Applications open for cash grants to support NZ writers

Applications are now open for the CLNZ | NZSA Research Grants to help you research for your fiction or non-fiction writing project.

Kua tuwhera ināianei ngā tono mō ngā Karāti Rangahau o te CLNZ | NZSA hei āwhina atu māu e rangahau tō hinonga, tō kōrero paki, tō kōrero pono rānei.

Four grants valued at $5,000 each are available to New Zealand writers. One of the grants targets diverse writers and topics, including writers from, and writing about, parts of Aotearoa that are not broadly represented in writing and publishing, and projects on issues or subjects that are topical in present day Aotearoa.

E whā ngā karāti, e $5000 te wāriu o ia karāti, ā, e wātea ana aua mea ki ngā kaituhi o Aotearoa.

E aro pū ana tētahi o ngā karāti ki ngā kaituhi kanorau me ngā kaupapa kanorau, tae ana ki ngā kaituhi i ahu mai ai i, e tuhi nei hoki mō ngā wāhi o Aotearoa me uaua ka kitea i roto i ngā tuhinga, i roto hoki i te ao tā pukapuka, ā, tae ana ki ngā hinonga e pā ana ki ngā take o te wā, ki ngā kaupapa o te wā rānei nō roto mai o Aotearoa onāianei.

These are bought to you by Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) and the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) as part of the CLNZ Cultural Fund.

In 2022, Maria Samuela was a grant recipient for her novel project, Kana. 

“Meitaki ma’ata to CLNZ and NZSA for this generous grant to help with research for my novel.

I used it to travel to Rarotonga where I accessed the local archives, museums, and libraries; met with local and visiting researchers, librarians, and archivists, and locals and family; and reconnected with the family land my mum grew up on.”

Also in 2022, Bonnie Etherington was a grant recipient for her project  A Fried Egg in Space.

“With the CLNZ/ NZSA funds I was able to travel to Aoraki and see the stars. I’ve been writing my book about my brain tumour and about environmental precarity in the time of Covid, and often it feels like everything is mediated through a screen or online.

I’m writing the book as I figure out how to feel more ‘in place’ in my body, and reminding myself about the value of embodied experiences (thanks to the research grant funds) has been invaluable.”

Want to Apply?

While a broad range of fiction and non-fiction writing projects are eligible for these grants, some works and projects are excluded so please check the guidelines carefully.

First: Read the CLNZ | NZSA Research Grant Guidelines

Then: Fill in the CLNZ | NZSA Research Grant Application Form

The CLNZ | NZSA Research Grants open for applications 9am Wednesday 11 May 2023, and will close at 4pm Wednesday 8 June 2023.

Submissions must be made online. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised before recipients are announced. Successful recipients will be contacted directly and we will also publish the announcement on the CLNZ and NZSA website and Facebook page.

NZSA is proud to be administering the awards in 2022.

Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) provides licences to help make copying, scanning and sharing printed works easy and legal.

New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa was established in 1934 and is the principal organisation representing writers interests in NZ. A national office oversees 8 branches and hubs, administers prizes and awards, offers contract advice and runs professional development programmes among other activities.