For Aliens Only

Big news, my compeers!  George RR Martin is now offering the TERRAN PRIZE of free tuition to Taos Toolbox, the master class for writing science fiction and fantasy.  From his press release:

“When astronauts look down on Earth from orbit, they don’t see borders, national boundaries, or linguistic groups; they see one world, a gorgeous blue globe spinning in space, streaked with clouds.   I don’t know if humanity will ever reach the stars (though I hope we will), but if we do, it won’t be Americans who get there.   It won’t be the Chinese or the Russians or the British or the French or the Brazilians or the Kiwis or the South Africans or Indians or the folk of any other nation either.  It will be humanity; in the language of the SF of my youth, it will be Terrans or Earthlings or Earthmen.  The future belongs to all the peoples of the world.

“With that in mind, I want to announce that I am sponsoring a new scholarship, to bring an aspiring SF writer from a non-English-speaking country to the Taos Toolbox, the graduate level writing workshop that Walter Jon Williams and Nancy Kress run every summer in the mountains of northern New Mexico.  The TERRAN AWARD, as I am calling it, will be given annually, and will cover all tuition and fees  to the Toolbox (but not meals or travel).   Applicants will need to speak and write in English, but must be from from a country where English is not the primary language.   WJW and the Toolbox staff will select the winner.”

So if you’re from foreign parts and want to write, you might just want to check this out.