Introducing the PSSSR Emerging Writers Fund

Two $2,000 grants, six months of editorial mentorship, and an open call for writers outside dominant institutions. Applications close August 20.

Catherine Liu and the Palm Springs School for Social Research are opening applications for the PSSSR Emerging Writers Fund.

Intellectual life should not be restricted to those with access to elite institutions. We are particularly interested in writers with:

• Working-class backgrounds

• Barriers arising from disability or significant caring responsibilities

• Precarious or informal employment

• A lack of formal university credentials

• Other circumstances that have limited opportunities for sustained intellectual support and engagement

To build a new political subject, we need a new intellectual culture. That culture has to include the writers gatekeeping has already left out.

The Award
The Fund supports two writers on ambitious non-fiction projects, open to a wide range of topics. It runs as a six-month incubator, September through February. Each recipient receives a $2,000 grant, fully disbursed on completion of a 3,500-word project, plus monthly editorial and professional development with development editors Aimee Walleston and Tara Heffernan, and one hour-long development meeting with Catherine Liu. Completed projects will be considered for digital publication on platforms including the CLiuAnon Substack, read by more than 15,000 subscribers.

How to apply

• A 300-word personal statement on your goals and achievements

• A 1,000-word writing sample, with title and any prior publication history

• One character reference — name, email, and phone

Ten applicants advance to a final round, at which point PSSSR contacts references. Applications close 5pm PDT, August 20, 2026.

---

PSSSR is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit.You can support us at psssr.org/support. Follow PSSSR: LinkedIn | Instagram | X