From: South Asia Speaks <[email protected]> Date: September 1, 2025 at 06:06:09 EDT To:[email protected] Subject:Fellowship applications are open for 2026! Reply-To: South Asia Speaks <reply+2uhyxs&8snup&&b38e8c0694e3c8c5e43204656ced3acfb2a3c627e0e36984001d1fffda0ec...@mg1.substack.com>
Join the next generation of South Asia’s literary future.
SAS’s first-ever meetup in Lahore with mentor Fatima Bhutto. L-R: Usman Ahmad (SAS 2023), Arslan Athar (SAS 2021), Nazuk Iftikhar Rao (SAS 2021), Fatima Bhutto, Dua Abbas Rizvi (SAS 2022), Meher Hasan (SAS 2023), Ayesha Latif (SAS 2022) and Mariam Tareen (SAS 2022).
Hello readers, welcome to the latest update from South Asia Speaks — the free literary mentorship program for emerging writers across eight countries. Now in its fifth year, SAS has mentored more than 100 writers, many of whom have gone on to publish books, win awards, and secure fellowships and residencies around the world.
We’re delighted to announce that applications for 2026 are now open. If you’re a writer with a work in progress, this may be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.
South Asia Speaks was founded by a group of authors committed to empowering the next generation of South Asian writers. Our mission is to help the region’s most exciting new voices get published and build sustainable writing careers. The program is highly competitive: each year, we receive hundreds of applications and select a class of up to ten fellows. But if you are a dedicated writer with a serious work in progress, we encourage you to apply.
What you get:
Six 1:1 sessions with a mentor.
Workshops on craft and writing skills.
Masterclasses with the world’s best writers.
A vibrant and engaged community.
Atharva Pandit (SAS 2021) with his mentor, novelist Prayaag Akbar, at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2025—a full circle for them, standing together as authors. Atharva’s novel Hurda was published by Bloomsbury in 2023.
Who should apply?
Unpublished writers living in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal.
Already working on a book-length project, such as a novel or essay collection.
What genres do we offer?
Fiction.
Non-fiction.
Poetry.
Translation.
Oral History.
We are also accepting applications for Beyond Ability, our mentorship program for writers with disabilities. Abhishek Anicca, the program’s mentor, offers guidance on projects in Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry.
Rishu Nigam (SAS 2023) with her mentor Mira Kamdar in Mumbai.
How to apply?
Complete an application form.
Submit a 5,000-word writing sample from your work-in-progress.
Provide one reference contact (contacted only if you’re shortlisted).
Pay a USD 10.00 application fee. (A limited number of fee waivers are available for applicants who would otherwise be unable to apply. To request a waiver, please email p[email protected] by September 15, 2025, with a brief (2–3 sentence) explanation of your circumstances. Please submit your application form only after receiving email confirmation of your waiver.)
SAS alums with mentor Sanam Maher at an event in Lahore. L-R: Sanam Maher, Nazuk Iftikhar Rao (SAS 2021), Arslan Athar (SAS 2021), and Mariam Tareen (SAS 2022).
Key Dates:
1 September 2025, 10:00 AM (GMT): Applications open.
15 September 2025, 10:00 PM (GMT): Deadline to request fee waivers.
30 September 2025, 10:00 PM (GMT): Applications close.
January 2026: Shortlisted applicants will be notified and interviewed.
SAS alum meetup in Mumbai. L-R: Parth MN (SAS 2024), Mehak Jamal (SAS 2022), Sukhada Tatke (SAS 2022), Uma Shirodkar (SAS 2022), Atharva Pandit (SAS 2021), Prachi Sibal (SAS 2024) and Eshna Sharma (SAS 2024).
What’s new this year?
Our popular Partition genre has evolved into the broader Oral History that will be led by author and oral historian Aanchal Malhotra. We caught up with Aanchal recently to reflect on how and why this change occurred — read the entire conversation on Substack here.
Please read our website's eligibility and exclusion criteria carefully, as they may have changed. Our FAQs are comprehensive, but if you still have questions, please email us at [email protected].
We look forward to hearing from you. Good luck with your applications!
