Scholarships for 2026

This is a list of scholarships available for the 2026 San Francisco Writers Conference.

The dates to many of our scholarships have been extended! Don't wait—they close soon!

We will announce winners in an SFWC Newsletter Update. Not on our email list? Register now!

Concierge Scholarships

Congratulations to the winners!

Norelyn Parker and Elizabeth Block

The Director's Scholarship for Marginalized Voices

Conference Director Lissa Provost in a pink shirt.

Congratulations to the winners!

Haneen Babbitt, Lakiba Pittman, Shayna Weldon, Sophia Estrada, Tim Sullivan, Denise Rodezno, Vikki Wu, Monica Lara, Tomi Oyedeji-Olaniyan, and Rosalia Cordero Gonzales

Scholarship Details

Director's Scholarship Details

Thanks to extra contributions from generous donors, SFWC Director Lissa Provost will grant multiple scholarships to deserving writers. Each scholarship pays for the full conference registration fee (not including travel or accommodations).

To enter, please write up to 500 words about a subject you care about, that based on your experience as a marginalized group member needs broader attention. Tell us how your writing helps achieve gaining that broader attention, and include how attending the conference will benefit you as a writer, not just your cause.

We want to know how you will act on the education you'll receive at the conference.

Examples of marginalized identities include racial minorities, LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, people with disabilities, and professional people in fields where they are, in some way, a minority.

Deadline

Deadline: December 31, 2025 January 7, 2026 at Midnight Pacific Time

Lissa will make her selections based on the quality of the writing and her assessment that the writer is ready to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the conference.

Scholarships for High School Students

Congratulations to the winners!

Samantha Roberts, Grace Yang

Scholarship Details

SFWC offers a limited number of one-day scholarships (Saturday, February 14) for high school enrolled students as a way to encourage students to pursue a career in writing and publishing. They will get an insider’s look at the SFWC and meet presenters–authors, agents, and book marketing professionals.

They will also get to attend any of the SFWC sessions they choose in areas of their particular writing interest. The student scholarship winner must agree to meet upon arrival with the SFWC Volunteer Coordinator in the Grand Foyer on the street level of the Hyatt Regency San Francisco by 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 14th. The SFWC breakout sessions will end at 6:00 pm that same day but continue with an evening networking gala and Poetry & Jazz event.

Students may apply for a scholarship by submitting a 500-word essay on why books and writing are important to them.

Deadline

December 31, 2025 January 7, 2026 at Midnight Pacific Time

The winning student’s parent or guardian must sign an SFWC liability waiver that can be emailed in advance. Feel free to email questions to Lissa Provost at director@sfwriters.org.

Eli Potter Scholarship

Congratulations to the winner!

Sarah Lopez

Scholarship Details

Welcome to the Fourth writing competition leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI).

GenAI is democratizing multi-discipline intelligence and making English (or any other human language) the new coding computer or data language. This disruption could impact disciplines that are associated with the Publishing Industry, including Fiction and Nonfiction writing processes.

CASE STUDY PROMPT

Use any AI tool such as NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Bing, Claude, Taplio, Writer, Jasper, Relevance.ai, Crew.ai.

To assist you in the editing process, marketing, social media, etc.

CASE STUDY STEPS:

Start with a short (1000 word) original fiction or nonfiction piece that you have written as your first draft. It could be a stand-alone article or essay, a Table of Contents, a Flash Fiction or the first chapter of your fiction or nonfiction book. If you're focusing on marketing, it could be a Newsletter or Blog Post.
Select an appropriate GenAI tool that you can use to edit your first draft or post.
Develop prompts to guide the AI tool and save the prompts and responses to document the process
Write a 500-word essay on your experience using the Gen AI Tool in the editing process. Please include
- If you used all the AI suggested edits or did you analyze and choose the appropriate ones
- Did you verify the sources AI brought you if it’s used in that way. Were they real, accurate, and helpful?
- Were you able to retain your originality and creativity in the final version

CASE STUDY APPLICATON/SUBMISSION:

Please submit the following documents for a complete application:

Original 1000 words writing draft
Documented GenAI prompts and responses for editing your draft
The Final version of your Draft
500-word essay on your experience with the Gen AI Tools

This competition is unique, and we hope you find it creative and inspiring.

