Announcing the 2026 Black Writers Fellowship Program

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The Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher is an opportunity for a Black writer to research and write a long-form article to be published in Hand Papermaking magazine. Hand Papermaking initiated the Black Writers Fellowship Program in 2020 as one of several corrective steps to better fulfill our goal to truly reflect the full breadth of work in our field. Past recipients are: Keren Alfred (2020–21 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher) who shared her investigations of breadfruit as a papermaking fiber in the Summer 2022 issue; Payton Harris-Woodard (2021–22 Black Writers Fellow), whose interview with Howardena Pindell appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of the magazine; Gimbiya Kettering (2022–23 Black Writers Fellowship: Reporter) who profiled the artist Cheryl E. Edwards in the Summer 2023 issue; and sadé powell (2022–2024 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher) who interviewed established and emerging Black papermaking artists for her article that appeared in the Summer 2024 issue. The 2025 fellow Talia Kimberly Wright is researching the material history of cotton and will travel with an African American papermaker to connect with Black cotton farmers in North Carolina.

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This RFP outlines the 2026 Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher opportunity and application guidelines.

The Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher is offered annually to a Black writer who proposes a research topic relevant to hand papermaking and indicates an ongoing investment in research and inquiry in the field. The article will be long-form and eligible for publication in Hand Papermaking magazine, Summer 2027 issue. The Researcher will receive a $1,000 award and a fellowship stipend of up to $1,000 for expenses incurred, including but not limited to research travel, resources, transcription or translation services, site visits, workshop or conference attendance, and other professional development opportunities. In addition, the Researcher will be supported by regular meetings with a fellowship coordinator and a collaborative working relationship with Hand Papermaking magazine editor Mina Takahashi. There is no fee to apply for this fellowship.

Please download the RFP form here to learn more about the 2026 Black Writers Fellowship.

Hand Papermaking will host a virtual FAQ session on Wednesday, September 17, 7 pm ET to answer questions from prospective applicants. To sign up for the session (or to let us know that you cannot make that date and time), email:

bwfresearcher@handpapermaking.org by September 10.

For reference and inspiration, please review Hand Papermaking’s guiding principles and peruse the table of contents of recent magazine issues. To see two published Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher articles, these two are available during the application period: Payton Harris-Woodard’s interview with Howardena Pindell and sadé powell’s article on young Black emerging paper artists. You can search for topics published in the magazine’s history on the website. Applicants can receive up to two article PDFs if requested by October 3: bwfresearcher@handpapermaking.org.