What counts in the literary world? Talent and expressiveness are prerequisites for success in the literary world. But they alone are not enough for success. Networking, a confident manner, time, financial, psychological and educational resources and many other factors can make or break literary careers. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same starting conditions.
Classism refers to discrimination based on social origin and/or social and economic position. As part of our new mentoring program, we would like to accompany talented authors who are affected by classism on their way and provide them with people who are experienced in the literary world for a period of one year. In addition, a supporting programme offers networking opportunities and many other impulses for professionalization as freelance writers.
For the current round, we are seeking five mentees who wish to succeed in the literary world and who are affected by classism according to at least one of the commonly recognized criteria. These criteria include, among others:
- parents with non-academic backgrounds
- Family with low income / difficult social circumstances
- was unable to attend college for financial reasons
- Experiences of discrimination, e.g., due to an immigrant background
The requirements for participation are:
- Primary residence in Berlin for the entire one-year mentoring period
- at least one of the listed criteria for classism applies
- Writing experience, an interest in becoming an author, or initial experience in the literary world
- Willingness to participate regularly in the offers of the mentoring program
The application deadline is May 31, 2026. You can download the call for applications as a PDF here.
On May 7, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., an informational event about the mentoring program will take place at the Refugio Neukölln (Lenaustraße 3) as part of the Industry Meetup: Literature, where mentees and mentors from the previous program will also share their experiences.
Image in header by freepik.
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