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Aspiring Writer Scholarship Guidelines

ANNUAL CALL FOR ENTRIES:  ASPIRING WRITER SCHOLARSHIP

Go On Girl! Book Club – invites you to write your way to a scholarship.  

Founded in 1990, the Go On Girl! Book Club is a spirited group of women who love a good read and engage in lively literary discussions once a month.  Across the country, we have more than 400 members who are committed to encouraging the literary pursuits of people of African descent.  Since 1992, the organization has recognized notable authors with its “Author of the Year” and “New Author of the Year” awards.  Past honorees include Pearl Cleage, Bebe Moore Campbell, Daniel Black, Octavia Butler, and Marlon James.  

Do you dream of seeing your stories and essays recognized alongside our literary giants?  Apply now for the Go On Girl! Book Club’s $2,000 “Aspiring Writer” Scholarship.

The Scholarship Application Deadline is APRIL 1.  Winners will be announced on April 15.

Application Guidelines

  1. Candidate must be a US citizen or possess a valid student visa.
  2. Candidate must be ENTERING the sophomore, junior or senior year in the fall at any Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the United States.  
  3. Candidate must submit an unofficial transcript to show a GPA of 3.0 or better.
  4. Candidate must submit a 5-to-10 page story or essay on one of the following topics:

The importance of attending an HBCU.

OR

Why I want to be a writer and how literature contributes to culture and community.

  1. Submissions must be double spaced and include the title, author’s name, and word count on the title page. Pages (EXCEPT the title page) must be numbered. 
  1. In addition to your story or essay, you must include a recent photo, and a short biographical sketch along with your application. 
  1. We will only accept online applications.  Submit applications at www.goongirl.org/scholarship no later than midnight April 1. Incomplete applications and applications that do not meet the guidelines will be returned without review.

The winner will be notified by April 30 and will be invited to attend our annual awards weekend held in June.  Winners who are unable to attend will be asked to submit a short video acceptance speech to be aired at the awards ceremony. The winner’s work may be featured in several print or online publications, and on the GOG website.