editing - according to Live Writing - then we won't want to cover the costs for this as we believe it is the writers responsibility to make sure it is 'mostly' publishable).

What we looking for

We are looking for MG - Middle Grade/YA - Young Adult (so for the 8-18 yrs reader group) writers at moment. (We will also accept already published books to be sold on the online site if anyone is interested.)

Submission details are:

1. Synopsis of story - 1-2 pages of the story (an outline if you will)

2. First 3 chapters of the story - we assume edited and in 'publishable' format

3. A cover letter with some information of the author i.e. learning, other published stories etc - who they are, what they've done and want to do

4. Remember to include your contact details

E-mail submissions to karen@ispirato.co.za or info@ispirato.co.za

Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature opens

Tafelberg and Sanlam once again invite writers, established or beginner, to enter manuscripts suitable for 12-18 year olds for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature. The competition closes on 30 June 2009 and this time round the organisers are looking for stories in which humour play a role.

Entries may be in Afrikaans, English, Nguni languages, Sotho languages, Tshivenda or Xitsonga.

The winning novels will be published by NB Publishers under the Tafelberg imprint in 2010. For enquiries contact Danita van Romburgh at dvanromb@nb.co.za or (021) 406 3412.

Crink self-publishing platform launches

Via Afrika has launched a brand-new division. Crink, a ground-breaking online self-publishing platform, is set to lead the way in e-publishing in South Africa by enabling authors to self-publish, sell, buy and market their books online. Customers will be able to order books from Crink's online shop and have it delivered to their doorsteps in printed format.

The Web 2.0-enabled Crink platform is 80 per cent automated and the success of publications is determined mainly by the involvement of authors who now have the luxury of managing their titles. Crink simultaneously runs traditional self-publishing services to guide authors through the publishing value chain from manuscript origination to the final product in the bookstore.


Please visit www.crink.co.za for more information; alternatively call us at 012 342 7202.

South African Writers College offers writing courses

We have been running our courses for several years, and most are tutored by multi-award-winning South African writers - at an affordable cost. All our courses are one-on-one over a period of at least five months, and we aim to train writers from every corner of South Africa.

We also offer two full bursaries per year, and run two national writing competitions.

Henrietta Rose Innes and Jo-Anne Richards - Write A Novel Course.
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, one-year online course with one-on-one guidance and training by award-winning writers) Tel: 021
433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

Helen Brain's Write A Children's Book Course -
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a 12-month online course with one-on-one guidance and tutelage by award-winning author, Helen Brain)
Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

Janie Oosthuysen's Skryfgeheime Vir Kinderboeke -
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (an eight-month online course with one-on-one guidance and training by the multi-award-winning children's book author, Janie Oosthuysen) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

Ginny Swart: Short Story Writing Course - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a six-month online course with one-on-one tutoring by Ginny Swart - the multi-award-winning writer) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

Peter Cross: Write A Non-fiction Book - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a twelve-month online course with individual tutoring by author and journalist, Peter Cross) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

SA Writers' College - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, online writing school for career training and for creative writing enthusiasts.
All courses offer at least five months of one-on-one training under a top South African writer.) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za