KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — The Fan Yew Teng Grant for Independent Writing is now open for application and the successful candidate will walk away with an RM5,000 financial aid to help with his or her research or writing.
In a statement today, Pusaka's Pauline Fan said that the aid is in celebration and memory of her late father Fan Yew Teng, who was a prolific writer, human rights advocate, teacher, union leader, and member of Parliament.
The Fan Yew Teng Grant for Independent Writing provides support to selected writers towards the completion of a work in progress. The grant aims to encourage Malaysian writers to create literary work (fiction and nonfiction) that affirms the spirit of independence, creative imagination, and freedom of thought and expression.
"Each year, one grant recipient will be selected through an open call for applications. The grant recipient will receive financial support of RM5,000 that may be utilised for expenses related to research and writing of the work in progress.
"Known for his uncompromising principles, Fan Yew Teng believed in the power of the written word to give voice to humanity, speak truth to power, and encapsulate our human condition," Fan added.
Interested applicants must be Malaysian citizens above 21-years-old and published writers of non-fiction or fiction.
Solely self-published writers are not eligible. The proposed writing or work in progress must be written in Bahasa Malaysia or English and should be a work of independent writing — the project should be a writer’s individual pursuit and should not consist of a project under an institution, company or organisation.
The proposed work should consist of fiction or non-academic nonfiction. It may be written in the form of essays, journalism, book chapters, memoirs, short stories, novellas, or novels.
Fan said that the topic of the proposed work should encompass, directly or indirectly, the spirit of independence, the human condition, and freedom of thought and expression and the completed work must be a minimum of 10,000 words.
Priority will be given to works in progress that do not already have financial support. Applications should be sent to [email protected] and the deadline for applications is July 31, 2022. Applications can be submitted in English or Bahasa Malaysia.
"Applications should include a cover letter, proposal or statement outlining the proposed writing or work in progress, including plans for publication and details of how the writer plans to utilise the grant funds. Kindly mention other sources of funding, if any," Fan said.
She added that other details needed are writing samples of proposed work (minimum of 500 words), previous writing samples of published work, biography, profile or curriculum vitae (CV).
Grant recipients must also officially acknowledge the support of The Fan Yew Teng Grant for Independent Writing upon publication of the work. Recipients will receive 50 per cent of the grant upon selection, and the balance upon completion of the proposed work. Completion refers to the completed written work, not to its eventual publication.
The selection process will take place in August-October 2022 and the winner will be announced in November 2022. All decisions of the selection committee are final.
For further information on The Fan Yew Grant for Independent Writing, contact: [email protected]
