Charleston Literary Festival has announced the Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize is returning for its second year and applications are now open.
After last year’s success with over 140 applicants and two esteemed winners—one of whom went on to win the prestigious American Mosaic Journalism Prize and one whose work was selected to be a part of an elite international exhibit for artists and writers—the Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize is back for another dynamic year.
The mission of the prize is to support and nurture emerging voices in North Carolina and South Carolina. Charleston Literary Festival team and board are excited to see this year's exceptional applicants. Applications are now open and will close on August 25—applicants can apply via the festival’s website.
The Cato Fellowship Prize will be awarded to two people in October 2025—writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry are encouraged to apply.
During this year’s Charleston Literary Festival, running from November 7–16, 2025, the two winning fellows will receive full access to Charleston Literary Festival’s author conversations and receptions, free accommodations in downtown Charleston, networking and collaborative opportunities beyond the festival, a dedicated festival session to showcase their work, and a stipendiary of $7,500 each to allow them to further their writing career as they see fit.
Marion Cato, philanthropist and author, shared her happiness in the results of the first year of the program, “I am thrilled that so many gifted writers are interested in the Cato Fellowship Prize. I am confident that the experience encourages the creative process of the talented Fellows. It is gratifying to be able to help provide the opportunity for gifted writers each year.”
A long-time advocate for education, the late Wayland H. Cato Jr. had a lifelong passion for reading and learning. The Catos believe that the world would be a better place if exceptional writers were nurtured and encouraged.
“Thanks to the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Wayland Cato, we are so excited for the second year of the Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize. The Fellowship is a testament to the immense talent across the South. We are excited to bring two emerging writers to the festival again this year to attend transformative conversations and further their own craft," said Sara Peck, director of the Cato Fellowship Prize.
Charleston Literary Festival’s mission is to bring authors and audiences together to experience the transformative power of great literature, ideas, and creativity. The Cato Fellowship Prize reflects the importance of literature and the urgency to support it by fostering the next generation of writers in the Carolinas. The prize exists to nurture and encourage exceptional emerging writers so that they may positively impact and transform the world around them.
Last year, essayist Latria Graham and poet Dasia Moore were awarded the inaugural prizes. Read more about the 2024 winners on the Charleston Literary Festival's website.
Since winning the inaugural Cato Fellowship Prize, both Latria Graham and Dasia Moore have been further recognized for their work. Latria Graham won the American Mosaic Journalism Prize for excellence in long-form, narrative or deep reporting about underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the U.S. Dasia Moore's project, "Francophile," was included in an exhibit featuring international artists and writers. The exhibit, "For Real For Real," is curated by Claudia Rankine and co-hosted by daadgalerie and The Racial Imaginary Institute in Berlin.
“We’re so delighted to build on the success of last year’s inaugural prize. The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize honors extraordinary emerging literary talent rooted in the Carolinas. This region holds rich storytelling traditions—through this Fellowship Prize, we’re spotlighting the voices and perspectives that make the Carolinas so vital to the broader literary landscape,” added Sarah Moriarty, executive director of Charleston Literary Festival.
About the Cato Fellowship Prize
Open to writers in North Carolina and South Carolina, the Cato Fellowship Prize will be awarded to two writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry who demonstrate a commitment to bettering their craft and exhibit a love of writing and reading.
The Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship Prize will provide:
- Immersive access to all 45+ events and private receptions during Charleston Literary Festival, running November 7–16, 2025 (view the first list of authors here)
- Accommodations in Downtown Charleston to stay and write for the 10-day duration of the festival
- $7,500 stipendiary
- Dedicated workspace in Dock Street Theatre
- Featured bio on the Charleston Literary Festival website and social media
- Featured full-length session onstage at Dock Street Theatre to showcase their work during Charleston Literary Festival
- Publication of the final piece in response to Charleston Literary Festival Cato Fellowship experience on the Charleston Literary Festival website
- Networking and collaborative opportunities beyond the duration of the festival
Who should apply?
The Cato Fellowship Prize is open to any fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry writer who is a current resident of North Carolina or South Carolina. Students enrolled in a college or university program in North Carolina or South Carolina are also eligible to apply. Applicants are required to be a U.S. citizen or resident with an active visa and at least 21 years old on November 7, 2025. Applicants should be in the early stages of their writing careers, i.e., have not published more than one book-length work with a major or independent publisher. However, previous publication is not a requirement if they have demonstrated a commitment to developing their writing, whether fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry, by providing evidence of, for example:
- work published in a magazine or journal, online or in print
- work published in an anthology
- attendance at a creative writing course
- an early stage of a manuscript
- a draft book proposal
Direct link to application for the Cato Fellowship Prize: charlestonliteraryfestival.slideroom.com/
Charleston Literary Festival
- Tickets: The full list of 50+ authors who will feature at the festival in November will be announced and all tickets will go on sale on September 4, 2025.
- Overview: For more information about the festival schedule and event details, please visit CharlestonLiteraryFestival.com or follow us on Instagram @charlestonlitfest.
- Stay in the know: To make sure you stay up to date, sign up for our newsletter at CharlestonLiteraryFestival.com.
- Journalists: Visit our press center: CharlestonLiteraryFestival.com/press
