In 2024 we gave out over £300,000 from the Authors’ Foundation and K Blundell Trust and were able to support 121 authors with their works-in-progress, funding everything from international travel to day-to-day support while writing. Many of these projects will remain in the works for the next couple of years, but we’re pleased to be able to share some of those publications which the fund has already supported and the great work that the grants have helped into being.
AFKB grants assist writers with costs to complete their writing projects. Applicants must have been commissioned or previously published by a commercial British or Irish publisher. To apply, and for more information, please visit their webpage.
‘I’ve never read a book like it’
In the Blood by Arabella Byrne (HarperCollins), positively reviewed by The Telegraph, The Spectator and The Times.
I’ve never read a book like it. It’s as if they tore their own hearts out and asked the other to hold it for them while they wrote.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
‘Energetic, thoroughly engaging reading’
The Vagina Business by Marina Gerner (Icon Books)
Energetic, thoroughly engaging reading … [Gerner’s] highly readable book offers hope for positive new ways of not only thinking and talking about female bodies but also improving health outcomes for women worldwide.
Kirkus Reviews
‘I could not have created Strike without your support’
STRIKE by Sarah Wimbush (Stairwell Books), shortlisted for the Forward Prize.
It’s hugely rewarding to know that this will also (hopefully) shine a light on the strike year and the impact it still exerts on ex-mining communities today. I could not have created STRIKE without your support and generosity so please accept my heartfelt thanks.
Sarah Wimbush
‘another huge thank you for the role the Authors’ Foundation Grant has played in bringing this novel to life.’
The Edge of Solitude by Katie Hale (Cannongate)
The Society of Authors very kindly gave me an Authors’ Foundation Grant in 2021, to work on the novel. I know I thanked you at the time, but I wanted to email again now that the book is almost out in the world, to say another huge thank you for the role the Authors’ Foundation Grant has played in bringing this novel to life.
Katie Hale
‘The recognition from the Society provided immense encouragement and motivation as well as reaffirming the value and potential of the work’
Anxious Geographies: Worlds of Social Anxiety by Louise Boyle (Routledge)
This accomplishment would not have been possible without the generous support of the Authors’ Foundation Grant provided by the Society of Authors. The grant enabled me to dedicate the necessary time and resources to thoroughly explore and document the complexities of social anxiety, particularly through difficult periods of unemployment and while navigating the challenges of the pandemic. The recognition from the Society of Authors provided immense encouragement and motivation as well as reaffirming the value and potential of the work. I am extremely grateful for the Society’s support during this time. I am confident that this work will contribute to public and professional understanding of social anxiety, offering new perspectives and deeper understanding of this important issue. Thank you once again for believing in my work and providing the means to bring this project to fruition.
Louise Boyle
‘A British novel so brilliant it touches the sublime’ – The Telegraph
Spent Light by Lara Pawson (B Editions) has been reviewed positively in The Guardian, Times Literary Supplement, The Telegraph and The Financial Times, and was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize.
‘The generous grant has enabled me to focus on finishing the final edit which was crucial in securing my deal with the publisher. I am ever so grateful!’
The Good Women of Fudi by Liu Hong (Scribe)
‘I couldn’t put this book down and when I had to, it was all I could think about. I have been and will continue to shout about this book from the rooftops at our store.’ – Jasmine Lawson, Waterstones Aberystwyth
Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins by Claire Fayers (Firefly Press), winner of Waterstones Welsh Book of the Year.
‘an enormous help’
Into a Star by Puk Qvortrup, translated by Hazel Evans, rated positively on Goodreads
The work-in-progress grant I received from the SoA in 2023 was an enormous help. After already having put a lot of unsolicited work into preparing a sample of the book and pitching it to every editor I thought might be interested, I was over the moon – and very surprised – when one of my favourite UK publishers bought the rights and asked me to translate the rest of the book. While I never seriously considered turning the job down, I felt really overwhelmed when I was unable to negotiate a higher fee. The time required to do the job justice far exceeded the fee I’d agreed to, especially given that the country I live in has a much higher tax rate than the UK. I’d landed my dream job and cleared my calendar for months, but was so worried about making rent. The grant relieved me of this stress and allowed me to dedicate the time and focus I needed to the translation to make sure it was my best work. Obviously, I’d prefer a publishing industry that prioritised paying translators more sustainably, but I’m still so grateful for this financial support at the very start of my career.
Hazel Evans
‘A magically transcendent adventure that blends climate concerns with Celtic lore.’ – Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
The Edge of the Silver Sea by Alex Mullarky (Kelpies), positively reviewed by Kirkus Reviews.
To celebrate its publication I went on a book tour in the Outer Hebrides, visiting 6 schools to deliver free creative writing workshops, and I cycled the whole way – 200 miles. It was also a fundraiser for Mermaids which raised over £1000.
Alex Mullarky
‘Arnold-Forster is a shrewd critic and delightful guide . . . She carries weighty learning lightly – embracing everything relevant, from dubious neuroscience to cod sociology.’ – The Telegraph
Nostalgia: A History of a Dangerous Emotion by Agnes Arnold-Foster
‘The grant gave me much-needed breathing space to work on my biography of Catherine of Braganza. I was able to spend more time in The British Library and, I hope, have a better book as a result!’
