Authors' Contingency Fund

The fund supports professional authors in crisis, covering lost income when temporarily unable to work, shortfalls from projects that fall through, the impact of illness on a writing career, and sudden changes to homelife. It also assists with emergency equipment needs. Grants are available to authors resident in the UK or British citizens, with no minimum or maximum income threshold considered. The focus is on short-term relief that enables writers to resume their normal working practice.

Applications are invited from all kinds of professional authors, including writers, illustrators, literary translators, scriptwriters, poets and journalists. Applicants must be resident in the UK or British citizens. There is no income threshold for eligibility. The fund is not open to editors, copywriters, or those with salaried income for writing. Grants are for individuals only, not organisations.

The fund does not support editors, copywriters, or those whose primary income comes from salaried writing. It also excludes project costs, publication expenses, tuition fees, time to write, and ongoing core support. Grants are not available for organisations or charities.

The fund offers small, short-term grants designed as emergency relief. It operates on a rolling basis, open throughout the year, and welcomes unsolicited applications. Awards are assessed by fellow professional authors, ensuring a peer-led approach. The fund provides one-off grants to help authors through a specific crisis, rather than ongoing or multi-year support.