Fellowships
Visiting fellows join a community of creative writers and scholars in a thriving literary scene based in Las Vegas and on the campus of UNLV. BMI fellowships do not come with a teaching expectation. Rather, the focus is on community engagement and furthering one’s own writing. To accommodate writers’ diverse needs, BMI’s fellowship program offers a range of opportunities, each grounded in the importance of serving other readers and writers while building connections and relationships in Southern Nevada.
Shearing
Applications opened on August 1, 2025 and close at 11:59 PT on September 30, 2025
This nine-month residency supports emerging and established writers who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press. Fellows receive $46,500 in compensation, optional health coverage, office space, and housing in Las Vegas’s vibrant downtown arts district.
This working fellowship emphasizes both individual writing and community engagement. Fellows maintain office hours, collaborate with BMI to design a community plan, and may host readings, workshops, or craft talks, curate events, or contribute to publications. The program fosters the advancement of each fellow’s literary work while also strengthening creative exchange with readers and writers across Southern Nevada.
BMI Kluge
Applications will open February 2, 2026 and close at 11:59pm PT on March 22, 2026
This three-month fellowship supports a writer whose book project would benefit from access to the Library of Congress’s extensive collections. While primarily virtual, the fellowship includes two weeks of research at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., followed by a visit to Las Vegas to present a public program in partnership with BMI and UNLV. Fellows receive $15,000 in compensation, travel support to Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, lodging during their public event, and recognition as a BMI-Kluge Fellow.
The program is designed to give writers the time and resources to advance a research-driven project while connecting their work to broader audiences. It offers both the solitude necessary for scholarship and the opportunity to share ideas through public engagement.
117°
Applications will open November 10, 2025 and close at 11:59pm PT on January 1, 2026.
This two-month residency supports emerging and established writers working in English who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press. Designed for writers developing a project in nonfiction, poetry, or hybrid forms, the fellowship provides $10,000 in compensation, optional health coverage, office space, and housing in Las Vegas’s vibrant downtown arts district.
As a working fellowship, the program balances time for writing with community engagement. Fellows maintain office hours, collaborate with BMI to design a community plan, and may offer readings, workshops, or talks, curate events, or contribute to publications. The residency creates space for concentrated literary work while fostering meaningful exchange with readers and writers across Southern Nevada.
City of Asylum
There is no application for this fellowship
City of Asylum provides safe haven to writers who have been persecuted for their work, offering them the freedom to live and write without censorship, threats, or political repression. Fellows are hosted by a city or region for one to two years, where they receive a salary, housing, immigration and legal support, dedicated office space, and time to write.
The program is part of a global movement, inspired by calls from Salman Rushdie and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, for cities to shelter imperiled writers. By joining a diverse community of peers, City of Asylum fellows are able to continue their craft, share their voices, and engage with new audiences in safety.