ELIGIBILITY FOR A JACK HAZARD FELLOWSHIP

• Applicants must be writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, or memoir.

• Applicants commit to concentrating upon their creative writing during Summer 2025.

• Applicants have taught full-time (grades 9-12) for at least three years at an accredited high school.

• Applicants are full-time, current instructors (in any department or division, not just English) in an accredited high school (grades 9–12, teaching in the 2024–25 academic year).

• Applicants will expect to be contracted to return to full-time teaching in Fall 2025.

• Applicants submit a writing sample along with other related support material requested.

• Consult the expectations of Jack Hazard Fellowship recipients below for additional details and procedures.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A JACK HAZARD FELLOWSHIP

• Complete the application form here.

  Complete this form and send in one attachment (PDF) that includes the following four components:

• A brief biography of no more than 250 words. Include in your bio reflections on: your career as a writer and a teacher, your students, your school and how your writing relates to that or any other community of import to you.

• An attached c.v. with vitals (snail mail address, phone, etc.), along with relevant details about education, teaching experience including courses taught, and publications, if any.

• A description of your proposed writing project with title, no more than 250 words. In that proposal, please address how this fellowship will directly support and enhance your writing. If possible, your writing sample should be from the proposed summer project. If your writing sample is not part of your proposed project, please provide an additional brief sample (250 words) of the writing to be contained in your proposed project.

• Writing sample (with title) of fiction, creative nonfiction, or memoir, of no more than 5,000 words. Word doc, double-spaced, with standard formatting. (You may be asked for additional writing samples.)

Expectations for Jack Hazard Fellowship Recipients

• If you are named a Jack Hazard Fellow, you agree to provide your written reflections on your writing experience during the summer and to share with the New Literary Project the work you produced. You retain rights to your writing.

• Additionally, in order to award a fellowship to you, you will be required to submit confirmation from your school of your employment for the 2025-26 academic year to New Literary Project. You will also be required to submit contact information for your principal or head of school as well as contact information for whomever leads communication efforts at your school (newsletters, social media, and other external communications).

• If you are named a Jack Hazard Fellow, you agree to participate in any scheduled Zoom meeting(s) hosted by New Literary Project.

• Any questions regarding the Jack Hazard Fellowships can be sent to Jack Hazard Fellowship Program staff at jhf@newliteraryrproject.org. Subject line of your email should be: JHF Application [Your name].

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Must I be a published writer to qualify? Published writers are certainly encouraged to apply, but so are unpublished and yet to be published writers.

Are there restrictions as to applicant’s age, writing style, content, or project plan? None whatsoever, just as long as the applicant is not a robot and will be writing fiction, creative nonfiction, or memoir during the term of the summer fellowship. 

Must I be teaching in a California high school to qualify? No. Applicants may apply from any high school in the United States.

Am I permitted to teach summer school as a Jack Hazard Fellow? Our goal with the Jack Hazard Fellowship is to nurture your writing. The Jack Hazard Fellowship intends to free your summer for your own writing project. 

I am teaching full time, but I am not an instructor in the English Department. Am I eligible? Yes. Faculty standing in any academic department qualifies. More broadly, we define “teacher” inclusively to refer to anyone who works with students in a high school, for instance, as a counselor or in another recognized professional capacity

I taught for a long time, but I am not teaching this year. Am I eligible? Sorry, no, but thank you for your years in the classroom. Fellowships are awarded to writers currently teaching and committed to continue teaching at their high school.

I am working on a novel manuscript. May I submit an excerpt? Yes, limited to 5,000 words. Your proposed project should address specifically how you intend to continue your work on the novel this summer. 

About the writing sample you ask for: Should this be taken from my proposed project? If possible, your writing sample should be from the proposed summer project. If your writing sample is not drawn from your proposed project, however, also send an additional 250-word writing sample drawn from the project you are proposing. Send us your best finished piece of prose, published or not, so we may appreciate your writing.

I am a poet and a playwright. May I submit poetry or a scene from a play? No, but all good wishes for your success.

Wait, I am also writing fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir. Am I eligible? In that case, yes, indeed, as long as your writing sample and your summer project is fiction, creative nonfiction, or memoir. 

I have published several short stories. Is this fellowship an award for my past achievement? Congratulations to you, and you may wish to send one as your writing sample. But no, this fellowship is intended for a writer to concentrate on proposed new work in progress. 

I have been a faculty member for years at my high school, but I am moving to another high school in 2025-26. Am I eligible? Yes, as long as you have taught full time for at least three years and intend to continue your teaching career at an accredited secondary school. Please provide contact information for your future principal or head of school. Congratulations on your new position. 

I have taught high school for a long time, and next year I am taking a job at a college. Am I eligible? No, sorry, but congratulations and best of luck to you. These fellowships are restricted to writers who are teaching high school. 

For my writing sample, may I submit a part of my MFA thesis as my writing sample? Up to you, if you think that represents your best past work, but keep in mind, the fellowship is to support new work to be composed in the summer. 

When should I expect to hear from you about my application? In early Spring.

Once I am awarded a fellowship, when would I expect to receive the monetary award? The money will be disbursed in two installments: $3,500 in late spring, and $1,500 in fall upon receipt of your final report, which would consist of: your written reflections on your project and also sharing your new work with New Literary Project. Congratulations!

Does New Literary Project publish work by Jack Hazard Fellows? New Literary Project curates an internationally distributed annual anthology of Project-related artists: Simpsonistas: Tales from New Literary Project (Rare Bird Books). Vol. 6 was released October 2024. Jack Hazard Fellows may be invited to submit work for publication consideration.

Please subscribe to the New Literary Project newsletter, and consider making a donation of any amount to help us defray administrative expenses. Please understand, however, that making a donation or not making a donation will have no bearing on the status of your application. Nonetheless, the New Literary Project relies on the generosity of altruistic people to help us serve writers like you across the generations. Thank you for considering, and thank you for applying for the Jack Hazard Fellowship. All the best of luck always to you. Everyone knows a writer’s life is not easy. Only you understand how challenging it is to be a creative writer who teaches high school full time.