CLMP, Academy of American Poets, and National Book Foundation Announce $3.5 Million Emergency Fund for Literary Arts

In a swift move to assist literary organizations and publishers struggling to stay afloat and take care of their poets and writers, the Academy of American Poets (AAP), Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), and National Book Foundation (NBF) have joined forces to create the Literary Arts Emergency Fund, which will provide $3.5 million to the literary arts in this dire time of COVID-19. From the announcement:

The vast majority of our nation’s 235,000 working writers (the number of writers in the labor force according to the National Endowment for the Arts’ April 2019 report “Artists & Other Cultural Workers”) make their living and share their work outside of commercial publishing and for-profit venues.

Nonprofit literary organizations and publishers, of which there are approximately 300 nationwide, assist poets and writers by presenting them at thousands of events and by publishing and distributing thousands of poems, stories, and essays in books, magazines, and through open online archives. They also employ writers as teaching artists who bring literature into classrooms; offer workshops, festivals, and conferences; support the creative practice of poets and writers by providing millions of dollars in grants and fellowships; and honor the achievements of poets and writers, giving their work visibility. Together, these organizations reach more than 75 million readers each year.

These one-time emergency grants, backed by the Mellon Foundation, will range from $5,000 to $50,000. Submissions are open through early August. Check out application info and more details here.