A limited number of small-medium sized grants are available to UK registered charities and literary organisations that promote the creative arts for the public benefit, especially literature, whether fiction, non-fiction drama or poetry.
The Charlotte Aitken Trust is a relatively new charity, founded in 2020, that is dedicated to the support of literature, writing and reading. It is funded by the estate of the celebrated literary agent Gillon Aitken (1938-2016) in the name of his only daughter Charlotte, who died in 2011 at the age of 27. The Chair of the Trust is the British author and journalist, Sebastian Faulkes CBE.
Although currently closed to applications, the Trust is expected to reopen during the autumn of 2025. Please check the Trust’s website for updates.
The founding principles of the Trust are:
- To advance the education of the public in the subject of literature, and
- To promote the creative arts for the public benefit, especially literature, whether fiction, non-fiction drama or poetry
Previously, the Trust has provided funding for:
- Book prizes.
- Playwrights, theatres and touring companies.
- Literary festivals.
- The infrastructure of artistic organisations and buildings of national importance, and
- Schemes that champion and promote creative writing in schools.
When open, organisations interested in seeking grant support should complete the ‘Contact form’ on the Trust’s website.