Deadline: 15-Jun-2026
The PEN/Bare Life Review Grant Program is a literary funding initiative designed to support immigrant and refugee writers working on unpublished manuscripts. The program recognizes the importance of migration literature and provides financial assistance to help writers complete fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry projects in progress.
The grant emphasizes stories that reflect migration, displacement, and refugee experiences, strengthening representation in contemporary literature.
Key Objectives of the Program
- Support immigrant and refugee writers completing literary manuscripts
- Promote migration and refugee narratives in literature
- Provide financial assistance for unpublished works in progress
- Encourage creative expression in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction
- Increase visibility of underrepresented voices in English-language literature
Funding Details
- Two grants awarded annually
- Each grant is $5,000
- Funding supports completion of an unpublished manuscript
- Intended for creative literary work rather than academic writing
Eligible Works
- Fiction (novels, short story collections)
- Creative nonfiction
- Poetry
- Unpublished manuscripts in progress
- Works written in English or translated into English
- Single-author projects only
Ineligible Works
- Scholarly or academic writing
- Plays and dramatic scripts
- Multi-author projects
- Works scheduled for publication before April 15, 2027
- Previously published manuscripts
Who Is Eligible?
- Foreign-born writers currently based in the United States
- Refugee or asylum-seeking writers living in any country
- Individual authors only
- In the case of translations, the original author is the eligible recipient
- Applicants must not be born in the United States
Application Rules
- Each applicant may submit only one project per year
- Manuscripts must be unpublished works in progress
- Projects must fall within fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction
- Must comply with eligibility and genre restrictions
How the Grant Works: Step-by-Step
- Prepare an eligible unpublished manuscript in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction
- Confirm eligibility based on immigration or refugee status requirements
- Ensure the work focuses on migration or refugee-related themes
- Submit application following PEN America guidelines
- Provide required materials for review
- Await selection of grant recipients
- If selected, receive $5,000 to support manuscript completion
Evaluation Criteria
- Literary quality and originality of the manuscript
- Strength of narrative voice and storytelling
- Relevance to migration or refugee experiences
- Contribution to contemporary literary discourse
- Feasibility of completing the work with grant support
Why This Program Matters
- Amplifies immigrant and refugee voices in literature
- Supports underrepresented writers in completing major works
- Strengthens migration-focused storytelling in English literature
- Encourages cultural diversity in literary publishing
- Provides financial support for emerging and mid-career writers
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying without meeting immigration or refugee eligibility criteria
- Submitting academic, scholarly, or non-literary work
- Including plays or dramatic scripts
- Submitting multi-author manuscripts
- Applying with already published or completed works
Pro Tips
- Emphasize migration or displacement themes clearly in your manuscript
- Highlight personal or cultural perspective in storytelling
- Ensure strong narrative structure and literary quality
- Clearly demonstrate that the manuscript is unfinished but developed
- Follow submission rules carefully to avoid disqualification
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is the grant amount? $5,000 per recipient
- How many grants are awarded? Two grants annually
- Who can apply? Foreign-born writers or refugees/asylum seekers
- Are U.S.-born writers eligible? No
- What genres are accepted? Fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry
- Are academic works allowed? No
- Can co-authored works be submitted? No, only single-author projects are eligible
Conclusion
The PEN/Bare Life Review Grant Program provides important financial support to immigrant and refugee writers working on literary manuscripts. By funding stories centered on migration and displacement, it strengthens representation in literature and helps ensure that diverse voices are able to complete and share their work with global audiences.
For more information, visit PEN America.
