Frequently Asked Questions

To apply for a place on the Representing Wales programme, you’ll need to submit:

1. A completed application form

The application form will ask for your personal details, including details which will help us assess eligibility.

You will be asked to answer three questions which focus on:

• Your writing experience, including the names of any publications and writer development programmes and/or courses you have attended.
• Your writing ambitions, and how you hope the Representing Wales programme will support you in achieving them and what your voice will bring to the literary scene in Wales.
• Why now? How will Representing Wales help you at this point of your journey.

You can submit your application online through the online portal. You will be able to save and edit your responses at any time during the application window. Once we’ve received your application via the portal, a full copy of your application will be sent to you for your records.

To help you prepare your application, you can download the application form to read in Dyslexia Friendly and Large Print formats. If you would rather fill out one of these forms rather than through the online portal, please return your form to post@literaturewales.org along with an example of your creative work.

2. An example of your unpublished creative writing.

The application form will ask you to upload one of the following options:

• 4-6 poems; OR
• A sample of your creative non-fiction manuscript that you wish to develop on this programme (max 1,000 words) OR

• A sample of your fiction manuscript that you wish to develop on this programme (max 1,000 words)

Please upload or send your creative work as a single Word or PDF document. Creative work should be unpublished at time of application, and should reflect the project you would like to develop as part of the programme. Self-published works will be accepted. Writers are encouraged to carefully consider which excerpt best showcases their work.

If you are submitting poetry, send poems that are long enough to give the panel a sense of your creative voice, without being too lengthy.

For creative non-fiction and fiction submissions, you are welcome to add a couple of sentences to provide context for the excerpt; however, this will count towards the 1,000-word limit.

Please note for creative non-fiction and fiction submissions, assessors will read and evaluate a maximum of 1,000 words and any written word past this point will not be read or taken into consideration.

If your work-in-progress is performative, please upload a Word document with a link to the video (for example, as a private YouTube video, WeTransfer link, or in a OneDrive folder). Your video should be no longer than ten minutes in length.

For the 2027-28 programme, we welcome creative writing submissions aimed at an adult audience.

Eligible genres include:

• Poetry
• Fiction (novels, short stories, novellas)
• Creative non-fiction (including memoir, biographies, social history, travel writing)
• Spoken word and/or rap

Please note that the following are ineligible, and will not be supported by this year’s Representing Wales programme:  Graphic novels; scripts for TV, film and theatre; oral storytelling; academic writing; writing for children and/or young adults; translations.

If you are unsure whether your creative work is eligible or not, please contact us on post@literaturewales.org to chat with a member of staff.

If you are a spoken word artist and would prefer to send a video performance of your original creative work, we ask that you please upload a word document with a link to the video (for example, as a private YouTube video, WeTransfer link, or in a OneDrive folder) submissions should be a maximum of ten minutes in length.

Dyslexia and Large Print application forms should be sent to post@literaturewales.org along with your creative work.

The closing date for applications for the 2027-28 Representing Wales programme is: 5.00 pm, Thursday 26 November 2026.

We are committed to helping to nurture a literary culture that truly represents the diversity of our population in Wales.

We welcome applications from writers who come from under-represented backgrounds. We are particularly looking to support writers who identify as one or several of the following:

– Deaf and/or hard of hearing

– From a low-income background*

*Our criteria for low-income background include individuals who were eligible for free school meals or whose parents were in low-paid jobs, unemployed, or receiving benefits (including disability allowances) when applicants were 14 years old.

– Belonging to the Gypsy, Roma and/or Traveller communities

– LGBTQIA+

–Neurodivergent*

*This includes, but is not limited to: Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette Syndrome and OCD.

– Individuals from Black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds

– Individuals who identify as disabled or who have a long-term health condition *

* i.e., has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months and has an adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

We appreciate that there are other individuals and communities without adequate representation in the literature sector, and there will be writers who don’t identify with the categories above. There will be an opportunity for applicants to explain in their own words why they believe they are eligible to apply.

