About the Program

Developed and administered by Haymarket Books in close partnership with the Mellon Foundation and the Art for Justice Fund, the Writing Freedom Fellowship aims to elevate the essential literary voices and contributions of poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers impacted by the criminal legal system. Now in its second year, the fellowship offers crucial support to twenty emerging and established writers annually, recognizing them for their notable and necessary writing.

The harms of the carceral state and its impacts are sprawling, from isolation and dehumanization to and social stigma. The Writing Freedom Fellowship is just one effort to counteract this overwhelming atmosphere of punishment and oppression for the writers we are able to support. The Fellowship aims to foster creative practice, provide material support, encourage community, and foreground the essential voices of system-impacted writers.

We use the term “system-impacted” in a broad sense, and with an understanding that the reach of the carceral system is wide and extends beyond formal imprisonment in prisons, jails, and detention centers to parole, probation, policing, and criminalization, as well as to the border regime, the family policing system, and involuntary commitment. The impact extends to family of origin and chosen family who live their lives on the perimeter of punitive carceral institutions.

Writing Freedom was designed and developed thanks to the insight and support of dozens of writers, advocates, and fellow arts administrators who have deep knowledge of and experience navigating the criminal legal system.

Writing Freedom Fellows are selected based on nominations from a diverse group of writers and advocates with a record of working with system-impacted writers.

All nominations include a writing sample and a recommendation letter. Nominations are read and evaluated by a team of readers. A group of finalists are selected. Finalists are invited into the process. From that group of finalists, members of the fellowship’s selection committee are tasked with recommending twenty writers for the cohort.

The 2025 Writing Freedom selection committee was composed of five writers: Chris Abani, Keri Blakinger, Deesha Philyaw, Patricia Smith, and Javier Zamora.

On principle, we do not use this process to inquire into, adjudicate, or evaluate a person’s conviction(s) or the extent of harm any one person has caused.

Writing Freedom Fellows receive opportunities for professional development and shared learning alongside an award.

Writing Freedom Fellows are selected based on nominations by a diverse group of writers and advocates. There is no open application process for Writing Freedom.