Bergstrom Studio launches £6k grant for an underrepresented debut writer

Bergstrom Studio is offering a £6,000 grant to help support an underrepresented writer in the UK who is working on their first novel. 

The grant will be given to an unagented, unpublished author so they get no-strings-attached financial support to finish writing their first book. The money might be used to cover time to write, childcare, a physical space to write, or to subsidise income or rent. 

Bergstrom Studio, a publishing consultancy and literacy agency, was founded by Abigail Bergstrom last year, and hired its first agent in March. She said: “I know how hard it is to write a book and I know first-hand the sacrifices it takes. It took for me to afford a place of my own and have a level of income where I wasn’t running out of money at the end of each month before I could find the headspace and time to write my first novel.” 

She added: “When Bergstrom Studio launched, I made the commitment to spend our first year fundraising and to donate some of our profits after the first year of business to a grant. The Bergstrom Studio grant is to help support an underrepresented voice in the UK, someone who is working on or wanting to start writing their first novel. Writing a book takes sacrifices but so many writers don’t have those privileges to sacrifice in the first place. Many aspiring writers are on the back foot and not as visible or afforded the opportunities that others receive. I’m hopeful this money will make a huge difference to someone out there who has the talent and deserves the chance to pursue their potential.” 

Submissions opened on 11th July, and close on 5th August. More information on how to apply can be found here. 

The grant is funded by Bergstrom Studio, Brazen, Midas PR, MØRNING, Emma Gannon, Gina Martin, Katherine Ormerod, Laura Bates and Sophia Thakur.