Applicants must be over the age of 18 and must be resident in Wales at the time of application and throughout the 12-month programme. We also welcome writers applying to develop work through the medium of Welsh who are living outside of Wales.

We regret that the programme is not open for full-time students  nor employees of Literature Wales and its funders, including current  or recently retired trustees or governing individuals,or those who have previously been part of the Representing Wales programme.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible or not, please contact us on post@literaturewales.org to chat with a member of staff.

Please get in touch with us on post@literaturewales.org to discuss your situation with a member of the Literature Wales team.

This opportunity is mainly for emerging, early career, and mid-career writers who are looking to develop a professional career as a writer.

Everyone will have a different definition of what emerging, early or mid-career is, and where they believe themselves to be on their journey as a writer. As a guideline, applicants:

• Should not have previously published a full-length collection of poetry or a manuscript in the genre/language in which they are applying. However, we welcome more experienced writers who are venturing into a new genre or a new language.

The Assessment Panel will be looking at applicants’ potential, ambition, and originality. If you are unsure if this is the right programme for you at this stage of your writing career, please get in touch to discuss with a member of the Literature Wales team.

Yes, self-published writers can apply as long as the work submitted with your application is currently unpublished.

Representing Wales is a bilingual programme, and we welcome applications from Wales-based writers who write in Welsh and/or English. Writers who are new to writing in Welsh but who are interested in getting started are very welcome, as are writers who enjoy experimenting with both languages in their creative work.

All events will be delivered through the medium of English or Welsh, depending on the language preference of the cohort.

If you write creatively in any other language, we will try and assist by pairing you with a suitable Mentor who is also fluent in that language.

Please note that we can only assess creative writing examples submitted for the application process in Welsh or English. If you submit original creative work in another language, you will also need to submit a translation of the work into Welsh or English.

Yes, you can – we want the programme to be open to as many eligible writers as possible.

Your application will be assessed by an independent panel of experts who will assess:

• The creative potential and quality of the writing submitted, as well as the originality and freshness of ideas and voice outlined in your work.
• The suitability of this programme for you as a writer at this stage of your career

Profile Screening

Every application will be checked by the Literature Wales team to ensure that the writer is eligible for the programme. 

Please note the information provided in your application is confidential and will be used for internal assessment purposes only. 

Literature Wales will sift applications down to a manageable shortlist for the independent Assessment Panel to consider. The Assessment Panel may spot check any unsuccessful application at any point during the decision-making process.

The Assessment Panel will assess all shortlisted applications separately and award a mark to each applicant against set criteria looking at the potential and quality of your submitted creative writing excerpt, as well as the suitability of this programme for the needs you have articulated. The final decision will take place during a Panel meeting where the 10 successful writers will be selected.

Our remit as a bilingual, national organisation commits us to making sure that a range of writers can access our opportunities. The Assessment Panel may also consider linguistic and geographical balance, and representation when selecting applicants.

Literature Wales delegates the selection of the cohort to an Assessment Panel which is appointed each year. The Panel is made up of individuals who have expertise in a variety of creative genres and the publishing industry in Wales and beyond.

Details about who is on the 2027 Panel will be revealed in a few weeks.

There are 10 places available on the 2027-28 Representing Wales programme.

As we are expecting a high number of applications, we may not be able to provide detailed feedback for each applicant. However, we are committed to providing a short, personalised line of feedback to each applicant and where relevant, advise on other opportunities Literature Wales and partners may have available. 

We are aware that correspondence regarding unsuccessful applications can have a negative impact on your health and well-being. We give our pledge to respect and value each individual application, giving it due consideration and attention.

This year we will be piloting a new two stage assessment process. You can expect an update on whether your application has reached full panel consideration in the first few weeks of January 2027. Applicants who are shortlisted will be notified of the Assessment Panel’s decision by the end of February 2027.

All applicants are welcome to join any of our free public online sessions which form part of Literature Wales’ wider writer development programme.

Our Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre has a variety of writing courses throughout the year. The 2027 programme of courses will be announced in November 2026. Payment options and details of the financial support available can be found on the Tŷ Newydd website.

The Literature Wales website offers information and advice for writers.

