Money, Mentors and Momentum for Writers
Your essential guide to funding, support and opportunity in the UK writing world
Every writer knows the passion. But fewer talk openly about the pressure: how to pay the bills, stay motivated, and build a sustainable life around the craft. For many emerging and underrepresented voices, the biggest challenge is access and not just talent or drive.
And yet, help does exist – often in overlooked corners of the literary world. Hidden behind closed tabs and scattered submission pages lies a growing patchwork of grants, prizes, mentoring schemes, and paid opportunities. Whether you're starting your first novel, working part-time and writing on weekends, or trying to figure out how to make your art pay, there are real avenues for support.
This guide brings those opportunities into one place. From paid development programmes and literary prizes to funding for emerging talent and behind-the-scenes industry access, we’ve gathered trusted resources to help you move forward. Every section includes direct links so you can explore further, apply with confidence, and start building your portfolio and career.
Government and Literary Grants
Grants can buy you what every writer needs most, which is time. Even if you’re just starting your manuscript afresh or you are finishing your book, these funds can help you focus, develop your craft, and gain credibility. Here are some key opportunities worth exploring:
Arts Council England: ACE offers two main streams – Project Grants (any scale, often used for events or community projects) and Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP, £2,000–£10,000 for individual writers). These can fund anything from research trips to workshops. (DYCP runs several application rounds a year; a decision may take 10–16 weeks)literaryconsultancy.co.uk.
Society of Authors – Time to Write Grants: The SoA awards about £360,000 per year to UK/Irish writers working on a contracted book. Grants (typically £2–3.5k) can cover research, travel or living costs so you can focus on writing. (One poet said her grant let her “turn down teaching work to fully focus on writing, and breathe poetry instead of money worries.”) All writers can apply to this open scheme.
Royal Literary Fund: The RLF supports professional authors in hardship. If you’ve published at least two books and face financial difficulty, you can apply for an annual grant or pension to cover living costs and expenses.
Royal Society of Literature (RSL): RSL runs several cash prizes (e.g. the £10,000 Christopher Bland Prize for debut writers over 50, and the Giles St Aubyn Award for first-time non-fiction). They also maintain a resources page listing funding sources for writers.
Regional Literature Agencies: Many parts of the UK have local trusts or book agencies offering grants. For example, Literature Wales awards “Platforming” grants up to £1,000 to Welsh writers from Black, Asian or disabled backgrounds. Similarly, the Scottish Book Trust runs New Writers Awards that give two £2,000 prizes (plus mentoring) each year to low-income writers in Scotland. Check with your national or city literature development agency (e.g. Spread the Word in London, Literature Wales, New Writing North, etc.).
Bursaries, Courses and Mentorship
Sometimes the missing piece in a writer’s journey is structured support in the form of courses, workshops, or a series that brings clarity to the craft and direction to the dream.
Whether you’re looking to understand the industry or refine your writing, there are opportunities out there to learn from professionals and build lasting confidence.
Faber Academy Scholarships: The Faber Academy writing school reserves scholarship places on many of its courses for writers who cannot afford tuition. Applicants need not prove income, but places are awarded to writers showing promise who otherwise couldn’t attend. The Academy specifically prioritizes marginalized groups – “writers of colour, working class backgrounds, disabled writers, LGBTQIA+ writers and other under-represented groups.”
Curtis Brown Creative – Breakthrough Programme: A large UK literary agency runs a Breakthrough Writers’ Programme providing free courses, mentoring and masterclasses. Since 2020 they have funded dozens of talented under-represented writers (for 2024, 20 writers were supported). They also hold competitions like the Discoveries Prize (for new women writers) and the Andromeda Award (for UK/US fantasy novelists), offering cash and development.
Arvon Low-Income Grants: The Arvon Foundation (which runs residential writing retreats) offers bursaries and discounts on course fees for UK writers in financial need. You can apply to have your course fee partly or fully covered; priority goes to those on low income.
The Literary Consultancy – Free Reads: In partnership with Arts Council England, TLC runs the Free Reads scheme, which provides free manuscript assessment and mentoring to talented low-income and marginalised writers across England. This scheme (open annually via regional partners) covers genres including fiction and poetry and is explicitly aimed at “global majority, disabled, LGBTQ and other under-represented” writers. In London, Spread the Word also helps administer this for local writers.
National Centre for Writing (Norwich) – Bursaries: Through its NCW Academy and Escalator programmes, this centre offers discounted or free places on online courses, workshops and mentoring. Bursary places are specifically available to UK writers with financial need; in 2023 the centre invited applications especially from writers of colour and LGBTQI+ writers.
University Scholarships: For postgraduate study, some UK universities offer targeted scholarships. Notably, the Open University’s Open Futures scholarship fully funds its MA in Creative Writing for low-income writers “from Black backgrounds”. If you’re eligible (criteria include income under £25k or receiving benefits), this could cover all tuition.
