The "Our Story" page of the Granum Foundation's website almost made me cry. It reads:
"We started envisioning The Granum Foundation almost 20 years ago. The name was there from the start. Its meaning: a grain or seed. Our goal is to support individuals on the cusp of finishing a major literary project, investing in writers who might never reach their potential without a little help.
We both know brilliant writers who needed an opportunity like this to reach their full potential. Over the years, too many of these people had to choose between survival and art. The Granum Foundation strives to fill the gap so that such a decision doesn’t have to be made.
We are placing bets on undiscovered writers from all walks of life who might never get the chance to complete their first works, or who change careers later in life to chase literary dreams, or who feel they have been excluded from traditional avenues of support.
The Granum Foundation Prizes are meant to provide a writer with the most valuable things any artist can ask for: the freedom and time to do their work."
It's really something, isn't it? To find yourself with a little bit of extra money and decide to send it out into the world to help some art - and fellow artists - along. To recognize how many of us are out there in this exact predicament? That's a nice thing.
It's something I've always thought I'd like to do someday, actually, if I were ever in that position, so I'm really touched to be on the longlist for this year's prize. Among this much talent, I'm not harboring much hope for making the shortlist, but I'll certainly enjoy the waiting/hoping/possibility while I can!
