The Frontline Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction is designed to benefit nonfiction writers and journalists working in the Chinese language. The fellowship provides up to US$7,000 in funding to help storytellers complete a project of their choice. Recipients benefit throughout their fellowships from mentorship, guidance, workshops, and editorial support. Fellowships culminate in substantial stories then published through the most influential media platforms.

 

Submissions for the fellowship are accepted on a rolling basis, with at least one selection cycle every six months. To submit for consideration, applicants must have a long-form project — such as a full-length article or book — in progress. Proposed projects must be fully nonfiction in approach, and must rely on in-depth interviews and original research.

 

Selections for the program are based on the quality and relevance of submitted projects, as well as demonstrated professional experience. The program welcomes applications from academics and non-professional journalists, so long as the proposed project is aimed at the broader public. We encourage applications from journalists and writers from minority backgrounds, particularly for work that challenges readers with a true, contextual understanding of the stories shaping their lives.

 

The Frontline Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction, jointly funded by Matters and the Renaissance Foundation (RFHK) in 2021, nurtures nonfiction writers working in the Chinese language through grants, one-to-one mentorship, publication assistance, and community workshops. In 2024, this support has been extended to translation with the inauguration of the Non-Fiction Translation Fellowship in collaboration with the Duke Story Lab at Duke University.