2024 Cave Canem Fellowship Application

Since 1996, Cave Canem has awarded fellowships to more than 500 Black poets. Cave Canem Fellows are among the most distinguished poets in the field, not only as recipients of the highest literary honors and critical acclaim, but also for their service in communities across the country.

Each year a cohort of 10–20 new Fellows is selected based solely on the quality of their poems. Cohorts encompass a range of different aesthetics and poetic practices (spoken word, formalism, multimedia performance, text-based composition, etc.) to ensure an equity of voices in our gathering—all are united by a common purpose to improve craft.

Recipients of a Cave Canem Fellowship are invited to attend our week-long Retreat, held annually at the University of Pittsburgh|Greensburg. Fellows receive an unparalleled opportunity to study with world-class faculty and join a community of peers at the Retreat.

Apply via Submittable

The Cave Canem Fellowship includes:

• Invitation to the Retreat
• A subscription to MasterClass
• Access to Fellows & Faculty fund
  
• Access to scholarships for select writing residences 
• Archival training
• Inclusion in public programming (readings, panels, multigenre collaborations, etc.)
• Subscription to Digest, a bimonthly Cave Canem resource containing community news, grants, fellowships, and residency opportunities

Please send all inquiries to [email protected]

The 2023 Cave Canem Retreat is supported, in part, by Heinz Endowments, Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the University of Pittsburgh.