Iceland Writers Retreat Alumni Award Grants
The Iceland Writers Retreat offers financial support to a select number of talented writers who otherwise could not afford to attend the retreat. It is the generosity of IWR alumni and friends that makes these grants possible.
To apply, click the link below. The window will close at 11:59 p.m. GMT on 15 October 2025. We cannot accept late submissions.
Please note: There is a 1.250 ISK fee to apply.
Click here to apply for an Alumni Award
You can download a sample application pdf at the link.
Who can apply?
Candidates must be age 18 or older by April 15, 2026. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and levels of writing experience. Family members of the judges and those who have attended the IWR are not eligible to apply.
Applicants will be asked to provide:
- A statement of impact on why you are applying for the award
- A 1,000-word creative writing sample (prose: fiction, non-fiction, or memoir)
- Two references
- An acknowledgment of financial need
Click here to apply for an Alumni Award
What does the award cover?
Entrants can apply for either full or partial funding.
Full funding covers one standard participant fee, four nights accommodation in Reykjavík (location may not be the retreat hotel), and round-trip flights to Iceland.
Partial funding covers the standard participant fee only.
Note: We receive more applications for full funding. Please ensure that you apply for the most suitable category for you.
The award does not include airport transfers, travel insurance, travel visas*, or incidentals or meals not listed in the itinerary.
*We are not responsible for issuing travel visas, however, we will provide required supporting letters.
How are the recipients chosen?
The recipients are chosen based primarily on two factors:
- The potential they demonstrate as a writer.
- Their need for financial support to be able to attend.
Applications will be reviewed by a team of IWR alumni. The IWR founding directors will make the final award recipient selections.
General tips for applying
The awards are very competitive. For IWR 2025, we could only choose six winners from more than 3,000 applications. To increase your chances of being selected, please follow the application instructions carefully:
- Incomplete applications will not be considered.
- It is not possible to make changes to your application once it has been submitted.
- Application fee: If the 1.250 ISK fee is not paid, the submission will not be included for review.
- Financial need: This is a difficult yet important factor to consider for this award. Please be as honest as you can in explaining why this event is beyond your means without support. To qualify for full funding, you must demonstrate that you are unable to afford even the cost of flights to Iceland and accommodation. You will be asked to answer a question about whether you have sought additional funding. Some countries offer support to writers who attend conferences, and we’d like to see if you have taken initiative in terms of thinking broadly for ways in which you can attend.
- Your background: We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and with all levels of writing experience. While the quality of your writing is what is most important, we rank applications highly from people who have not had the opportunity to attend many writing retreats or to develop their writing in other ways.
- Statement of impact: In your statement of impact, tell us why this particular event and faculty have captured your interest. Show us that you have done research about the Iceland Writers Retreat.
- References: References should be written by people who are familiar with the role that writing plays in your life and who are not family members. We give higher marks for references that have been written specifically for this event. The references must be submitted with your application form. We cannot accept references sent via email.
Click here to apply for an Alumni Award