Miami, March 6, 2024 – Miami Book Fair (MBF) reaffirms its commitment to fostering literary talent and diversity with the launch of the 2024 Emerging Writer Fellowships (EWF) program. The prestigious yearlong residency program offers aspiring authors the opportunity to receive guidance from an established writer as they complete a book-length project. Three Fellows will be selected to receive mentorship, financial support and community engagement opportunities as part of the program. The deadline to apply is April 30, 2024.
“The EWF program truly reflects our core mission – seeking out exciting new writers from diverse backgrounds and providing them with concrete resources to develop their craft,” said Lissette Mendez, MBF’s Executive Director. “We aim to nurture creative thinkers who have vital stories to share and give them tools to launch enduring literary careers.”
EWF was launched through the patronage of The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation (the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation), through the Pérez CreARTE Grants Program (CreARTE), and sustained with support from the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation. The intensive 12-month fellowship allows recipients to focus on completing a book-length manuscript while receiving dedicated feedback from an established author familiar with their genre. Past mentors have included New York Times bestselling authors, Pulitzer Prize finalists and MacArthur Fellowship recipients, among others. In addition to a $50,000 stipend enabling them to fully dedicate their time to writing, Fellows gain professional experience in arts administration, teaching creative writing workshops and participating in the vibrant South Florida literary community.
“My family and I are deeply committed to supporting transformative organizations like the Miami Book Fair through our CreARTE grants program,” said Jorge M. Pérez, family patriarch and head of the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation. “The Emerging Writer Fellowships program will not only identify and nurture talent but also foster a vibrant literary community for generations to come. The Miami Book Fair has been a beacon of innovation and success within our community, and with the new program, we’re entering a new chapter in its history. We’re excited to see the profound growth awaiting the talented individuals who participate.”
In 2021, the program welcomed its first cohort of three Fellows – a poet, fiction writer and nonfiction writer – who have since received four book deals and a plethora of literary accolades. The second cohort of Fellows recently completed their residency and have already achieved notable success including the publication of one book and reception of a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Creative Writing.
EWF is sponsored by The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation; Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation; Green Family Foundation; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the State of Florida Department of Cultural Affairs.
To apply, visit Emerging Writer Fellowships – Miami Book Fair.
For more information, please contact Ismery Pavon at Ipavon@mdc.edu.
Follow the Miami Book Fair on social media @miamibookfair.
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About the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation
The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, his family to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. The family foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive, and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, health and well-being, education, environment, and economic development – with a particular preference for programs and organizations that could serve as models for other urban centers. Since 2015, the family foundation has committed $69 million in support of nearly 150 non-profit organizations. For more information, please visit www.jmperezfamilyfoundation.org.
About Miami Book Fair
Founded in 1984 by Miami Dade College and partners, Miami Book Fair engages the community through inclusive, accessible programs that promote reading and support writers year-round. The annual eight-day festival has grown into the largest and most comprehensive community-rooted literary gathering in the United States generating discourse on contemporary literature and current issues of international importance. Throughout the rest of the year, Miami Book Fair responds hosts an ongoing schedule of activities, including The Little Haiti Book Festival; creative writing and publishing workshops; author presentations; reading campaigns; and Books for Free, a partnership with The Children’s Trust that distributes more than 150,000 free books a year to children in Miami-Dade County. Miami Book Fair programming is made possible through generous support from the State of Florida and the National Endowment for the Arts; City of Miami; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; Miami Downtown Development Authority; and Friends of the Fair; as well as many corporate partners. Miami Book Fair: Building community, one reader at a time.
Miami Book Fair contact: Lisa Palley, Palley Promotes, 305-642-3132, lpalley@bellsouth.net.