South Asia Speaks Fellowship 2026

South Asia Speaks is a highly competitive annual fellowship for emerging writers in South Asia. Fellows receive one-on-one mentorship from internationally renowned authors, join a cross-border literary community, and gain access to publishing networks. Past fellows have gone on to publish books and win major prizes.

We welcome unpublished writers working in English on fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, and oral history. The fellowship is for writers without a current publishing contract. To ensure this limited opportunity reaches those with fewer avenues of support, we ask that applicants not apply if they have already completed a creative writing, journalism, or translation degree outside South Asia, or are currently enrolled in a PhD program.

Mandatory Requirements

• Complete answers to all questions in the form, linked below
• A writing sample of 5,000 words (or 10 poems for poets). Fiction, Nonfiction, and Oral History applicants must apply with an excerpt from a book-length work in progress.
• The name and email address of one reference (the reference will only be contacted if you progress to the next stage).
• A limited number of fee waivers are available for applicants who would otherwise be unable to apply. To request a waiver, please email [email protected] by September 15, 2025, including a brief (2–3 sentence) explanation of your circumstances. We encourage applicants who are able to pay the fee to do so, as it helps us sustain the program for everyone.

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed via Zoom. Please check all your responses, as you can submit the form only once.

Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted by 10 pm GMT on September 30, 2025. We are unable to process incomplete applications.

To submit your application, click here. For more information on South Asia speaks, visit the website linked below