Home News Scholarship for budding Indian writers announced by University of East Anglia, UK

Scholarship for budding Indian writers announced by University of East Anglia, UK

by Literary Insider

The University of East Anglia (UEA), one of the UK’s top 25 universities, has announced the fully-funded annual Sonny Mehta India scholarship for its Creative Writing MA programme 2021 worth £28,500. Budding Indian writers can apply for this scholarship to level up their creative writing skills.

Celebrating the 50th birthday of Creative Writing this year, UEA launched its MA Creative Writing programme marking half a century of nurturing talented new writers.

UEA’s creative writing programme was the first course of its kind in the UK and has produced more published and prize-winning authors than any other UK programme.

Who can apply for the writing scholarship?

The Sonny Mehta India Scholarship will be available for creative writing students from India, the Indian sub-continent, North Africa and the Middle East and will cover tuition fees and living costs, as well as a grant to cover the cost of relocating to the UK for the course.

Candidates who self-identify as Roma in the application form under ethnicity will also be considered.

Eligibility criteria

Under this postgraduate scholarship program, UEA will offerscholarships worth £28,500 for those meeting the entry criteria namely the aspirants should be self-funded and demonstrate genuine financial need as also outstanding creative writing potential.

These scholarships will enable Indian students to realize their dream of studying at UEA by providing substantial financial support at the post-graduate level.

The last date to apply for the scholarship in May 14, 2021.You can check more details and apply here.

Who is Sonny Mehta?

The scholarships have been endowed by Gita Mehta, who wanted to establish the scholarships in memory of her husband Sonny Mehta, editor-in-chief of US publishing house Alfred A Knopf and chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Group.

Sonny Mehta died in December 2019 and over the course of his career published some of the most successful and influential authors of all time, including eight literature and one economics nobel laureates.

From Toni Morrison to John Le Carre and UEA graduate Sir Kazuo Ishiguro OBE, Mehta’s portfolio was broad and diverse, including popular titles such as ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ trilogy, as well as Germaine Greer’s ‘The Female Eunuch’ and memoirs by former Presidents George HW Bush and Bill Clinton.

What professors had to say

UEA’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof David Richardson, said “This is a wonderful contribution to UEA’s Creative Writing programme and we are immensely grateful to Gita Mehta for making this possible.”

“Sonny Mehta was the most influential editor and publisher of his generation. His wisdom and range transformed the literary landscape. At UEA we will continue to champion that call for excellence and inclusivity, and enable more brilliant voices to be heard,” he said.

UEA’s Director of Creative Writing, Prof Henry Sutton, said, “Our programme seeks and welcomes exciting new voices from around the world. Contemporary writing should be without borders, boundaries and prejudices. It strives to make sense of our world, and for all.”

“Enabling students who might otherwise not have been able to develop their voices and be heard could not be more crucial,” he said.

source: India Today
pic source: INC

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