Mātātuhi Foundation announces another lift in literary sector funding

Posted: Wednesday Apr 26, 2023

Literary projects seeking $5,000 - $20,000 in funding are now welcome!

Mātātuhi Foundation's 10th funding round comes with a substantial increase in grant amounts.

Since its launch in 2018, the Mātātuhi Foundation has funded close to 50 projects and awarded $170,000 of grant money to the literary sector.

In our upcoming rounds in May and October, applicants can apply for between $5,000 and $20,000 in funding for a literary project. In previous years, the maximum was $5000.

Applications for another major project funding round are also now welcome. Applications must be submitted by 31 August and can include budgets of between $25,000 and $50,000 in funding.

“Our grant amounts have changed so we can better support capacity building in the literature sector,” says Anne Blackburn. “After five years, it was time to revisit how we can best serve our kaupapa — to help strengthen Aotearoa’s literary landscape and make a difference in projects, initiatives and collaborations.”

The Mātātuhi Foundation funds projects that support and promote the work of New Zealand writers and/or materially increase the levels of engagement and appreciation for New Zealand literature among New Zealand readers.

Applications are welcome from individuals, groups or organisations developing projects around written local literature: fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Grants are not available for creating, publishing, or promoting individual books or anthologies.

The deadlines for the biannual grants are 31 May and 31 October. Applications for the major project funding round close on 31 August.

For more information on applications, funding successes and criteria, please visit https://matatuhifoundation.co.nz/apply

The Mātātuhi Foundation was established in 2018 by the Auckland Writers Festival to help maximise its impact across the wider literary sector, and to benefit Aotearoa NZ writers and readers across the motu.