VSC Announces New Forugh Farrokhzad Fellowship

The Vermont Studio Center is pleased to announce the creation of the Forugh Farrokhzad Fellowship. This fellowship is intended to support a two-week residency of an emergent writer who is part of the Iranian diaspora in Amrika and who will be a first-time resident at Vermont Studio Center. The fellowship covers the full VSC residency fee for 2-weeks and offers an additional stipend of $125 to cover expenses associated with taking the residency, including but not limited to travel, rent, childcare or to replace lost income. This fellowship is funded anonymously through the generosity of a VSC poet alumna.

For the purposes of this fellowship, emergent writers are defined as those who are as yet unpublished, or have begun publishing in literary journals, or who are just completing their first book. (Writers who have published a standard trade edition of their work do not qualify for this fellowship). All writers who meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply; note however that an interest in supporting writers who hold degrees (undergraduate or graduate) or study at public state universities will be taken into consideration when making the fellowship determination. All eligible writers of fiction and poetry who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. will be considered for this Fellowship, which pays tribute to the memory of celebrated Iranian poet and filmmaker Forugh Farrokhzad. 

Manuscripts should be submitted in English (or in bilingual Persian/English form). The application deadline for the Forugh Farrokhzad Fellowship is October 1, 2010.