The Literary Agents Series: At the Black British Book Festival, we’ve partnered with several leading literary agents and agencies to host an exclusive Literary Agents Series. These sessions break down the realities of finding and securing a literary agent. We will cover how to prepare your pitch and writing a compelling query letter to understanding contracts and industry expectations. It’s honest, practical insight you rarely get access to, especially as a new or underrepresented writer.
How to Become a Screenwriter (in partnership with Hat Trick Productions): In this dynamic workshop, held in partnership with one of the UK’s most established production companies, writers were guided through the essentials of screenwriting. The speakers will share deep insights on how to craft a standout script to understanding how to pitch for television.
Competitions and Awards
Prizes often come with cash, publication, and a serious boost to your profile. If you're ready to put your work out there, these competitions can open doors and help you build momentum.
Creative Future Writers’ Award: A national development programme (run by the Brighton charity Creative Future) for writers facing barriers (mental health, disability or social circumstances). It’s open to writers from underrepresented backgrounds across the UK and offers cash prizes and publishing development. (The award is currently worth up to £20,000 in prizes.)
Spread the Word Prizes: London’s literature agency runs the London Writers Awards, a year-long mentoring and professional development programme for diverse London-based writers. It also hosts a Disabled Poets Prize each year for deaf and disabled writers.
Other UK Competitions: Many writing contests welcome unpublished writers globally. For example, the Commonwealth Short Story Prize awards £2,500 to each regional (Commonwealth nation) winner and a £5,000 overall winner. The Bath Novel Award (adult and children’s) and the Bridport Prize (poetry, short story, etc.) regularly attract new authors and offer cash prizes. The Footnote x Counterpoints prize (for refugee/migrant writers) includes a £15,000 award plus a publication deal. Many of these awards have entry free or offer fee waivers for disadvantaged writers – it’s worth checking each contest’s bursary scheme.
Paid Writing Work
Aside from grants and prizes, many writers earn income through paid commissions. Journalism, content writing, copywriting and editing are common paths. Rates vary widely: for example, content mills pay only pennies per word ($0.01/word), whereas top-tier publications might pay $500 or more for a 1,000-word article. Ghostwriting a book can also be lucrative – one writer reported a $5,000 fee (around £4,000) for ghostwriting a 164,000-word manuscript. To find paid gigs, consider:
Building a portfolio and pitching to magazines, websites or corporate clients. A specialization (e.g. tech, health, finance) can allow higher fees.
Networking in relevant fields: many industry newsletters and job boards list freelance writing contracts. In the UK, sites like The London Magazine or The Literary Consultancy’s job board sometimes post opportunities.
Self-publishing or Monetizing Content: Some writers start blogs or newsletters on Substack/Medium and earn via subscriptions or donations. While income can be slow at first, it’s another stream to explore.
Your Next Steps
Research and apply early: Most schemes have fixed deadlines (often in spring or autumn). Track them on a calendar and prepare your application well in advance.
Leverage your identity and interests: Many grants aim to support specific communities. Emphasize how your background or project fits a funder’s goals (e.g. mental health, ethnic minority, disability).
Use professional networks: Join organisations like the Society of Authors (SoA) to get email alerts and advice. Attend free webinars or mentorship programmes (TLC, Creative Future and others often hold open-info sessions).
Keep honing your craft: Grants and courses not only fund you but often require work samples. Use writing groups and workshops to improve your submissions (some local libraries or charities run free groups).
Apply widely: There’s no single “silver bullet” funding source. Apply to multiple small grants or contests; a few hundred pounds here and a commission there can add up.
Remember the creative spark that drives you – persistence is key. As one novelist put it, getting a grant was life-changing: it gave him “all the support I needed” to finish a 127,000-word manuscript that he otherwise thought impossible. With research and determination, you can piece together income from grants, prizes and paid gigs to make your writing sustainable.
Keep Going and Don’t Quit
There is no single path to success as a writer. For some, it comes through the quiet discipline of daily writing. For others, it's found through community, mentorship, or the simple act of applying for one more opportunity. What’s certain is this: support exists, even if it sometimes takes time to find it.
Not every application will be successful. Not every draft will sing. But each attempt is part of a longer momentum buildup. Whether it’s a small grant that gives you breathing space, a course that builds your confidence, or a mentor who believes in your voice, these are all part of the journey.
Be patient with yourself. Stay open to growth. Keep showing up. Even when progress feels slow, it’s still progress. The writers who find their way are often the ones who simply kept going. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep writing, keep learning, and keep moving forward.
Extra: We made a post with a roundup of opportunities that are open this month and in the coming ones on our instagram. You can check it here and apply.
Further Resources: Apart from the sources cited above, be sure to consult dedicated listings and guides. For example, Writers & Artists publishes a free list of opportunities for under-represented writers, and the Arts Council website details its funding programmes. The Society of Authors, Royal Literary Fund, Arts Council England, Spread the Word and Creative Future sites are great starting points for official information.