Amazon awards 93 grants to literary organizations who empower writers to publish and thrive

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Since 2009, Amazon Literary Partnership has provided more than $16 million in funding to local, regional, and national organizations across the country that empower writers to create, publish, learn, teach, experiment, and thrive. At Amazon, we believe in the power of words to transform lives, communities, and the world. We are honored to support these vital and vibrant organizations that support and champion writers.
From youth-focused writing programs to residency programs, publications, and award programs, Amazon Literary Partnership strives to support writers throughout their writing careers. We support organizations that amplify and uplift often overlooked and underrepresented writers, and connect writers with their readers. We know “it takes a village,” as the saying goes, for writers to create and publish their works for readers, and this year we are honored to provide nearly $1 million in funding to 93 literary organizations across the country.

As part of Amazon Literary Partnership’s grantmaking program, we are continuing our partnership with the Academy of American Poets on the Poetry Fund and the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) on the Literary Magazine Fund, which are each awarding more than 15 grants this year.

Here are some highlights from the 2023 grantee organizations:

For more than a decade, the Amazon Literary Partnership has been the sole funder of the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 program. “5 Under 35 shines a spotlight on authors who have gone on to become National Book Award Winners, New York Times bestsellers, and writers and executive producers on the film and television adaptations of their honored titles,” said Ruth Dickey, executive director of the National Book Foundation. “Thanks to Amazon Literary Partnership, 5 Under 35 amplifies the early work of writers we’ll all want to follow for years to come.”
Photo by: National Book Foundation

“As Indigenous Nations Poets continues to create space for, mentor, and raise the visibility of Indigenous writers, Amazon Literary Partnership funding has allowed us to expand our programming at our annual retreat and virtually throughout the year,” said Kimberly M. Blaeser, Ph.D., founding director. “Among the new initiatives underwritten by the Amazon monies is Language Back—workshops, panels, and readings aimed at encouraging and facilitating the revitalization of tribal languages through their use in poetry.”
Photo by: Indigenous Nations Poets

National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. “Amazon Literary Partnership has been such a wonderful supporter over the years,” said Grant Faulkner, executive director of NaNoWriMo. “And the best way to conceive of that support is through the thousands and thousands of writers you’ve helped to develop their voices and put their stories into the world—something that’s more important than ever given the book-banning efforts we’re facing.”
Photo by: National Writing Month

Zoeglossia is a literary organization seeking to pioneer a new inclusive space for poets with disabilities. Sheila Black, executive director of Zoeglossia, said that the organization’s 2019 fellow, Gaia Thomas, described the impact of the experience best. “While I was at Zoeglossia, everyone was so cool, and everyone was disabled,” said Thomas. “I stopped hiding my disability from myself, I stopped pushing it away. If I had to explain it, I would say it had to do with the feelings of belonging, of kindness, and of magic.”
Photo by: Zoeglossia

For years, Amazon Literary Partnership has supported Lambda Literary. As Harper Zacharias, director of development and engagement at Lambda said, “We are so excited that, thanks to ALP’s sustained support, we will be welcoming over 95 emerging LGBTQ+ writers to this year’s Writers’ Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ+ Voices. It is the only multi-genre residency devoted exclusively to emerging LGBTQ+ writers.”
Photo by: Lambda Literary



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