Since 2009, the Amazon Literary Partnership has awarded more than $12 million in grant funding to more than 150 literary organizations, with a particular focus on supporting a diversity of voices. Grant recipients include nonprofit writing centers, residencies, fellowships, after-school classes, literary magazines, national organizations supporting storytelling and free speech, and internationally acclaimed publishers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Supported groups
Read more about our 2019 grant recipients below some of our recipients are highlighted below, in their own words. We encourage you to support them as well.
In 2019, Amazon Literary Partnership awarded funding to the below grant recipients
The Academy of American Poets is our nation’s leading champion of poets and poetry. Founded in 1934, the organization produces Poets.org, the world’s largest publicly-funded website for poets and poetry; National Poetry Month; the popular Poem-a-Day series;American Poetsmagazine; Teach This Poem and other resources for K-12 educators; an annual series of poetry readings and special events; and awards to poets. It also coordinates and supports the work of a national Poetry Coalition, an alliance of more than 20 poetry organizations working to promote the value poets bring to our culture and the important contribution poetry makes in the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds.
Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP)
CLMP ensures a vibrant, diverse literary landscape by helping small literary publishers work better. We communicate the art of literary publishing to readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, educators, funders and other literary stakeholders, and work to bring all of these communities together. CLMP carries out this mission so that essential literary voices from all corners can make their way from writers to readers.
Founded in 2003, Words Without Borders expands cultural understanding through the translation, publication, and promotion of the finest contemporary international literature. Our publications and programs open doors for readers of English around the world to the multiplicity of viewpoints, richness of experience, and literary perspective on world events offered by writers in other languages. We seek to connect international writers to the general public, to students and educators, and to the media and to serve as a primary online location for a global literary conversation.
Lambda Literary nurtures and advocates for LGBTQ writers, elevating the impact of their words to create community, preserve our legacies, and affirm the value of our stories and our lives.
National Book Foundation – 5 under 35
In 2006, the National Book Foundation established the 5 Under 35 prize to recognize young, debut fiction writers whose work promised to leave a lasting impression on the literary landscape. 5 Under 35 has identified some of the most celebrated young writers working today. Previous honorees include Brit Bennett, Angela Flournoy, Phil Klay, Nam Le, Valeria Luiselli, C.E. Morgan, Téa Obreht, ZZ Packer, Karen Russell, Justin Torres, Claire Vaye Watkins, Tiphanie Yanique, and Charles Yu.
The mission of the Hurston/Wright Foundation is to discover, mentor, and honor Black writers. Named for literary geniuses Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright, the foundation preserves this legacy and works to ensure the future of Black writers and the literature they produce.
National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo)
National Novel Writing Month believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.
Girls Write Now mentors underserved young women to find their voices through the power of writing and community. Girls Write Now serves a culturally and educationally diverse community of mentees — 90% girls of color, 70% immigrant or first generation, 25% LGBT/non-conforming; and 90% high need.
Graywolf Press is a nonprofit publisher of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and genre-defying literature whose aim is to foster new thinking about what it means to live in the world today. Graywolf is committed to the discovery and energetic publication of twenty-first century American and international literature. We champion outstanding writers at all stages of their careers to ensure that adventurous readers can find underrepresented and diverse voices in a crowded marketplace.
To engage children in the joy and power of reading and writing, WITS revolutionizes the way reading and writing are taught, nurturing the growth of the imagination and awakening students to the adventures of language.
Asian American Writers’ Workshop
Established in 1991, AAWW is a national not-for-profit arts organization devoted to the creating, publishing, developing and disseminating of creative writing by Asian Americans–in other words, we’re the preeminent organization dedicated to the belief that Asian American stories deserve to be told.
The mission of Ucross Foundation is to foster the creative spirit of deeply committed artists and groups by providing uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations, and the experience of the majestic High Plains while serving as a good steward of its historic 20,000-acre ranch.
Founded in 2003 and spearheaded by Brenda M. Greene, Ph.D., the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, builds on the tradition and legacy of the National Black Writers Conference that began in 1986.The Center serves as a voice, mecca, and resource for Black writers and the general public to study the literature of people from the African Diaspora.
The Chicago Humanities Festival connects people to the ideas that shape and define us, and promotes the lifelong exploration of what it means to be human.
For over 20 years, Seattle Arts and Lectures has presented dynamic arts and education programs for children and adults throughout the Puget Sound region. SAL’s mission is to spark the imagination through programs that connect people and ideas. SAL’s programs include its renowned Literary/Arts and Poetry series, presenting some of the world’s most influential writers and artists; Wednesday University, offering lifelong learning in the arts and humanities; and Writers in the Schools (WITS), bringing professional writers into public schools for year-long residencies.
WITS writers-in-residence give students the opportunity to create, present, and receive feedback on their writing, culminating in showcase events such as public readings and publication of selected works in anthologies. The WITS program also offers in-school professional development opportunities for teachers and provides local writers with meaningful employment. Amazon is proud to support Seattle Arts and Lectures and their dedication to nurturing our next generation of great authors, while providing professional writers with meaningful work and financial support, through the Writers in the Schools program.
Full list of winners:
