About

The Readings & Workshops program pays fees to writers who participate in public readings or teach creative writing workshops in diverse community settings throughout New York State and California. (Please note that, due to funding changes, we are unable to fund events in other locations at this time.)

We offer three grant types to help meet the needs of a variety of presenters:

• The Mini-Grant for individual readings ($150 to $450 per session) and/or workshops ($200 to $300 per session)
• The Readings Series Grant for writers participating in a reading series (up to $1,500 per series)
• The Festival Grant for writers participating in readings and/or creative writing workshops that are part of a literary festival (up to  $1,500 per festival)

For each grant type, a sponsoring organizer must act as the lead applicant in collaboration with the writer(s). In New York State, we award up to $3,000 annually per sponsoring organization across all three grant opportunities; in California, the annual cap per organization per year is $1,500. Organizations are strongly encouraged to match P&W’s payment to the writer. However, if an organization is not able to match or add to the writer’s fee, we will still consider the application.

Please read the Guidelines [2] to make sure your event qualifies and see the upcoming deadlines below. Answers to most questions can be found in our FAQs [3], and staff are available to assist at the contact information below.

Upcoming Deadlines

The Mini-Grant application for events scheduled through December 31, 2025, will be open August 1-August 31, 2025.

Helpful Tools

Any organization, group, or series—nonprofit status not required—can apply to pay a writer participating in a literary reading or teaching a creative writing workshop. Grants go directly to the writer as payment for their participation. We fund applications from formal organizations that host writers (libraries, community centers, and many others), as well as informal organizations, like a reading series held in a café or a park. You’ll find everything you need to know about applying for funding and what happens once awarded a grant in the links below.

If you are a writer, you may not apply for a grant for yourself. But you can suggest that a presenter do so! We have prepared an e-mail template that may help you introduce Readings & Workshops grants to the organizations and presenters you work with.

• Guidelines [2]
• Frequently-Asked-Questions [3]
• Applicant Toolkit [4] (PDF)
• Grantee Toolkit [5] (PDF)
• Credit Lines and Logos [6]
• Submit Event Reports [7]
• Writer E-mail Template [8] (PDF)

Impact

"Receiving support from Poets & Writers is validating and affirming. There is no organization that I look to for this validation more. To be seen is glorious. Thank you!" —Imani Tolliver

Readings & Workshops mini-grants provide support and validation for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers and give presenting organizations both the funds and the endorsement of a national organization to help connect their communities with contemporary writers. Poets & Writers supports an average of thirty literary events every week!

Readings & Workshops By the Numbers (2023-2024)

• Writers who received Readings & Workshops mini-grants: 750
• Dollars awarded to these writers: 263,000
• Percentage of these writers who identify as BIPOC: 53
• Literary events presented with our support: 1,460
• Audience members reached: 90,000
• Community-building gatherings hosted: 10
• Writers and literary presenters who attended these gatherings: 260

Contact

Staff are available to talk with you about whether your literary event qualifies for support and to walk you through the application process! E-mail programs@pw.org [9]; or call (212) 226-3586 x226 for events in New York State and 310-481-7195 for events in California.

Supporters

In New York State, the Readings & Workshops program is supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts [10] with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

In New York City, the Readings & Workshops program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs [11], in partnership with the City Council.

In California, the Readings & Workshops program is supported, in part, by the California Arts Council.

Additional support is provided by the Cowles Charitable Trust, the Frances Abbey Endowment, and Friends of Poets & Writers [12].