Best Grants for Creative Writing in Wyoming

Literary Arts Project Grants

As part of its Literary Arts Initiative, South Arts is pleased to announce Literary Arts Project Grants supporting literary arts organizations and small presses that focus on contemporary literary arts.

These grants advance South Arts’ commitment to amplifying the literary traditions and artistic practices of the American South by directly supporting the development, production, and public engagement of high-quality literary projects.

Literary Arts Project Grants support projects in poetry, fiction, creative or literary nonfiction, young readers’ literature, and drama (scriptwriting). Projects must demonstrate artistic excellence, editorial rigor, and meaningful public or community impact.

Award Amount

South Arts will award up to $5,000 per project to eligible literary arts organizations and small presses.

Early-career fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry writers residing in the U.S., including those in Wyoming, can apply for PEN America’s Emerging Voices Fellowship, which offers a US $1,500 honorarium. The five-month virtual program provides mentorship, craft workshops, industry access, and community for underrepresented writers seeking to advance their creative writing careers.

Individual early-career Native writers and poets in Wyoming can receive US $10,000 and professional development support to create new work. Native Arts & Cultures Foundation provides U.S.-based Native artists in writing, poetry, film, performance, music, visual, and traditional arts with one-year project funding, training, evaluation, and communications support to advance their artistic careers and community impact.

Hendrix-Murphy Foundation

Enhancing literature & language at Hendrix College since 1978.

In homage to Bertie Wilson Murphy’s passion for the study and appreciation of literature and language, the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation at Hendrix College was founded in 1978 with an endowment by her son, Charles H. Murphy, Jr., former CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation. Mrs. Murphy was a 1905 graduate of Galloway Women’s College in Searcy, Ark., which merged with Hendrix College in Conway in the 1930s. Charles H. Murphy, Jr., was a member of the Hendrix Board of Trustees and served as chair. 

The Foundation's programs are overseen by a Board of Directors that is headed by the president of the College and includes Murphy family members, the provost, and representatives from the Hendrix Board of Trustees.

The Hendrix-Murphy Book Award

Hendrix is proud to offer the Hendrix-Murphy Book Award to an outstanding high school junior who demonstrates distinguished scholarship or leadership in literary studies (English, creative writing, foreign languages, or drama).

Hendrix-Murphy Book Award recipients will receive a copy of Poems to Read: A New Favorite Poems Anthology, edited by Robert Pinsky and Maggie Dietz.

Students may be nominated by their English, languages, creative writing, or drama teacher or guidance counselor by using the required form.

The Lazarus Family Scholarship in Bioethics and Humanities, offered by the AMA Foundation, supports students engaged in bioethics or the humanities, including art, music, and literature. This scholarship aims to foster the next generation of physician leaders by providing financial assistance to those who are committed to advancing health equity and community service. By recognizing diverse fields of study, it emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in medicine and the humanities.

The PEN Prison Writing Awards, initiated after the 1971 Attica Prison Riots, invites incarcerated writers in the U.S. to submit unpublished works across various genres including Poetry, Fiction, and Memoir. Winners receive cash prizes and their works are published in an annual anthology. This program not only recognizes talent within carceral facilities but also supports writers through mentorship, fostering creativity and expression in challenging circumstances.

The Sundance Collab's Cultural Impact Residency, honoring Michael Latt, is a six-month online program supporting early-career, underrepresented storytellers focused on social impact. Running from March to August 2026, it offers mentorship, feedback sessions, and resources to eight selected fellows in screenwriting, directing, and documentary filmmaking. This opportunity is designed for works-in-progress, fostering a supportive creative community to inspire and develop impactful narratives.

The RWA Perseverance Fund, administered by the Romance Writers of America (RWA), supports members in financial need for their annual national dues. RWA, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to advancing the interests of romance writers through advocacy and networking. The fund is available to applicants who can demonstrate financial need and commitment to a career in romance writing. Eligibility includes submitting proof of work, while ensuring a respectful and inclusive environment for all members.

Muslim undergraduate or graduate students in Wyoming focused on media, journalism, or writing can receive US $3,000 - US $5,000 for their studies through the ISF Media Scholarship Program. Islamic Scholarship Fund provides U.S.-based media, communications, and journalism students with tuition support plus mentorship and career development to strengthen American Muslim representation in media.

Early-career pediatric infectious diseases faculty interested in academic writing and publishing can receive more than US $5,000 to support an editorial apprenticeship experience, including manuscript review and participation in teleconferences. PIDS Foundation supports writing and literature in Wyoming and nationwide by engaging the JPIDS Feigin Apprentice in its Associate Editorial Team and related projects.

