The Stories Matter Foundation and StoryStudio Chicago have awarded the annual $1,500 Dana Wood Chaney Writers Fund tuition grant to local non-binary poet A. Ng Pavel.
The scholarship is awarded each year to a writer working on a novel, memoir, short story, essay collection or poetry that addresses social change. The recipient may use the grant toward any StoryStudio Chicago classes, the Writers Festival, StoryBoard, Manuscript Consultations or visits to the Writers Room.
"This submission was captivating and clearly planted the seeds of an important story of personal identity and the freedom we do or don't have to define ourselves," said Stories Matter Foundation Board Chair Jill Pollack in a press release. "This grant supports writers who bring a unique perspective and who are passionate in the power of story. We are thrilled to have Pavel continuing their work with us."
Pavel is a writer and arts educator based in Chicago. They are the founder of the Chicago Asian Writers Workshop (CAWW), through which they offer community creative writing classes. They are working on their first novel.
The Dana Wood Chaney Writers Fund Tuition Grant is dedicated to the memory of writer Dana Wood Chaney, a novelist and award-winning short story writer who is the inspiration behind many of Stories Matter Foundations classes and events.