Applications open for Raising Voices Fellowship 2026
*Please note, we are no longer accepting applications for this programme
The Raising Voices Fellowship is inviting aspiring writers and/or illustrators who make work for children and young adults to apply for their fully-funded, career-altering programme in 2026. Encompassing a host of creative and practical supports, the selected Fellows will be connected to a welcoming community of practice and supported in developing their careers.
The Fellowships are run by a group of literature organisations including Children’s Books Ireland, Illustrators Ireland, Publishing Ireland, the Dublin Book Festival, West Cork Literary Festival and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig. Raising Voices aims to break down barriers to publication and progression, and to increase diversity and representation in the Irish literature sector for those whose voices have been underrepresented due to background or identity. Children’s Books Ireland is the lead organisation and will be the main point of contact.
The Raising Voices Fellowship commences in March 2026 and will run until November 2026. The application deadline is Thursday 19th February 2026 at 3pm.
About the programme
The creative and practical supports included in the Fellowship programme are as follows:
- Mentorship with an experienced writer or illustrator
- A detailed critique from an editor/art director suited to the Fellow’s practice
- A week-long residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig
- A showcase event as part of Dublin Book Festival in November 2026 to mark the end point of the project
- Access to a bespoke speaker series, bursary information clinic with the Arts Council, and various events and courses
- Professional photography providing Fellows with head shots for publicity purposes as they continue their publishing journeys
- Opportunities to connect and network with the community at Children’s Books Ireland’s artist coffee mornings and other social events
- Ongoing connections with the partner organisations
- Tools, information and guidance needed to finalise a manuscript or dummy, prepare work for submission, research the market, and apply for bursaries.
Entry requirements
The programme is designed for writers and illustrators that:
- Make work for children and young people including fiction, non-fiction and poetry
- Work in English or as Gaeilge
- Have a complete manuscript, picturebook or illustrated book outline
- Come from backgrounds or communities that are underrepresented in children’s and young adult literature or whose identity is traditionally underrepresented
- Have not yet been published or secured a contract with a publisher or agent
- Live permanently in Ireland or Northern Ireland
- Must be aged 18 or over.
Rather than list strict and exhaustive criteria, the Raising Voices Fellowship is asking writers and illustrators who apply to self-identify as ‘underrepresented’.
Several Fellows will be selected, by representatives from the five partner organisations and three external readers.
Please note:
Children's Books Ireland is committed to protecting and upholding the creativity of all children's and young people's artists and their work. Please note, the use of AI in any capacity in an application or in an applicant’s creative work (writing and illustration) is strictly prohibited.
Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland commented on the Raising Voices Fellowship:
‘As children’s publishing continues to evolve and change, Raising Voices remains a vital programme to ensure that writers and illustrators from underrepresented backgrounds have the best chance at success. Our goal is to pave the way to publication for our Raising Voices Fellows, so that the books on Irish shelves are representative of every child in Irish classrooms. There is extraordinary talent across the island of Ireland, and Raising Voices can nurture and support the artists who will be the next wave of great Irish writers and illustrators.’
Application deadline
The application deadline is Thursday 19th February 2026 at 3pm.
Find out more and apply to the Raising Voices fellowship at the link below.
Further support and information
If you have any queries, please contact Aoife Murray, Programme & Events Manager at Children’s Books Ireland.
