Wallace Stegner Fellowship
Unique among writing programs, Stanford offers ten two-year fellowships each year, five in fiction and five in poetry. All the fellows in each genre convene weekly in a 3-hour workshop with faculty.
Fellows are regarded as working artists, intent upon practicing and perfecting their craft. The only requirements are workshop attendance and writing. The program offers no degree.
In awarding fellowships, we consider the quality of the candidate’s creative work, potential for growth and ability to contribute to and profit from our writing workshops. The Stanford Creative Writing Program’s students are diverse in style and experience, with talent and seriousness the true common denominators.
To be a Stegner Fellow:
- we do not require any degrees or tests for admission
- no school of writing is favored over any other
- chronological age is not a consideration
Fellowships include a living stipend. Fellows’ tuition and health insurance are paid for by the Creative Writing Program. The Stegner Fellowship is a full-time academic commitment, and is not intended to be pursued concurrently with another degree program. Fellows must live close enough to Stanford to be able to attend workshops, readings, and events.
Eligibility
Who can apply for a Stegner Fellowship?
Anyone interested in a fellowship is welcome to apply.
I’m not a U.S. Citizen. Can I still apply?
Yes. Anyone may apply, regardless of nationality. If accepted, for visa purposes you would be considered a non-matriculated graduate student at Stanford; we would work with you to obtain a J-1 visa.
I’m in my forties; am I too old to apply for the Fellowship?
We have no age requirements for the program. We have accepted people as young as 22 and as old as 75.
How to Apply
We begin accepting applications for Fall 2019 admission on September 1, 2018. The application deadline is December 1, 2018 at 11:59p PST.
To complete the online application you will need the following:
-Your biographical information (including education and publications)
-Contact information for two recommenders (letters of recommendation not accepted)
-Statement of plans (.doc/.pdf)
-Manuscript (.doc/.pdf) fiction up to 9,000 words, poetry up to 15 pages
-Credit card for application fee*
If you have questions about the application or selection process, please read the application form in its entirety and consult our Stegner Fellowship webpages thoroughly. Send further questions to stegnerfellowship@stanford.edu.
Responsibilities & Academics
Besides attending workshop, what will be expected of me as a fellow?
The obvious expectation is that you will write, revise, write, with the goal of a finished manuscript ready for publication. The Creative Writing Program also hosts various lecture series and reading events; in the past, we have enjoyed the presence of guest speakers such as Jorie Graham, Joy Williams, E.L. Doctorow, Claudia Rankine and Jeffrey Eugenides. We also have a visiting poet-in-residence and a visiting writer-in-residence each year. Attendance at events related to these series is not only an expectation, but an enrichment in the life of a Stegner Fellow. Fellows also participate in campus readings throughout the year, and offer special programs to Stanford’s undergraduates.
Is residency required?
Yes. One must live close enough to Stanford to attend the weekly workshops as well as readings by visiting writers.
Can I keep my full-time job during the fellowship period?
The purpose of the fellowship is to give writers as much time as possible to work on their writing, free from the time constraints of full-time employment. Holding a full-time job during the fellowship runs counter to the intention of the fellowship.
When does the fellowship begin and end?
The workshop coincides with Stanford’s academic calendar. Fellows have the summer off to work, write or travel.
Do I get any kind of a degree once the fellowship is completed?
There is no degree attached to the Stegner Fellowship. We view it as more of an artist-in-residence opportunity for promising writers to spend two years developing their writing in the company of peers and under the guidance of Stanford faculty.
Does Stanford offer an MFA in Creative Writing?
No. Though the Stegner Fellowship Program is in some ways similar to an MFA program, no degree is offered.
Financials
How much is the fellowship and how long is it?
Is it possible to live on the fellowship?
Is there an opportunity for me to teach to supplement my income?
What do people do after the Fellowship is over?
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://creativewriting.stanford.edu/stegner-fellowship/financials