Best Grants for Creative Writing in Louisiana

Louisiana writing and arts organizations in rural or small communities can access funding to pay Southern artists’ fees for public programs. Through South Arts’ Arts in Rural Places Grants, eligible nonprofits and government units in the nine-state Southern region can request up to US $3,000 for literary, performing, visual, film, or traditional arts activities featuring Southern artists.

Louisiana nonprofits, schools, colleges, universities, and government agencies can secure project funding for community-focused literary and other arts activities in Louisiana, with awards of US $2,500 - US $7,500. Louisiana Division of the Arts’ Louisiana Project Grants support writing and literature projects that increase public access to the arts and address local needs through creative work.

South Arts Inc

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs. Why? Because South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process.

Our mission: Advancing Southern vitality through the arts.

Arts in Community Grants

Program Description

Arts in Community Grants are designed to support deeper engagements between Southern communities and artists. Through these grants supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, we aim to increase access to the arts, expand audiences for artists, and broaden our reach. Eligible projects require a Southern artist/company visiting another Southern state for public activities, offering access to arts programming by professional artists. Funding supports Southern film directors, traditional artists, visual artists, performing artists, or writers:

• film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation),
• traditional arts (music, dance, storytelling, and visual arts/crafts),
• visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media),
• performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance), and
• literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry).

Projects require an artist or artist ensemble and a host or partner organization. Project must include at least two in-person or live, virtual public activities – both a public presentation (a film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement activity (a workshop, demonstration, lecture, facilitated discussion, or master class). The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match.

Individual writers and literary arts organizations in Louisiana and the broader South Arts region can apply for South Arts Literary Arts Grants, awarding up to US $5,000 for creative writing projects. Funding supports new or in-progress literary work, community engagement activities like readings or festivals, and professional development such as retreats, travel, and workshops.

Nonprofit and governmental arts presenting organizations in Louisiana can seek funding to support staff or guest artists’ professional development travel and training needs, including virtual opportunities. With a mission to strengthen Southern arts presenters, South Arts provides support for literary, performing, film, visual, traditional, and multidisciplinary organizations’ conferences, festivals, workshops, and planning meetings, offering up to US $1,000.

Independent nonprofit literary publishers, small presses, and other literary arts organizations in Louisiana can apply for South Arts’ Literary Arts Grants for Publishers, offering up to US $5,000 for contemporary creative writing projects. Funding supports creation, publishing, and community engagement around poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, young readers’ literature, and drama by Southern writers.

Louisiana K–12 schools and arts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits can receive up to US $7,500 to support in-school or after-school music and arts instruction, supplies, and cultural programming. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation supports projects including writing and literature that promote and preserve Louisiana’s culture and creative traditions.

Louisiana nonprofit organizations offering after-school or summer arts education programs can receive funding to cover professional teaching fees through this program. Grants from The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation help Louisiana writing, literature, and other arts education programs that explore local culture, music, and traditions, with awards up to US $7,500 for eligible projects.

Public charities in the southeastern U.S., including Louisiana, can seek funding for writing and literature projects, historic preservation, and related humanities work. Watson Brown Foundation provides grants of US $33,000 for operating, research, publication subventions, and program support that advance knowledge of Southern history, culture, and southern studies, primarily at the college and university level.

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 Native writers, poets, and other creative artists in Louisiana and across the U.S. can receive one-year support to develop new work and uplift their communities. Louisiana creative writing applicants may be eligible for Native Arts & Cultures Foundation LIFT grants of US $10,000 plus professional development, evaluation, and marketing support.

Early-career creative writers in fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry residing in Louisiana and across the U.S. can access funding and mentorship through the Emerging Voices Fellowship, which offers US $1,500 honorariums. Grants from PEN America support underrepresented writers with five months of virtual mentorship, craft workshops, industry access, and professional development.

Literary translators of book-length prose published by U.S. trade publishers can receive recognition and US $3,000 through PEN America’s PEN Translation Prize. Focused on writing and literature, this national award honors English translations from any original language. Louisiana creative writers working in literary translation may be eligible if their books meet the publication criteria.

Organizations or projects led by Shakespeare Association of America members that foster public engagement with Shakespeare through teaching, scholarship, performance, or activism may be eligible for this award, including work based in Louisiana. The SAA Shakespeare Publics Award honors pioneering, culturally significant efforts that build broad and diverse Shakespeare publics in writing, literature, theater, and arts participation.

Creative writing scholars in Louisiana working on Shakespeare-related monographs can access funding recognition through the SAA First Book Award, which honors a first book-length publication with a significant Shakespeare component. Grants from Shakespeare Association of America help current SAA members gain national visibility for their work in writing and literature.

Doctoral candidates whose dissertations feature significant Shakespeare-focused writing and literature can apply for the J. Leeds Barroll Dissertation Prize, presented by the Shakespeare Association of America. Focused on advanced Shakespeare scholarship, this national prize may benefit Louisiana graduate researchers and creative writers whose approved dissertations meet the SAA membership and date requirements.

The Barbara Hodgdon Award, presented by the Shakespeare Association of America (SAA), honors exceptional scholarship in the field of Shakespeare and Performance. Established in memory of Barbara Hodgdon, this award encourages innovative research across various media and time periods related to Shakespeare's work. Eligible submissions must be authored by SAA members and published two years prior to the award presentation. This recognition promotes new discussions and insights within the realm of Shakespearean performance studies.

The PIDS Foundation's Apprenticeship Program fosters early-career pediatric infectious diseases physicians, enhancing their skills in academic publishing. Named in honor of Ralph D. Feigin, the program offers junior faculty members the opportunity to engage with the editorial process of the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. Recipients will contribute to manuscript discussions and special projects, committing approximately four hours weekly. The award will be presented during the PIDS Annual Membership Meeting at IDWeek 2025, with the term spanning October 2025 to October 2026.

The ISF Media Scholarship Program, established by the Islamic Scholarship Fund, supports American Muslim students pursuing degrees in media-related fields. With scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000, the program aims to enhance Muslim representation in media and policy, counter negative portrayals, and foster positive narratives. Eligible applicants must be full-time students or working professionals in supported majors like media studies and journalism, maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0.

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.

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 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.

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.

Publishers of book-length poetry translations in Louisiana can access funding for English translations of original works through the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation. PEN America supports U.S. trade publishers releasing poetry translated from any language, offering US $3,000 to the translator of the winning title published within the eligible year.

Authors of recently published nonfiction books that illuminate contemporary issues can receive recognition and US $10,000 through the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, with eligible titles published in the U.S. by a trade publisher. Grants from PEN America help writers, including those with creative nonfiction or memoir projects in Louisiana, gain national literary recognition.

Authors of single‑author biographies published by a U.S. trade publisher can apply for PEN America’s PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography, with a prize of US $5,000. Biography writers in Louisiana and beyond whose rigorously researched books focus on another person’s life may be recognized for exceptional literary, narrative, and artistic merit.

The PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award honors outstanding writing that effectively communicates complex scientific ideas in an accessible manner. Established by Dr. Edward O. Wilson and supported by notable figures, this award recognizes a single, living author for their work published within the calendar year. The winner receives a $10,000 cash prize, celebrating excellence in the literature of the physical and biological sciences.