Grants for writers in need

Illustration © Antonio Rodriguez
Taking the crisis out of life's ups and downs

The Authors’ Contingency fund offers hardship grants to authors in financial difficulty.

It helps writers, illustrators, literary translators, scriptwriters, poets, journalists and others, whose author-related activities make up a substantial amount of their annual income. Grants range in value and are designed to meet immediate need.

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 health crisis, we paid out over £1.3 million.

Click here to donate to the Authors’ Contingency Fund.

It is no exaggeration to say that this grant helped me, and my family, to survive. Writing is, was and always will be a precarious profession but these are remarkable times. I have been a full-time writer for 22 years and the risk of losing all I’ve worked for is a raw and tangible thing.

Rob Young, writer and Authors’ Contingency Fund grant recipient (2020)


What can a Contingency Fund grant be used for?

Our grants are there for a wide range of purposes. That could mean emergency relief to support you through the health crisis. Or it could mean help with an unexpected expense, so the inconvenience of a broken boiler, laptop or washing machine doesn’t become a crisis.

  • Make up lost income if you find yourself unable to work
  • Help cover a shortfall if a project falls through
  • Ease the impact on your writing career of illness or a domestic situation
  • Help with one-off expenses, such as the cost of a new boiler or if your computer is on its last legs.

What the grants don’t cover

We are unable to offer grants for:

  • A specific writing project or to buy time to write (see the Authors’ Foundation)
  • Publication costs, or for authors who are in difficulty because they have contributed towards publication costs
  • Authors who are not yet working professionally and receiving income from author-related activities
  • Student tuition fees.

If you have any questions about the criteria or your specific needs, please email [email protected].


Please read the FAQs below before applying

Who is eligible for the Contingency Fund? 

We invite applications from all kinds of professional authors who are resident in the UK or British citizens – including fiction writers, illustrators, literary translators, scriptwriters, poets, journalists and others – for whom author-related activities make up a substantial amount of their annual income.  

The fund is not open to editors, copywriters, or for those with salaried income for writing. If you are unsure if you are eligible for the fund please contact us at [email protected] and we will be happy to discuss your specific circumstances with you. mailto:[email protected] 

What is meant by “writing must make up a substantial amount of your income”? 

Applicants should have been actively engaged in writing or writing related activity over the past 3 years and this activity should be your primary source of income. 

There is no minimum or maximum amount of income that we consider, but rather we consider the extent to which the author relies on that income, the level of need, and the extent to which a grant will be of tangible help. 

Is there any support available with completing the application form? 

Yes. Please contact us either via email at [email protected] or phone on 020 3880 2230 and we can assist you with completing the form. 

What can the Contingency Fund be used for/what can I apply for? 

The Contingency Fund can be used for the following: 

  • Make up lost income if you find yourself unable to work 
  • Help cover a shortfall if a project falls through 
  • Ease the impact on your writing career of illness or a domestic situation 
  • Help with one-off expenses, such as the cost of a new boiler or if your computer needs replacing 

If you are unsure if you qualify for a grant please do get in touch with us at [email protected] and we will be happy to discuss your specific situation with you. 

What can’t grants be used for? 

The contingency fund cannot help with the following: 

  • Time to write (please see the Authors’ Foundation and K Blundell Trust for work in progress grants) 
  • Publication costs 
  • Authors who are not yet working professionally and receiving income from author-related activities 
  • Student tuition fees 
  • Continuous support over a number of years 

Funds are limited and so you may also be unsuccessful if other applicants have demonstrated greater need.  

What information will I be asked to provide and what will it be used for? 

Link to entry form. Our entry form will ask for some of your personal details and publishing history so that we can establish your eligibility and for authorising payments should you receive a grant.  

We will also ask for details relating to your finances, such as writing related income, non-writing related income, expenditure, debt, and income for a spouse or partner with whom you share finances. This information is treated in the strictest confidence and not shared beyond the grants team and the panel of assessors. It is helpful for you to provide as much information as possible in order for us to have a clear picture of your circumstances.  

Finally, we will ask for a covering statement where you should outline your reason for applying and future use for the grant.  

If you have any questions when completing the form, or require support in doing so, please contact the grants team either via email at [email protected] or phone on 020 3880 2230. 

Will you acknowledge receipt of my application? 

Yes, we will always let you know that your application has been received. If you haven’t heard from us within three working days to acknowledge receipt, please do get in touch. 

How long does it take to hear the decision of the assessors? 

You should receive a decision within two weeks. We will let you know if we anticipate a delay for any reason. 

If I receive a grant, when can I expect to receive funds? 

Payment of your grant should reach you within ten working days of us receiving your bank details.  

Are repeat applications accepted? 

Funding to the Contingency Fund has significantly reduced in 2024 and as a result we must offer far fewer grants than in previous years. We are asking previous applicants to wait 4 years from their last grant before re-applying, so that we might help as many authors as possible. This means if you received a grant in 2020 you must wait until 2025 before reapplying.  

What other resources are available? 

Please find other resources that you may find helpful below:


How to apply

Applications are open to all professional authors who are resident in the UK or British citizens – including all types of writers, illustrators, literary translators, scriptwriters, poets, journalists and others – whose author-related activities make up a substantial amount of their annual income.

You do not have to be a member of the Society of Authors to apply.

In 2024 funding for the Contingency Fund will be reduced and the number of grants we are able to award will be affected. As a result we are asking that authors who have previously received a grant wait four years before reapplying. This means that if you received a grant in 2020 you would need to wait until 1 January 2025 to reapply.

To apply for a hardship grant from the Authors’ Contingency Fund, download the application form below and return it to [email protected].

We aim to assess applications within two weeks of receipt.

If you would like to discuss your needs in confidence or need help with an application, please get in touch for an informal chat on 020 3880 2230 or email [email protected].


About the process

Applications are processed in confidence by a panel of independent assessors – professional authors with first-hand experience of the challenges faced by creative practitioners, and administered by Society of Authors staff.

We receive more applications than we can support.

If you are in need of urgent support with your mental health, visit our help pages or call Samaritans free on 116 123.


Generously supported by the Royal Literary Fund – rlf.org.uk

About the Authors’ Contingency Fund

The Fund has provided small hardship grants to authors since 1963 with donations from authors and their supporters.

COVID-19 response

The incomes of self-employed workers from all sectors were hit from the start of the COVID-19 health crisis. Many writers, illustrators, journalists, translators, scriptwriters, and other creative practitioners were among them, with book tours cancelled, along with lectures, talks, performances and school visits.

Since March 2020, we have brought a wide range of organisations together to contribute over £1.3 million in combined resources to the Fund. Their contributions, along with many hundreds of personal donations from authors and their supporters, have enabled us to keep supporting authors impacted financially by the health crisis.

Contributors have included the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)Creative ScotlandThe Literary Consultancy, the Royal Literary Fund (RLF), the T S Eliot Foundation in partnership with English PEN, and Amazon UK, and many private donors.

Click here to donate, fundraise or give while you shop.

Charity numbers 277018 / 327482 / 259845 / 212406