Grant Scheme to fund writers
Samukelisiwe Mfuphi
The Academic and Non-Fiction Authors’ Association of South Africa, (ANFASA) has announced the next round of the grant scheme to benefit authors of scholarly and non-fiction works.
Scholarly works are normally based on research and cover a wide range of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and arts. The AGSA scheme encourages young researchers in particular to communicate through the written word and build their academic careers through writing of scholarly monographs.
Grants are reserved for books rather than articles, although a compilation of essays would be eligible.
A general non-fiction work could be a biography or an autobiography; a history of a town or a region or a religion; a book about music or sport or theatre; a political or social analysis; an account of everyday life in a township; a book about nursing, or cooking, or fashion, or fishes, or traditional medicines, or cars. Those are just a few of the many supported topics.
However, if selected, only ANFASA members may actually receive an award, so if not already a member you are urged to apply through www.anfasa.org.za.
The grants provide about R30 000 to be used for an author to to take leave, for instance, and devote to writing; or travel to conduct research. It could also be used for equipment to conduct interviews. The grants are for research and writing, and not to cover publishing costs of manuscripts, although a grant could also be used to cover some editing costs.
The selection committee aims to offer awards to a wide-ranging group of authors and subjects. The process will respect the need to treat new and experienced authors equally; to bear in mind authors writing in rural as well as urban locations; and consider authors at all levels of education from the untutored to the degreed.
The scheme especially encourages applications from young authors at the start of their careers.
Applications for books written in all the official languages will be equally considered.
Visit www.anfasa.org.za to apply online or send an e-mail to info@anfasa.org.za. The closing date is 31 July 2020.
