Grants to Writers
$10,000
Grant
Description:
Toronto Arts Council (TAC) Writers Program supports the creation of new literary works or works-in-progress in the genres of fiction (including novels, short stories, children’s literature, graphic novels, etc.), literary non-fiction, poetry and oral traditions such as storytelling, dub, rap and spoken-word.
Comments on Funding:
The program provides two levels of support for writers. The following fixed amounts are available:
LEVEL ONE: $5,000 – for writers in the early stages of their career.
LEVEL TWO: $10,000 – for writers with an established writing career.
Applications are closed. Stay tuned for future intake announcements.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be:
1. published by a professional publisher
2. Only publishers that have an independent editorial selection process are considered professional.
a. Self-publishing and writing in newsletters or student magazines do not qualify as professional publishing.
3. For Level One –
a. Applicants must have a minimum of one professionally published work to their credit (i.e. one article, poem or short story). Those with one or more professionally published books must apply in the Level Two category. Artists working with oral traditions must have a history of public performance.
4. For Level Two – Applicants must have a minimum of one of the following:
a. 1 professionally published book;
b. 20 pages* of published poems;
c. 60 pages* of short stories, articles or non-fiction published in literary magazines, periodicals or anthologies;
d. Artists working with oral traditions must have a substantial history of public performance and be recognized as established artists by their peers.
e. If required, use 400 words/page calculation.
Application Steps:
Applicants register and submit the application on TAC Grants Online (https://tac.smartsimple.ca)
Documentation Needed:
Applicants must submit:
1. The applicant’s literary CV or biography uploaded in PDF format – maximum three pages.
Please differentiate between items published via print or web. This section of the application
will not be reviewed by the grant review panel, but serves as your record of eligibility for TAC
staff.
2. The project description – maximum 500 words, entered into a text box in the online
application. This section outlines the format, stage and scope of the project. Anonymity is
required in this section.
3. The writing sample support material – format details below. Anonymity is required in this
section. Your uploaded writing sample must be anonymous, because it will be accessed by
the peer assessors through the online system, and it must meet the following specifications:
a. File format – PDF only.
b. The title of the project and the page number must appear in the upper right corner of each
page.
c. Minimum font size of 11 point.
d. PROSE (fiction and literary non-fiction): maximum 15 pages, double spaced.
e. POETRY: maximum 10 pages.
f. ORAL TRADITIONS: maximum of three audio pieces or 15 minutes of material. Accepted
file formats – MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC. Provide the written text of the pieces uploaded as
audio material.
g. Writing samples must be unpublished works, and be from the proposed project.
h. Writers applying to create works in languages other than English or French must
complete the application form in English and accompany their writing sample with an
accurate English translation. This requirement does not apply to writing intended to be
comprehensible to an English-speaking audience.
i. For all support material types: do not identify yourself within the project description, writing
or a/v sample, or within the names of the files you are uploading.
j. For adaptation projects, you will be required to upload a PDF copy of a letter indicating
copyright permission with your application. (The grant review panel does not see this
letter, so it can include your name.)
Other Things to Note:
About the author
Maurice