Tejumola Olaniyan Creative Writers-in-Residence Fellowship Program 2026

📖 About the Fellowship Program

The Tejumola Olaniyan Creative Writers-in-Residence Fellowship celebrates and supports literary voices from Africa and the African diaspora. It provides a dedicated space for intellectual and artistic exploration, encouraging innovative approaches to storytelling, form, and language.

🎁 Benefits of the Fellowship

Selected fellows will:

• Receive financial support and residency accommodations in Sharjah.
• Have opportunities to publish through the institute’s publications program.
• Receive support for theatre or film script projects, either as text publications or facilitation toward production.
• Gain access to a creative community and mentorship during the residency.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

General Requirements:

• Open to both emerging and established creative writers.
• Applicants must be actively working on a major literary project (e.g., novel, memoir, essays, poetry, film script, or full-length play).
• Applicants must have at least one published work (book, journal, or significant online platform).

Preferred Requirements:

• Strong record of creative literary excellence (awards, fellowships, recognition).
• Substantial creative portfolio.
• Work related to Africa and the African diaspora.
• Innovative approaches to storytelling, form, or language.
• Work that contributes to critical literary culture, scholarship, or public discourse.

📝 Application Date and Process

Required Documents:

1. CV/résumé of the applicant.
2. A one-page cover letter explaining motivation for applying to this residency (single-space, font size 12).
3. A two-page project statement (single-space, font size 12) which may include:
   • Project description.
   • Significance of the project.
   • Proposed timeline for completing the project.
   • Introduction of the writing sample (or sample creative work) and its relation to the proposed project.
4. One published writing sample or a sample of creative work.

📅 Application Deadline

01 March, 2026

🌐 Application Portal

View details of The Africa Institute Tejumola Olaniyan Creative Writers-in-Residence Fellowship Program.

Apply for the fellowship via this link.

This fellowship is a unique opportunity to contribute to the literary culture of Africa and the African diaspora while advancing your creative work in a supportive and inspiring environment.

• Receive financial support and residency accommodations in Sharjah
• Have opportunities to publish through the institute’s publications program
• Receive support for theatre or film script projects, either as text publications or facilitation toward production
• Gain access to a creative community and mentorship during the residency