The Lost Queen: The Surprising Life of Catherine of Braganza, Britain’s Forgotten Monarch by Sophie Shorland (Atlantic Books), listed in Smithsonian Magazine Top 10 History Books of the Year.
‘Receiving the grant […] gave me the confidence to go forward’
Kòkú Àkànbí and the Heart of Midnight by Maria Motúnráyo Adébísí (Orion Children’s Books)
I received the K Blundell Trust grant last year. I have always worked full time while writing my novels, but because I was really struggling with the sequel to my first book, Kòkú Àkànbí and the King of Lost Souls, I made the decision to be a full-time writer for a year. Receiving the grant enabled me to purchase the resources to write the novel and also gave me the confidence to go forward with this decision.
Maria Motúnráyo Adébísí
‘Being an author whilst caring for a disabled child is such a challenge and the grant made a huge difference’
Home Matters by Penelope Wincer (Penguin)
Home Matters required in-person interviews all over the country. I used the grant to help pay for some paid care for my disabled teen son while I travelled for interviews, as well as some of the writing, particular over the summer holidays. Being an author whilst caring for a disabled child is such a challenge and the grant made a huge difference to what I was able to achieve in the research and writing of the book. Thank you so much!
Penelope Wincer
‘a vote of confidence in the work I was doing – which as a first-time author meant a lot.’
Understorey by Anna Chapman Parker (Duckworth Books)
I was fortunate to receive a Society of Authors grant in 2023, which enabled me to step back from some of my freelance work for a few months in order to complete the manuscript of my book, Understorey. I’m so grateful for the support I received. Not only did it provide financial assistance, it was also a vote of confidence in the work I was doing – which as a first-time author meant a lot.
Anna Chapman Parker
‘it has really made a tremendous difference to me!’
Church Going by Andre Ziminiski (Profile Books), reviewed positively in The Times, The Telegraph Best History Books of 2024, Church Times and History Times
My book Church Going, which is a guide to the features, furnishings, architecture and landscape that ancient churches sit in, has received many great reviews and sold well. As a working Stonemason, I could not have afforded to write it if I had not received an Authors’ Foundation grant and I have really found my feet as an author with plans for three more books! I am now writing full time. thank you for your support, it has really made a tremendous difference to me!
Andre Ziminiski
‘provided a badly needed energetic boost to help me finish’
Lifting Off: A Life in Freefall by Karen McLeod (Muswell Press), reviewed positively in The Guardian
The Authors’ Foundation grant provided a badly needed energetic boost to help me finish, what seemed like an endless round of edits on my memoir, Lifting Off. The grant also gave me a sense of validation and recognition for my work, supporting me at a vital point in my career, enabling me to further my presence as an author.
Karen McLeod
‘the grant was crucial in allowing me to buy the time to research and write the book’
Clyde Walcott: Statesman of West Indies Cricket by Peter Mason (Manchester University Press)
As a freelance journalist the grant was crucial in allowing me to buy the time to research and write the book, meaning that the financial impact of taking time away from my normal activities was lessened considerably. It was also a great help in defraying some of the substantial travel expenses involved in my research.
Peter Mason
‘a perfect addition to the queer African literary canon’ – Troy Onyango
Like Water Like Sea by Olumide Popoola (Cassava Republic Press)
‘A novel that asks all the necessary questions and is a perfect addition to the queer African literary canon’
Troy Onyango, author of For What are Butterflies Without their Wings and Founder of Lolwa.
‘[The SoA’s] support is extremely important when class, race & age continue to be barriers for emerging writers.’
No Small Thing by Orlaine McDonald (Serpent’s Tail), shortlisted for Nero Book Awards Debut Fiction
I was incredibly lucky to receive a grant from the Society of Authors, which was so helpful in enabling me to complete my novel during a particularly difficult time. Their support is extremely important when class, race & age continue to be barriers for emerging writers.
Orlaine McDonald
‘Provides thought-provoking insight into existing businesses and initiatives that are fostering change and committing to integrity, compassion and honesty for fellow humans and the environment’ – Fashion Capital
Sustainable Fashion, Migrants, Embroidery by Alessandra Lopez y Royo (Bloomsbury)
‘The Authors’ Foundation grant allowed me to reduce my working hours to focus on writing and ensure my book was published ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games’
La Vie Jamais Racontée: Alice Milliat, a French Heroine and Sporting Suffragette by Nancy Gillen (Pitch Publishing)
The Authors’ Foundation grant allowed me to reduce my working hours to focus on writing and ensure my book was published ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This timing was particularly important as the book shines a spotlight on Alice Milliat, who campaigned relentlessly for female athletes to be included at the Olympic Games. Paris 2024 was the first ever Olympics to have the same amount of male and female competitors, and as Milliat was French, publishing the book in the run up to the Games was the perfect tribute to her work. The grant also allowed me to go on a research trip to Paris and Lausanne, where I was able to access archives and enhance my writing through first-hand accounts. Alice Milliat’s story had barely been told previously, so it was important to do it justice. The research I carried out on this trip helped me to do that.
Nancy Gillen
‘A powerfully delicate book of love, loss and discovery, along paths of emotional understanding and physical wonder’ – Raynor Winn
Wayfarer by Phoebe Smith (Harper North), shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards
