Not one but two $35,000 grants for Kiwi non-fiction writers are ripe for the picking from the folks at Copyright Licensing Ltd (CLL). The money comes from that gathered on behalf of authors and publishers by CLL.

The award was established in 2002. Sarah Quigley won it first time around, for her soon-to-be-published-thanks-Penguin biography of literary patron and poet Charles Brasch. Last year the lucky recipient was Dr Paul Miller, senior English, Film and Theatre lecturer at Vic Uni, for his biography of literary academic Bill Pearson. The writer of any non-fiction subject may apply however; don’t assume one must exhibit a bookish bent, as it were. CCL is actually quite keen on sciences, business, Maori and Pacific studies, and oh, the arts as well. But whatever!

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents and ‘writers of proven merit’ (in the field of writing, presumably). Applications close on 15 August 2004. Winners to be announced on Wednesday 20 October this year. For application details, go to the CLL website, or call 09-480 2711.