Speculative Literature Foundation

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OVERVIEW:  The Speculative Literature Foundation awards grants for science fiction, fantasy and horror writing.

IP TAKE: Writers of science fiction, fantasy, horror and related subgenres will want to keep an eye on the volunteer-run Speculative Literature Foundation. It runs six grant programs and accepts applications for each one, although application windows for each program open and close at different times of the year. There are grant opportunities for writers from various underrepresented populations in this field, and the foundation provides detailed information about eligibility, guidelines and due dates on each program page. Email addresses for staff members are available on the website, making it easy to reach out with questions.

PROFILE: Founded in 2004, the Speculative Literature Foundation was established “to promote literary quality in speculative fiction.” The organization also “addresses historical inequities in access to literary opportunities for marginalized writers” and is committed to the promotion of “equal access to create and advance science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature.” It is run by more than 30 volunteers working under the direction of Executive Director Mary Anne Mohanraj, an author and professor of speculative literature. The foundation’s grants support travel costs, older writers, working class and poor writers, and writers from other underrepresented and underprivileged groups.

Grants for Creative Writing

To be eligible for an SLF grant, grantseekers need to write within the realm of fantastic literature, such as hard science fiction, epic fantasy, ghost stories, horror, folk tales, fairy tales, slipstream, magical realism, modern myth-making, and more. Essentially anything with a fantastical or speculative element could qualify for an SLF grant. It also seeks to support under-represented writers in this genre, including older authors, women, people of color and the LGBTQ community.

  • The Older Writers Grant supports a writer 50 or older who is “just starting to work at the professional level” with a grant of $1,000. The submission period for this award typically runs in the month of May, and the award is announced in July.

  • The Gulliver Travel Research Grant is awarded annually to “assist writers of speculative literature in their (non-academic) research” with a grant of $1,000 intended for travel expenses. Applications for this grant are accepted during the month of November, and the award is announced in January.

  • A.C. Bose Grant for South Asian Speculative Literature supports “South Asian or Desi diaspora writers developing speculative fiction” and prioritizes work that is “accessible to older children and teens.” The foundation accepts applications for this program during the month of January, and announces the award in March. This grant is awarded in the amount of $1,000.

  • The Working Class Writers Grant supports “speculative fiction writers who are working class, blue-collar, financially disadvantaged, or homeless.” These grants are also awarded in the amount of $1,000, and the program accepts applications during the month of September, announcing awards in November.

  • The Diverse Writers Grant supports writers of speculative fiction from underrepresented groups including but not limited to “writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, etc. — whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing and publishing process.” This grant is awarded in the amount of $500. The foundation accepts applications for this grant in the month of July and announces its decision in September.

  • Finally, the foundation’s Diverse Worlds Grant supports the work of a writer whose work “presents a diverse world, regardless of the writer’s background.” This grant is awarded in the amount of $500. Applications are accepted during the month of July, and awards are announced in September.

Important Grant Details:

The Speculative Literature Foundation awards grants in the amounts of $500 or $1,000, as specified by individual program guidelines.

  • The foundation awards grants in six separate categories, most of which target specific populations that are underrepresented in the world of speculative literature.

  • This funder accepts applications for each of grant programs, but eligibility, guidelines and due dates vary by program.

  • A list of past grant winners is available here.

Direct questions to this small foundation’s director via email at director@speclit.org.

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