Best Grants for Creative Writing in Tennessee

Tennessee nonprofits and government units in rural, isolated, or small communities can access funding for Southern artist projects through South Arts’ Arts in Rural Places Grant, with awards up to US $3,000 for artist fees. Organizations presenting creative writing, literary, or other arts programming must provide a dollar-for-dollar cash match and include at least two public activities.

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.

Professional creative writers and other working artists in Tennessee can receive unrestricted fellowships to support their artistic careers. Tennessee Arts Commission supports writing and literature in Tennessee by awarding $5,000 Individual Artist Fellowships in categories such as literary arts, media, visual, craft, dance, music, theatre, and folk/traditional arts to artists for whom art income is a significant livelihood source.

Public charities in the Southeast working on history, English, literature, law, agricultural education, or historic preservation can seek funding for operating, research, program, or publication needs. Watson Brown Foundation provides support largely for southern studies and related college-level programming, which may benefit Tennessee organizations focused on writing and literature; typical awards are US $33,000.

Nonprofit and community organizations in Tennessee can apply for Tennessee Arts Commission’s Arts for All grants, awarding up to US $18,000 for arts projects that expand access and participation. Eligible projects may include writing, literature, and other art forms that engage people with limited exposure to the arts and reduce participation barriers.

Independent nonprofit literary publishers, small presses, and other literary arts organizations in Tennessee 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 activities featuring Southern writers across poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction, and young readers’ literature.

Nonprofit and governmental arts presenting organizations in Tennessee can receive up to US $1,000 to support staff or guest artists’ travel and fees for professional development and artistic planning. With a mission to strengthen arts presenters, South Arts provides funding for conferences, festivals, workshops, virtual trainings, and planning meetings across disciplines including writing and literature.

Individual writers and literary arts organizations in Tennessee 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 work, research, community engagement activities like readings or festivals, and professional development such as workshops, conferences, retreats, or residencies.

Southern U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations active for over three years can seek support for programs addressing hardship, such as education, poverty relief, health, disaster relief, families, veterans, animal welfare, or spiritual initiatives. Focused on tangible impact, Robinson Foundation invites Tennessee and other Southern nonprofits, including those with creative writing components that serve these needs, to apply for single-year project funding.

Early-career Native writers and poets in Tennessee and across the U.S. can access funding to develop new creative projects through the LIFT program, which offers US $10,000 one-year awards. Native Arts & Cultures Foundation also provides professional development, culturally appropriate evaluation, and communications support for emerging Native artists in multiple disciplines.

Early-career fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry writers in Tennessee and across the U.S. can access funding and mentorship through the Emerging Voices Fellowship, which offers US $1,500 honorariums. Tennessee creative writers from underrepresented communities may be eligible for this five-month virtual program featuring one-on-one mentorship, craft workshops, and professional development support from PEN America.

Literary translators of book-length prose published by a U.S. trade publisher can apply for PEN America’s PEN Translation Prize, awarding US $3,000 for outstanding translations into English. Focused on writing and literature, this national prize may benefit Tennessee translators and creative writers working with previously published non-English works of literary character.

Individual writers and art critics in Tennessee and across the U.S. can receive approximately US $1,000 to develop publishable art criticism through this structured fellowship program. AICA-USA supports writing and literature by offering six weeks of online lectures, one-on-one mentorship, and publication of a final critical piece on its website.

Creative writing and literature educators, scholars, and theater practitioners working with Shakespeare-focused projects in Tennessee may be eligible if they are members of the Shakespeare Association of America. Shakespeare Association of America supports writing, literature, and theater by honoring pioneering, culturally significant efforts that build and sustain diverse Shakespeare publics through teaching, scholarship, performance, or activism.

Creative writing scholars in Tennessee focusing on Shakespeare-related writing and literature can access funding through the Shakespeare Association of America’s First Book Award. Current SAA members whose first scholarly monograph with a significant Shakespeare component is published between September 1, 2024 and September 1, 2025 may be recognized at the association’s annual luncheon.

Doctoral candidates with dissertations featuring a significant Shakespeare component can seek recognition and support through the Shakespeare Association of America’s J. Leeds Barroll Dissertation Prize. Focused on advanced writing and literature scholarship, SAA invites eligible members, including those based in Tennessee, to submit recently approved dissertations for this annual award.

Scholars and writers in Tennessee working on Shakespeare and performance studies can seek recognition for published work through the Barbara Hodgdon Award, honoring innovative scholarship on Shakespeare’s plays, poems, and adaptations. Grants from Shakespeare Association of America help members in good standing highlight outstanding articles in writing and performance across diverse media and contexts.

Early-career pediatric infectious diseases physicians in Tennessee interested in academic writing and reviewing can apply for this apprenticeship, which provides more than US $5,000 and intensive editorial experience. With a mission to advance pediatric infectious disease knowledge, PIDS Foundation offers weekly manuscript review, teleconferences, and JPIDS editorial board participation from 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.

About Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) ALWD supports its members’ professional development as teachers, scholars, and leaders through both teaching and scholarship grants. These grants provide funding for legal writing professionals to pursue their scholarly interests and to develop innovative teaching materials. In funding grants, ALWD focuses on providing resources to those who do not have other sources of funding for these endeavors.

ALWD also supports projects that preserve the history of ALWD, honor community contributions, and make ALWD’s history accessible to scholars, teachers, and practitioners into the future.ALWD Teaching GrantsIn furtherance of ALWD’s commitment to the professional development of legal research and writing faculty, ALWD funds annual teaching grants that allow legal writing faculty to spend their summers exploring innovative teaching ideas and producing teaching tools, materials, and curriculum that will assist others in the field. 

Publishers of book-length poetry translations in Tennessee can seek support for original works translated into English and released by a U.S. trade publisher. PEN America supports writing and literature by awarding US $3,000 to the translator of an eligible poetry translation, with up to two translators allowed per book and no self-published titles.

Authors of single-author nonfiction books that critically illuminate contemporary issues and were published in the U.S. in the last calendar year can receive the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction, a US $10,000 prize. Grants from PEN America help writers, including those in Tennessee, gain recognition for distinguished creative nonfiction and eligible memoir.

The PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography, presented by PEN America, recognizes outstanding literary works in biography published in the U.S. during the previous year. With a prize of $5,000, this award celebrates authors who demonstrate exceptional narrative and artistic merit through scrupulous research. Since its inception, PEN America has awarded over $370,000 annually, supporting diverse voices in literature and promoting the freedom of expression.

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.

The PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay, established by PEN America, honors a distinguished writer whose collection of essays expands their body of work. This prestigious award, with a cash prize of $15,000, recognizes books of individual essays that can explore a specific theme or a variety of subjects. Eligible candidates must be U.S. residents and cannot be debut authors, ensuring the award celebrates established voices in the literary community.