Fellowship Opportunities for Emerging by Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing (MVICW)

Martha’s Vineyard, USA
Session Dates:

• May 24 – May 30, 2026
• June 14 – June 20, 2026
  Fellowship Application Deadline: January 19, 2026

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About the Opportunity

The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing (MVICW) is offering a range of fellowship opportunities for writers to attend its 2026 Summer Writers’ Conference. With over 17 years of fostering creativity, community, and craft, MVICW provides a deeply supportive environment for writers at all stages to reconnect with their practice, build confidence, and develop powerful new work.

Rooted in the values of compassion over competition and creative support over hierarchy, MVICW’s conference combines craft classes, generative workshops, and community-building in a nurturing setting designed to help writers silence their inner critic and sustain a lifelong writing practice.

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Fellowship Overview

Since its founding, MVICW has awarded over $300,000 in fellowships to support 700+ writers worldwide. Fellowships provide full or partial funding to attend the Summer Writers’ Conference, giving recipients the time, space, and resources to focus on their creative work while building lasting literary networks.

MVICW is committed to creative inclusion and equity, offering targeted fellowships to support writers from historically underrepresented or structurally disadvantaged communities.

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Available Fellowships (2026)

All fellowship applications share the same deadline and submission fee.

Emerging Writer Fellowships

Deadline: January 19, 2026
Open to writers 18+ who have not yet published a book or chapbook (including small or micro-presses). These fellowships support emerging writers of all backgrounds and genres attending the Summer Writers’ Conference for the first time.

Parent-Writer Fellowships

Deadline: January 19, 2026
For writers who are parents of children 16 or younger living with them, offering time and financial support to focus on their writing.

Teach! Write! Play! Fellowships

Deadline: January 19, 2026
For educators and professionals working with youth (21 or younger), including teachers, professors, social workers, and community organizers.

Queer-Writer Fellowships

Deadline: January 19, 2026
Supporting LGBTQIA+ writers (18+) as part of MVICW’s commitment to expanding the literary canon.

Voices of Color Fellowships

Deadline: January 19, 2026
Includes:

• Leonard A. Slade Jr. Poetry Fellowships for Poets of Color
• Voices of Color Prose Fellowships
  Open to writers of color 18+ across genres.

Joyza Caregiver Fellowship

Deadline: January 19, 2026
For full-time primary caregivers caring for family members or significant others requiring intensive care, or those who have lost someone they were caregiving for within the last six months.

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Application Details

• Submission Fee: $20 per fellowship application
• What Fellows Receive:
  • Full or partial funding to attend the Summer Writers’ Conference
  • Craft workshops and classes
  • Access to a global community of writers
  • Ongoing support beyond the conference

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Why Attend MVICW?

MVICW alumni credit the program with:

• Completing novels and poetry collections
• Receiving national awards and grants
• Gaining admission to MFA programs
• Launching bookstores, presses, and literary spaces
• Building lifelong writing communities

Beyond professional achievements, fellows leave with renewed confidence, creative momentum, and a lasting sense of belonging.

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Apply Now

Fellowship applications for the 2026 Summer Writers’ Conference close on January 19, 2026.

Learn more & apply: Click Here