Morategi Kale wins Bloomsbury's second annual Academic Writing Fellowship

Morategi Kale has won the second annual Academic Writing Fellowship for early-career scholars, run by Bloomsbury and Writers & Artists (W&A).

The initiative is designed to support emerging Black authors to develop their idea through to final manuscript stage. It has been created to support areas of academic publishing that need increased representation and more diverse stories.

Kale, based at the University of Oxford, won the fellowship with a submission titled What Now?: Experiences of Everyday Unemployment among Black Graduates in South Africa.

She will receive mentorship with dedicated Bloomsbury and W&A editors, £1,000 of financial support, access to Bloomsbury events and to books and resources by W&A and Bloomsbury. She will also receive support and advice to develop the submission through to final manuscript stage and ready to submit to a range of academic publishers, including Bloomsbury.

Aisling Serrant was shortlisted for her work on cultural heritage, Caribbean carnival culture and dress, while Lina Lucumi-Mosquera was shortlisted for her work on the journey of African-descendant cocoa farmers in Colombia.

"This fellowship is a crucial step towards helping scholars and writers to transition into the publishing industry," said Tionne Alliyah Parris, the winner of last year’s inaugural Academic Writing Fellowship. "It is supporting me to produce a manuscript that I can be proud of, while also being guided by professionals who have years of guidance and expertise to share along the way."

Pooja Aggarwal, director of academic and professional publishing at Bloomsbury, added: "Our commitment to fostering diversity in the global publishing industry is stronger than ever. By nurturing new talent from under-represented backgrounds, we hope to amplify voices that reflect and shape our society."