Please feel free to contact registrations@sfwriters.org with any questions that you might have regarding the scholarship or the application process.

Good Luck!

Deadline

December 31, 2025 January 15, 2026 at Midnight Pacific Time

Two winners will be selected and awarded a full registration to the 2026 San Francisco Writers Conference. The scholarship covers the main conference registration (classes, workshops, 3 breakfasts, awards luncheon, dessert keynote, editorial and agent consult, and social events.) It does not include travel, accommodations, optional paid master classes/consults, or incidentals.

Janet and Jeff Cotton, Sr. Scholarship

Congratulations to the winner!

Isaiah Diaz-Mays

Scholarship Details

Length: 500-750 words

Description: This scholarship is for a writer from a low income area (currently living there or grew up in a low income area). The writing can be any writing genre and should incorporate at least one element into the story based on your lived experience in that low income area. Submissions should also include a short bio about the writer and your connection to low income areas. This scholarship is named after Janet Cotton and the late Jeffrey Cotton Sr., two hardworking individuals from Flint MI who always gave back to their community and emphasized the importance of education. They recognized the power of lifting up voices that often go unheard.

Review: essays will be read and decided by Chantal Cotton Gaines. Selections will be made based on the quality of writing and the authenticity of your bio shared.

Chantal bio: Chantal is an author, coach, strategist, historian, and high ranking executive public servant who grew up in Flint, Michigan. She is passionate about advancing spaces for writers from other urban areas which have sometimes lacked resources available in other areas. Similar to her parents, she believes there is power in telling our stories. Chantal has over 15 years experience in public service for local governments across the US. Chantal knows the importance of education and lifting as you rise as she has been volunteering and giving back since around age 3 in her hometown.

One winner will be selected and awarded a full registration to the 2026 San Francisco Writers Conference. The scholarship includes the main conference registration (details below). It can also cover an additional $100 for the author. It does not include travel, accommodations, or incidentals.

Further details of what’s included in registration:

Entry to the Writing for Hollywood Summit, SFWC Poetry Summit and Jazz party
Access to one free 8-minute consult with editors, promotional experts, and book coaches. (Sign-up information coming January 2026). SIGN UP ASAP. THESE FILL QUICKLY (SOME YEARS)
Multiple networking social events attended by industry pros, including no-host dinners at nearby restaurants. THESE ALSO SELL OUT QUICKLY, CASH ONLY, possibly personal check accepted, and the sign up is at the registration desk.
Morning continental breakfasts with industry pros and awards and keynote luncheon
Pub quiz with prizes

Deadline

December 31, 2025 January 4, 2026

Nina Amir's Scholarship for Nonfiction Writers

Congratulations to the winner!

Korie Leigh

Scholarship Details

This scholarship is for an aspiring author of a nonfiction book intended to create personal, organizational, community, or world change. Both prescriptive nonfiction and memoir will be considered as will hybrid projects including elements of both. Please submit the overview section of your book proposal, which should include a pitch (brief summary 50 - 100 words), a hook (unique selling proposition or what makes your book different and necessary), a short description of the book's audience or markets, and a bio.

Deadline

December 31, 2025, at Midnight Pacific Time

One winner will be selected and awarded a full registration to the 2025 San Francisco Writers Conference. The scholarship covers the main conference registration (classes, workshops, 3 breakfasts, awards luncheon, dessert keynote, editorial and agent consult, and social events.) It does not include travel, accommodations, optional paid master classes/consults, or incidentals.

Learn more about Nina here.

Donna Levin's 2026 Scholarship for Fiction Writers

Congratulations to the winner!

Birgitte Necessary

Scholarship Details

This scholarship is for an author of any age, race, ethnicity, or gender who shows promise as a writer of fiction and who could benefit from financial help.

Please submit the opening pages (up to 1500 words) of a work of mainstream/literary fiction, and a bio.