Scholars and writers working on Shakespeare and performance studies can receive recognition through the Barbara Hodgdon Award, which honors innovative work in Writing & Literature and performance. Grants from Shakespeare Association of America help Wyoming creative writers and academics whose Shakespeare-related articles or essays were published in the eligible calendar year and who are SAA members in good standing.

Wyoming graduate scholars in writing and literature whose dissertations feature significant Shakespeare research can access funding through the Shakespeare Association of America’s J. Leeds Barroll Dissertation Prize. Eligible applicants must be SAA members in good standing, with dissertations approved between September 1, 2024 and September 1, 2025.

Wyoming scholars and writers focused on writing and literature can apply for support for their first scholarly monograph through the Shakespeare Association of America’s First Book Award. This national award honors a significant Shakespeare-related first book by a current SAA member, with the prize presented at the association’s annual luncheon.

Wyoming writers, scholars, and arts educators working in Shakespeare-related writing, literature, or theater can access funding through the Shakespeare Association of America’s Shakespeare Publics Award to support public-facing projects. The award recognizes SAA members’ innovative efforts that foster and sustain broad, diverse Shakespeare publics through teaching, scholarship, performance, or activism.

Translators of original, book-length literary prose published by a U.S. trade publisher can receive US $3,000 for outstanding English translations through this national award. Grants from PEN America help Wyoming and other U.S. literary translators gain recognition for works originally published in other languages, with up to two translators and one original author per book eligible.

Translators and U.S. trade publishers in Wyoming working on book-length poetry translations into English can apply for PEN America’s PEN Award for Poetry in Translation, which offers US $3,000 to the translator of the winning book. Eligible titles are single-author poetry collections first published in another language and released by a U.S. trade publisher.

Authors of single‑author nonfiction books published by a U.S. trade publisher can apply for PEN America’s PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, offering US $10,000 for intellectually rigorous, stylistically strong works on contemporary issues. Focused on writing and literature, this annual prize may benefit creative nonfiction writers, including those in Wyoming.

Biographers with a trade-published book released in the U.S. in the previous calendar year can compete for PEN America’s US $5,000 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography. Focused on writing and literature, this national prize honors a single-author biography of exceptional literary, narrative, and artistic merit, which may include Wyoming-based creative writers.

Science writers with books on physical or biological sciences that engage general readers can receive recognition and US $10,000 through PEN America’s PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Focused on writing and literature, this national award is open to single-author books by U.S. citizens or permanent residents, including those based in Wyoming.

Established essayists with a U.S. trade-published collection can apply for PEN America’s PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award, a US $15,000 prize for the art of the essay. Permanent U.S. residents or citizens, including those based in Wyoming, with at least one prior essay collection and a 2024-eligible book of individual essays may be considered.

Poets with a distinguished poetry collection published by a U.S. trade publisher can receive US $5,000 for work that expands the scope of American poetry. Grants from PEN America help permanent U.S. residents or citizens, including those in Wyoming, gain national recognition for single-author poetry books released in the eligible calendar year.

With a mission to support writing and literature, PEN America provides Wyoming creative writers with the PEN Open Book Award, offering US $10,000 for outstanding books by authors of color. Eligible works are single-author, English-language titles published by a U.S. trade publisher; U.S. citizenship or residency is not required.

Editors of literary magazines, journals, or cultural websites publishing debut short fiction in English, including those featuring Wyoming writers, can seek recognition and career-launch support for emerging authors. With a mission to celebrate literary excellence, PEN America provides writing and literature fields with US $2,000 prizes for twelve debut short stories selected annually and publication in an anthology.

Debut short story authors with a first collection published by a U.S. trade publisher can receive US $25,000 to support their next work of literary fiction. With a mission to celebrate literary excellence, PEN America provides U.S. residents and their publishers with national recognition that may benefit creative writers in Wyoming.

Individual writers focused on sculpture-related writing, including criticism, history, memoir, or literary study, can receive US $20,000 to develop significant new work; applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or O-1 visa holders. With a mission to support sculpture-focused writing, Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation provides opportunities that may benefit creative writers in Wyoming working in this niche.

The Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, established in 1975, awards $25,000 to the best book of poetry published in the U.S. the previous year. It includes a ten-day residency at Glen Hollow, New York, and distribution to Academy of American Poets members. Eligible poets must be U.S. citizens or residents and submit original works published in the prior year. Self-published books and translations are ineligible, promoting excellence in contemporary American poetry.

The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants offer up to $20,000 for environmental art projects led by women-identifying artists in the U.S. and territories. Focused on themes like regeneration and eco-social engagement, the grants encourage projects that address ecological issues through ethical engagement. For the 2025 cycle, over $520,000 will be distributed, doubling previous funding. Eligible applicants must be 18+, lead artists, and not enrolled in degree programs during the grant term.