£6000 BERGSTROM STUDIO GRANT

We're Launching a Writers Grant and Here's How to Apply

I know how hard it is to write a book and I know first-hand the sacrifices it takes. It took for me to afford a place of my own and have a level of income where I wasn’t running out of money at the end of each month before I could find the headspace and time to write my first novel. And as we all know, a room of one’s own and a healthy disposable income don’t exactly run hand in hand in this country. If I’d had those things in place sooner, more financial stability, it would have been a hell of a lot easier to write.

When I first started thinking about setting up Bergstrom Studio, the visual and image that kept coming back to me was of a community of writers who connect and grow together. I knew I wanted to support and encourage both published authors and aspiring writers to find their voices. When Bergstrom Studio launched, I made the commitment to spend our first year fundraising and to donate some of our profits after the first year of business to a grant. The Bergstrom Studio grant is to help support an underrepresented voice in the UK, someone who is working on or wanting to start writing their first novel. Writing a book takes sacrifices but so many writers don't have those privileges to sacrifice in the first place. Many aspiring writers are on the back foot and not as visible or afforded the opportunities that others receive. I'm hopeful this money will make a huge difference to someone out there who has the talent and deserves the chance to pursue their potential. And I’d love for you to give support and advice to one another here too, we all have something to offer and we can learn from one another.

For me, it wasn’t just about having a space and money to write. There was another ingredient: unprecedented access and exposure to writers, the process and how it all really works which motivated me to even consider writing in the first place. That’s why I’ve launched ‘Something to Say’ because I want to reach more people and make advice and guidance around publishing and writing more accessible, not to mention demystifying some of the idiosyncrasies of the industry and how it ticks. I also wanted to create a space to share more of my own writing and experiences.

I want to give a huge shoutout to the paying subscribers who are making it possible for me to do this work. And if you are able to pay just £7 a month (a couple of lattes) for a subscription to this substack, you will also be helping and supporting writers who deserve community and access to information, but who might not have the means to pay.  

We are giving a £6000 grant to help support an underrepresented voice in the UK, a writer who is working on their debut novel. This is no-strings-attached financial support, the money might be used to cover time to write, childcare, a physical space to write, it may subsidise income or rent.

The Grant Criteria:

-       UK RESIDENT

-       FIRST NOVEL (i.e. you have never had a novel published, it’s fine to apply if you’ve had non-fiction, short stories or other writing published) 

-       UNDERREPRESENTED VOICE

-       UNAGENTED

To apply, please send the below as three separate attachments to thegrant@bergstromstudio.co.uk

1). A 600x word synopsis of your book
2). The first two chapters of the book (or a maximum of 5000 words of material from your novel).
3). A personal statement about you, why you’re applying for the grant and how you’ll use it (a maximum of 1000x words)

The deadline for applications is 8th August 2022.

I want to say a huge thank you to those who donated to this grant and have made it possible. The Bergstrom Studio Grant is funded by Bergstrom Studio, Brazen, Midas PR, MØRNING, Emma Gannon, Gina Martin, Katherine Ormerod, Laura Bates and Sophia Thakur. You are all amazing!

Please do leave a message in the comment section if you’re going to apply and please share this post online so we can reach more people who might be eligible to apply.