Oregon Literary Fellowships
Literary Arts is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 Oregon Literary Fellowships to writers and to publishers. The judges named nine writers and two publishers to receive grants of $3,500 each.
Oregon Literary Fellowships are intended to help Oregon writers initiate, develop, or complete literary projects in poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama, and young readers literature. Fellowships are also awarded to independent publishers and presses, to support Oregon’s independent publishers and small presses. Since 1987, Literary Arts has honored over 500 different Oregon writers and publishers and distributed more than $550,000 in fellowships and award monies.
Literary Arts received 430 applications from writers and 19 applications from publishers for the 2017 fellowships. Out-of-state judges spent several months evaluating the applications, using literary excellence as a primary criterion. Literary Arts awarded two fellowships this year that were funded by the Oregon Arts Commission.
2017 Oregon Literary Fellowships for Writers
NONFICTION
Santi Elijah Holley of Portland, Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship
Rebecca Owen of Silverton, The Walt Morey Fellowship
POETRY
Stephanie Adams-Santos of Portland, Oregon Poetry Community Fellowship
Shayla Lawson of Portland, C. Hamilton Bailey Fellowship
FICTION
Aja Gabel of Portland, The Leslie Bradshaw Fellowship
Amber Keller of Portland, Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship
Josha Jay Nathan of Portland, Writer of Color Fellowship
YOUNG READERS
Kathleen Lane of Portland, Edna L. Homes Fellowship in Young Readers Literature
DRAMA
Tamar Shai Bolkvadze of Lake Oswego, Women Writers Fellowship
PUBLISHERS
Future Tense Books of Portland
Perfect Day Publishing of Portland
Fellowships to writers were judged by a panel consisting of Matthew Salesses, author of the novel The Hundred-Year Flood; Lo Kwa Mei-en, author of the poetry collections Yearling and The Bees Make Money in the Lion, and Maggie Messitt, author of The Rainy Seasons: Three Lives In The New South Africa. The judge for young readers literature was Michelle Knudsen and the judge in drama was Andrea Hairston. Steve Gillis, co-founder and publisher of Dzanc Books, was the judge for the publishing fellowships.
