Nederlands Letterenfonds Fellowships 2027 Offers €17,500 and Amsterdam Residency
A five-month writing residency in Amsterdam, a personal stipend worth €17,500 and access to an international academic community are being offered to one established Caribbean writer under the Nederlands Letterenfonds Fellowship 2027.
However, this is not a general international writing fellowship. The 2027 opportunity is specifically reserved for literary writers based in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius or Sint Maarten—meaning writers living elsewhere in the Caribbean or Europe should not assume they are eligible.
What Does the Selected Writer Receive?
The selected fellow will spend five months at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, commonly known as NIAS, between February and July 2027.
The financial and practical package includes:
- A personal stipend of €3,500 per month
- Total stipend support of €17,500 over five months
- Reimbursement for one international return ticket
- Subsidised accommodation in Amsterdam
- A private office and access to NIAS research facilities
- Library services, seminars and academic programmes
- Opportunities to engage with international researchers and writers
The accommodation is subsidised rather than completely free. Applicants should therefore expect that housing may still involve a personal contribution. The programme also does not state that meals, health insurance, visa expenses or family relocation costs will be covered.
Who Is This Fellowship Actually Designed For?
The fellowship is open to established fiction and literary non-fiction writers who are currently based in the Caribbean Parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Eligible writers may work in:
- Papiamentu
- Papiamento
- Dutch
- English as used in the eligible islands
Applicants should already possess a recognised literary track record and a body of published or professionally developed work demonstrating sustained literary quality.
This is not intended as an entry-level opportunity for someone preparing their first manuscript. NIAS is looking for a mid-career or senior writer who can work independently while also contributing confidently to an international and academically oriented community.
A good command of English is required because English is the working language at NIAS.
Your Project Cannot Be Only an Early Idea
Applicants must propose an individual literary project that would clearly benefit from a five-month residency.
The project may be creative or research-driven, but it should already have moved beyond the initial idea stage. A competitive proposal will explain what has already been developed, what the writer intends to complete at NIAS and why access to scholars, research materials or interdisciplinary discussion would strengthen the work.
The residency is a full-time commitment. The successful writer must normally be present at NIAS for four working days each week and participate in seminars, workshops and exchanges with other fellows.
How Will Applications Be Judged?
The Dutch Foundation for Literature will first examine whether applicants satisfy the formal eligibility rules. Eligible submissions will then be reviewed by an independent ranking committee.
Three factors will carry the greatest weight:
- The literary quality of the applicant’s previous work
- The quality and feasibility of the proposed project
- The applicant’s suitability for the interdisciplinary NIAS environment
The committee will submit a ranked recommendation, but NIAS will make the final decision after consulting its Academic Advisory Board.
Only one fellow will be selected for the 2026–2027 academic year, so possessing a published book or established reputation will not be enough by itself. The project proposal must also demonstrate a convincing reason for undertaking the work specifically at NIAS.
Application Deadline
The Nederlands Letterenfonds Fellowship application period opened on July 6, 2026.
The last date to apply for the Nederlands Letterenfonds Fellowship offered by NIAS and the Dutch Foundation for Literature is August 25, 2026, at 12:00 noon CET.
This fellowship is worth applying for when the applicant is already an established writer in one of the six eligible islands, has a well-developed literary project and is prepared to participate actively in an academic community. Writers outside the specified territories or those still developing their first serious literary work should not spend time applying.