Dobie Paisano Fellowships for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027
Sponsored by the Graduate School at The University of Texas at Austin, the Dobie Paisano Writing Fellowships provide solitude, time, support and a comfortable place for Texas writers or writers who have written significantly about Texas to focus on their projects.
The retreat is on a 254-acre ranch about twenty minutes west of Austin. Here J. Frank Dobie's ranch house sits above beautiful Barton Creek. The house is furnished simply and comfortably, with modern conveniences. Utilities are provided, though the fellow must provide their own cellular phone service.
The Dobie Paisano Ranch Spring Writing Fellowship is a 3-month award with dates of residency are March 1 - May 31. The stipend is $6,000 per month. The length of residency may change for maintenance or program needs. The fellowship is available to creative writers in any genre as well as writers of non-fiction. Non-fiction should be written for the general audience. Results of the competitions will be announced in later this fall.
The Dobie Paisano Ranch Spring Writing Fellowship is aimed at, though not limited to, writers who are early in their careers and who would benefit from an extended period at the ranch. Demonstration of prior publishing and critical success is not expected, though, as in the past, many applicants will indeed have such a record. Any writer at any level of success (including those with strong publishing records) is eligible for the Fellowship. The decision of the judges will be based on the quality of the writer's past work and the potential for future excellence. The applicant will describe how being a Paisano Fellow and living in the J Frank Dobie house on the ranch in the Texas Hill Country will benefit the proposed writing project. The writer's suitability for ranch life will also be taken into account.
The application fee is $20. Application fees are non-refundable. The application period is open from January until March 15, 2026 and closes March 15, 2026 (midnight central time).