Hint: I love daring voices, and humor that makes the reader think.

Deadline

December 31, 2025, at Midnight Pacific Time

Learn more about Donna here.

Denise M. Asper Memorial Scholarship

Congratulations to the winner!

Charles Amemiya

Scholarship Details

Denise M. Asper Memorial Scholarship Details

Denise M. Asper was a California attorney and Director of Prisoner Litigation for the 9th Circuit Federal Courts from 2008 through 2020. She believed strongly in Social Justice. She facilitated a discussion group at San Quentin and specialized in Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR), Restorative Justice and Re-Entry programs. This scholarship honors Denise Asper’s memory as it recognizes a writer formerly involved in the Justice System who is now engaged in the honorable work of Re-Entry.

Scholarship Details

Applications are open to anyone re-entering the mainstream after time in the justice system. Social workers and attorneys do not qualify, only those formerly in the justice system.

Submissions can be about anything you choose and does not have to be related to your experience of the justice system, unless that is what you want to write about. You can write about your grandmother’s favorite recipes or how you learned to play an instrument. The subject of your submission is completely up to you.

Submission Guidelines:

11 pages total, using standard formatting
- Double-spaced
- Standard margins left and right, top and bottom
- Standard font, like Times New Roman, nothing fancy or tricky
- 12 point font size
- Pages numbered
- Name on the bottom of each page

Page 1
Cover Letter with your name, contact info, anything about your biography that you want to share and your reason for writing this story.
Pages 2-11
10 pages of your writing. If this sample is cut from a larger piece, it does not have to be the first 10 pages.

The work is not required to have a title at this point

Thank you to our anonymous donor

Award

One winner will be selected and awarded a full registration to the 2026 San Francisco Writers Conference. The scholarship covers the main conference registration (classes, workshops, 3 breakfasts, awards luncheon, dessert keynote, editorial and agent consult, and social events.) It does not include travel, accommodations, optional paid master classes/consults, or incidentals.

Deadline

December 31, 2025 January 15, 2026 at Midnight Pacific Time

NOTE: The 2026 San Francisco Writers Conference will be held LIVE at the Hyatt Regency SF, February 12 - 15, 2026.

Please limit your entries to ONE per scholarship. In fairness, a writer can win ONLY one scholarship to the 2026 San Francisco Writers Conference. The decision of the judges is final. Good Luck!

View Past Scholarship Winners

Pay it forward and fund a scholarship

Want to start a scholarship in your own name and with your own guidelines?

You can help other talented writers pursue a writing career. Now you can select the recipients of a scholarship to the SFWC that you create. We want to help as many writers attend the conference as possible, so we are offering a way for you to offer scholarships - in your name, your company's name or anonymously.

The cost of a named scholarship is $1,000. You may be as involved as you like—choosing the theme, setting the rules and selecting the winner(s). Or you can give us guidelines and we will do the work! Each scholarship has a $1,250 value (cost of the event plus additional recognition for the recipient and you in the program.)

Click here to see other Scholarship Donors!

To talk about creating a scholarship, please contact Jane Glendinning.

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!

Scholarships for 2026

Concierge Scholarships

Congratulations to the winners!

The Director's Scholarship for Marginalized Voices

Congratulations to the winners!

Director's Scholarship Details

Deadline

Scholarships for High School Students

Congratulations to the winners!

Scholarship Details

Deadline

Eli Potter Scholarship

Congratulations to the winner!

Deadline

Janet and Jeff Cotton, Sr. Scholarship

Congratulations to the winner!

Deadline

Nina Amir's Scholarship for Nonfiction Writers

Congratulations to the winner!

Scholarship Details

Deadline

Donna Levin's 2026 Scholarship for Fiction Writers

Congratulations to the winner!

Scholarship Details

Deadline

Denise M. Asper Memorial Scholarship

Congratulations to the winner!

Denise M. Asper Memorial Scholarship Details

Award

Deadline

Pay it forward and fund a scholarship

Want to start a scholarship in your own name and with your own guidelines?

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