ANFASA GRANT SCHEME FOR AUTHORS (AGSA)

Are you an author of general non-fiction work, educational or academic work currently involved in a writing project? Is finding time to focus on your project an issue? Or maybe running short of funds to complete the needed research for the project?

If a grant can allow you to take time off from work or complete the research for your writing project then AGSA is there for you.

The scheme owes its existence to the generosity of the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association, Kopinor (the Norwegian Reproduction Rights Organisation), and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The grants are intended to provide around R20 000.00 - R25 000.00 for an author to take leave, for instance, and devote herself or himself to the writing or the preparation of a manuscript, or to travel, or to undertake research, or to participate in a relevant training programme for purposes of completing the manuscript. Therefore, this grant is intended for the author's research and/or writing costs only. It does not cover production costs of the manuscript nor cater for an author intending to self-publish the book.

An independent committee will assess the applications and select the most deserving. There are only two criteria for eligibility: membership of ANFASA and the desire to complete the writing of a general non-fiction, educational or academic work for publication in book or journal form.

The committee aims to offer awards to a wide-ranging group of South Africans, and the selection process will respect the need to treat authors at novice, intermediate and experienced levels equally; to bear in mind authors writing in rural as well as urban locations; and to consider authors at all educational levels from the untutored to the degreed. Eligibility extends to authors writing in all the official languages.

The ultimate objective of the scheme is to develop writing and knowledge production in South Africa and to encourage the writing and publishing of high-quality non-fiction works, especially by young authors. The short-term objective is to provide both established and aspiring authors with the means to devote themselves to writing.

The call for applications for 2011 has now closed and winning applications will be announced in December 2011. The next call for applications will be made in 2012.