RIBBON International and PEN Ukraine Announce the Open Call for PRESENT TENSE Writers Fellowship

RIBBON International and PEN Ukraine announce the open call for PRESENT TENSE, a new international fellowship program supporting Ukrainian authors working on book-length projects. The program is designed to provide writers dedicated time and resources needed to complete works in progress for publication, acknowledging the conditions under which literary practice continues amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

RIBBON International has committed a total of $100,000 in support of the PRESENT TENSE program. Following an open competition, selected Ukrainian writers will be awarded fellowships of $5,000 each, with the expected outcome of the program being the publication of a completed book.

Focused on sustaining literary production during wartime, the program supports works in progress in fiction and nonfiction that engage with the lived experience of war, cultural memory, and Ukrainian identity. Particular attention is given to texts addressing decolonization, countering Russian imperial narratives and propaganda, documenting Russian crimes against Ukraine, and fostering critical thinking. Support is also extended to texts that strengthen psychological resilience, memory and social cohesion.

Named PRESENT TENSE to reflect the urgency and intensity of living at a historical threshold, the fellowship aims to enable writers to comprehend possible futures and imagine what Ukraine could be like in the years to come. The program is open to both established authors and debut book projects, and is international in outlook, supporting Ukrainian writers regardless of their place of residence.

The deadline for applications is March 10, 2026, and the supported book must be published by the end of 2026. Applications will only be accepted from projects already in active development; at least one third of the manuscript must be completed at the time of application.

PRESENT TENSE continues RIBBON International’s support for Ukraine’s cultural infrastructure, building on its previous grant programs while strengthening creative communities and positioning literature as a vital space for testimony, imagination, and critical engagement in times of war.

The open call welcomes applications from Ukrainian writers and journalists who are citizens of Ukraine, working in fiction, including novels, short stories, and poetry, and nonfiction, including essays, biographies, reportage, and interviews.

In addition to financial support, fellows will receive public visibility and promotion of their projects, as well as opportunities to participate in cultural events organized within the framework of the program.

Timeline:

Announcement of the open call: February 9, 2026
Deadline for applications: March 10, 2026
Work of the Jury: until March 25, 2026
Announcement of the fellows: March 30, 2026
Writing and publication period: by December 25, 2026

How to apply:

Applications are accepted until March 10, 2026, through the online application form linked here.

By using this link, applicants may preview all questions in advance and prepare responses before submitting the online application form. Printed documents or materials sent by mail will not be considered.

The application form requires a work schedule for completing the book and preparing it for publication, an outline of the proposed book, an excerpt of the manuscript (up to 10 pages), a recommendation from a reputable expert, and a copy of the publishing agreement or a letter of intent confirming publication no later than 25 December 2026. Eligible applicants should be actively developing a manuscript rather than proposing an early-stage concept.

Notes to Editors

About RIBBON International

RIBBON International is a not-for-profit platform supporting Ukrainian classic and contemporary arts and culture in the form of exhibitions, artist commissions, public programs and grants. RIBBON International runs through Ukraine by way of its railway system and aims to provide support to endangered legacies of Ukraine’s cultural and artistic heritage, as well as to artists, cultural producers, contemporary culture and institutions.

About PEN Ukraine

PEN Ukraine is a cultural and human rights non-governmental organization that unites Ukrainian intellectuals - writers, journalists, researchers, publishers, translators, human rights activists, playwrights, screenwriters, photographers, and cultural managers. Its members include 189 authors. PEN Ukraine is the founder or co-founder of four awards: the Vasyl Stus Prize, the Yury Shevelyov Prize, the Drahomán Prize, and the George Gongadze Prize. Since 2022, after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the organization has focused on several main vectors of its work: informing the international audience about Russia’s war against Ukraine, documenting Russia’s crimes against Ukrainian media and culture, preserving the memory of deceased journalists and cultural figures, restoring cultural life in Ukraine, and supporting Ukrainian libraries damaged by Russia.

The submissions will be evaluated by the Jury:

Volodymyr Yermolenko, philosopher, writer, journalist, president of PEN Ukraine

Myroslava Barchuk, journalist, TV presenter

Anatoly Dnistrovy, essayist, writer, poet, military serviceman

Anastasiia Gerasymova, literary critic, communications specialist

Kateryna Zarembo, writer, social scientist, military servicewoman

Frequently Asked Questions and Contacts:

To find the answers to frequently asked questions about the program, please follow the link. Should you have additional questions, please contact PEN Ukraine’s coordinator of the fellowship program, Alisa Bondarenko at alycebondarenko@gmail.com. Please indicate "PRESENT TENSE_Your Name" in the subject line of your email.

For inquiries from Ukrainian and foreign media, contact Dariia Sherstiuk, communications manager of the PEN Ukraine: sherstiuk.un@gmail.com

For international media enquiries and image requests, please contact Scott & Co: Elise Bell, elise@scott-andco.com

For Ukrainian media enquiries and image requests, please contact Anastasiia Kalyta: communications@ribbon-int.org