The Writers of Wales Directory is an online resource featuring profiles created and updated by writers and creative writing facilitators of Wales.

Representing Wales is a 12-month programme which aims to help writers achieve their long-term ambitions. Each year, we provide a bespoke development programme to writers who are under-represented in Wales’ literary culture.

The programme includes:

• A bursary of £3,000
• A travel and ticket fund
• An intense training programme on craft and on professional career development featuring world-renowned writers as tutors and guest speakers including online writing rooms and writing masterclasses
• A residential weekend masterclass at our Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre
• A personal mentor
• Regular opportunities for the cohort to share creative work and feedback
• Networking opportunities throughout the year, online and in person
• Dedicated support from Literature Wales including advice, signposting and identifying opportunities
• A bespoke aftercare programme

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to co-create elements of the programme with the Literature Wales team, by suggesting speakers, tutors and themes during their onboarding meetings.

Absolutely. All successful writers will receive an initial onboarding meeting to discuss their individual needs. Writers also are invited to share their access riders with us, or we can support you to create one. Literature Wales staff are committed to working with writers to ensure you can fully participate in the programme.   

Most of the activities will be delivered virtually in the evenings or on weekends. We will work with the cohort to identify convenient times and dates for all. We estimate that we will organise activities and set tasks that will require between 10-12 whole days of your time during the year, but many of these events will be scheduled to avoid clashing with office hours. It’s up to you how many extra hours you will then be able to allocate towards developing your own creative writing projects during the year. 

We expect every member of the cohort to attend all events. The cohort will be sent a schedule with dates for events to help them plan. If something urgent prevents a writer from attending, Literature Wales will aim to record the session to ensure that you can watch these later. The team at Literature Wales are always on hand to support the writers and help ensure that all members of the cohort benefit from the programme.  

Successful applicants will be invited to welcome meeting at the beginning of April 2027. The programme of events will start with the residential Masterclass at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre at the end of April 2027 and the programme will end in March 2028. At least one event per month will take place. 

Writers will schedule 4 one-to-one sessions with their personal Mentor to meet face-to-face (if the mentor lives close by) or virtually, at a time/date that suits them. 

After the 12-month programme, we will continue to offer support to the cohort by checking in, offering advice, and inviting the writers to further networking and training opportunities. The programme is a long-term investment in the writers’ development.

Most of the programme’s core activity (e.g., writing rooms) will be delivered online to ensure everybody can attend, regardless of their location. The programme will also include at least one residential weekend at Tŷ Newydd – our national writing centre based in Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd.

You’ll have access to a ticket and travel budget to spend on your journey to Tŷ Newydd, and on tickets for additional courses, literary events and festivals of your choice.

Of course. The Literature Wales team are available to discuss any concerns and requirements before and throughout the programme. Please get in touch with us. An Access Fund is available to enable full participation in events for writers with disabilities or illnesses who may have additional access requirements.  

For information about accessibility at the Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre, please visit www.tynewydd.wales. 

We will work with you to set achievable goals at the beginning of the programme, and help you achieve them. One of your aims should be related to developing your current work-in-progress during the programme. The writing rooms will give you the chance to share your work with the cohort and you may wish to use these informal meetings as a personal goal to produce work each month. There will also be opportunities throughout the year to discuss your progress and catch up with a Literature Wales staff member, as well as a dedicated check in session halfway through the programme.

Our website provides information about the opportunities we have available to help writers develop their craft and careers. Alternatively, please contact us to discuss your individual needs. Where possible, we will signpost writers to other opportunities within the literature sector.  

Literature Wales and its external panellists select writers on potential, not perfection. We want to get to know you and your voice, so whilst using AI editing tools may be useful to support your access needs whilst answering the application questions, it should not be used to create a persona or exaggerate your experiences.

For your creative submission, AI should not be used to generate creative work or make substantial edits.

Applicants will be required to confirm their creative work is human-authored in the application.

Our writer development programmes are intense – writers will be required to contribute either in-person or online during sessions and you won’t be able to rely on AI to generate work. Please think carefully about whether your craft is at the right level yet to take part in this scheme.