A raft of funding updates, from the Amazon Literary Partnership announcing its grant recipients for 2024, to the National Lottery Community Fund supporting almost 4,000 charities and community groups across England in the last four months. Also – grants available to transform community spaces from Asda Foundation.
Africa Writes, Literature Works and Stories of Our Lives are among the 37 non-profit literary organisations that will receive grants from the Amazon Literary Partnership, which has been extended to the Republic of Ireland for the first time this year.
Creative Future, Ironclad Creative CIC and the Graffiti Theatre Company are also among the groups awarded these grants.
The community writing project Stories of Our Lives will use the partnership’s funding to help run workshops within its local community in Greater Manchester, with meetings now taking place twice a month and creative writing specialists assisting during the sessions. “The sessions have provided me with stimulation and motivation through sharing ideas and experiences,” said a writer who has attended some of the workshops. “After 30 years of not writing, I am now on a Creative Writing MA!”
One group from the Republic of Ireland set to receive support from the partnership is Fighting Words. The grant will go towards supporting Write Club, a weekly session to help teens develop their writing skills, and Word Warriors, a weekly after-school programme for children aged 9 to 12 from disadvantaged schools. The team is also set to launch a new Story Slam open mic night at their Dublin centre for Write Club members and other young people.
Darren Hardy, senior manager of EU and UK author/agent and editorial programmes at Amazon, said: “Championing the creativity and talent of diverse writers, both young and old, is more important than ever, and so we are thrilled to once again be working with inspiring literary organisations to help create a positive impact in communities around the UK. We are also proud to be extending the partnership to the Republic of Ireland this year, and look forward to playing a small part in inspiring the next generation of writers alongside our partner organisations for the first time.”
Applications for 2025 grants from the Amazon Literary Partnership will open towards the end of this year.
