A programme offering £3,000 bursaries for established writers currently resident in Scotland towards their works-in-progress.

This programme, first piloted in 2025, trialled a random lottery selection process to reduce gatekeeping or perceptions of unfairness in the literature sector in Scotland, and to better understand levels of demand for this type of support. The new wave of the Bursary will offer four £3,000 bursaries to writers.

The 2026 round of Writer Bursaries will close to applications on 30 August 2026.

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ELIGIBILITY
To meet our eligibility criteria for these bursaries you must be:
• Aged 18+
• Currently resident in Scotland
• Not currently in Higher or Further education
• Have published at least one full-length work with a UK publisher in the same genre/market category as your work-in-progress
• Have a work-in-progress underway

Your work-in-progress must be:
• A novel, graphic novel, full-length work of non-fiction, short-story collection or poetry collection, for adults or children (pamphlets, chapbooks and picture books are not eligible)
• Intended for publication into the trade — i.e. for a broad readership (not academic, not educational or other specialist) and distributed primarily through bookstores, online retailers and libraries
• Intended for publication with a UK publisher (not self-published)
• Written primarily in English and/or Scots
• Either under contract with a UK publisher with an advance against royalties of no less than £500 and no more than £20,000 OR not under contract, but you have previously received an advance at this level from a UK publisher for a comparable work.

* Please note, you are not eligible to apply if you have already received support from Creative Scotland for this work-in-progress. You are also not eligible to apply if you were selected for one of our 2025 work-in-progress bursaries.