Natur & Kultur working grants

Natur & Kultur working grants

You will receive 100,000 SEK (about 8,800 EUR) as a one-off, tax-free grant to support your work on a book project in Swedish. The ‘Natur & Kultur’ Foundation awards twenty such grants each year. This funding will give you the time needed for the reading and research required for a serious literary work. In return, you simply need to submit a brief report within one year detailing how you have used the money.

Who can apply

• What you do: You are an author or translator and are working on a book for Swedish readers. The grants are available for non-fiction, fiction, children’s and young adult books, as well as translations into Swedish.
• Language: Your project must be written in Swedish or translated into Swedish, and you must also write the application in Swedish.
• Nationality: Applicants of any nationality may apply, provided that the project is written in Swedish and is aimed at Swedish readers.
• New project: The book must have been started but not yet completed, and must not be published in the year in which you are applying. Sequels to previous books and school textbooks are not eligible.
• For translators: You must be an established translator into Swedish who, on your own initiative, includes lesser-known authors and languages in your portfolio.
• You apply as a person: The scholarship is awarded to a specific individual. Publishers and agents may not apply; in the case of collaborative projects, a single application must be submitted on behalf of one person.
• One application a year: You may only submit one application per year, so please select your most compelling project.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the Foundation’s application system between 1 February and 1 May. You must submit a brief project description, a timetable and a short list of your qualifications. Translators must use a separate form. An initial panel carries out a shortlisting process; a funding committee comprising literary scholars then selects the twenty scholarship recipients, and all applicants will receive a response by email in September.

How realistic are your chances?

With twenty grants awarded each year across various genres and the stated aim of including at least one debut author, the field is more open than it would be for a single, high-profile prize. However, the grant is well known in Swedish literary circles and attracts many applicants, so a precise, concrete project plan is more important than a long-standing career. If your book clearly fits into one of the categories and is actually at the research stage, you stand a good chance.