Photo: Joaquín Sarmiento / FNPI.
The Gabo Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of Colombia, with support from the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, announce the seventh edition of the Gabo Fellowship in Cultural Journalism, which will be held in Cartagena, Colombia, from Wednesday, November 27th to Sunday, December 1st, 2019. These are the selected ones to the Gabo Fellowship.
» Description
The 2019 Gabo Fellowship will welcome 15 reporters from all over the world during the 11th Mercado Cultural del Caribe (Caribbean Cultural Market, in English) in Cartagena, in order to explore the various forms of cultural journalism in greater depth and how they are crafted on a daily basis, specifically reportage and opinion pieces.
The Mercado Cultural del Caribe is a marketplace for cultural products and services. This year’s event will encourage and promote cultural entrepreneurship in Colombia’s Caribbean, discuss global trends, and provide a networking opportunity for creating, promoting, assessing, and disseminating business among stakeholders in the culture industry’s value chain. Click here to apply to the Gabo Fellowship (make sure you change the language to English).
For the 15 participating reporters, it will be an opportunity to reflect on the culture industry and culture’s economic role in a city as diverse as Cartagena—a place that is home to various emerging groups who earn their livelihoods by showcasing Colombia’s traditional Caribbean music and dances.
» Master Lecturers
Héctor Feliciano (Puerto Rico)
Héctor Feliciano currently writes for El Nuevo Día in Puerto Rico, The New York Times in Spanish, and Univisión. He has been a cultural correspondent in Europe for US newspapers The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times. Additionally, he has published pieces in El País, Le Monde, Clarín, Etiqueta Negra, El Malpensante, and Letras Libres. In Paris, France, he served as editor-in-chief of World Media Network, a European newspaper consortium, and as a journalist for Radio France Internationale (RFI). He is a member of the Gabo Foundation’s Governing Council.
His book El Museo Desaparecido: la Conspiración Nazi para Robar las Obras Maestras del Arte Mundial is the result of extensive journalistic research, for which the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City awarded him a fellowship in the prestigious National Arts Journalism Program (NAJP). He has also been involved in designing the new program of study for the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Feliciano holds university degrees from the University of Brandeis, the Columbia Journalism School, and the University of Paris.
Jonathan Levi (United States)
After graduating from Yale University, Jonathan Levi was awarded the Mellon Fellowship to study at the University of Cambridge, where he co-founded in 1979 and later edited the literary magazine Granta, which according to the Daily Telegraph was “the most impressive literary magazine of its time.”
Since leaving Granta, Levi has divided his time between writing and production. He is the author of two novels, A Guide for the Perplexed, and most recently, Septimania.
Jonathan Levi's stories and articles have been published in media such as Granta, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Terra Nova, The Nation, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times Book Review. He has written scripts for nine operas and musicals—including the most recent, Truth and Reconciliation—in addition to recording various albums as a jazz violinist.
Levi currently lives between New York and Rome. Additionally, he directs workshops for Under the Volcano programs in Tepoztlán, Mexico, and Nel Mezzo del Cammin, Italy.
» The Gabo Fellowship
Inspired by the Caribbean, the cultural universe that fueled García Márquez’s literary and journalistic work, the Gabo Foundation—created in Cartagena by Gabriel García Márquez himself—and the Ministry of Culture of Colombia joined forces in 2012 in order to create an international program. The program provides training and a platform for journalistic creation, allowing journalists from five continents to share experiences and strengthen their abilities in the field of cultural journalism.
» How the Fellowship works
Journalists participating in the Gabo Fellowship for Cultural Journalism will cover Cartagena de Indias during the 11th Mercado Cultural del Caribe and develop their stories in workshops and personalized writing clinics. Various personalities from the local culture scene will also participate in the sessions, in order to foster exchanges and conversation with the fellows.
Fifteen journalists from all over the world will be chosen to produce journalistic pieces over the five days of the fellowship, contingent upon a prior commitment to publish their work.
The sessions will be carried out mainly in English; therefore, participants must have a good command of the language. When the sessions are conducted in Spanish, simultaneous interpretation services will be provided. Texts may be written in Spanish or English.
» Participants
Fifteen journalists that meet the following criteria will be selected: at least 8 years of experience covering cultural affairs, English proficiency, and working or publishing in print or digital media.
Five fellowships will be granted to Colombian journalists, five to Latin Americans, and five to journalists from other continents.
IMPORTANT: Each journalist selected to participate in the Gabo Fellowship should consult their national authorities regarding visa requirements and/or any other documents needed to enter Colombia. We recommend inquiring well in advance, as paperwork can take several days.
(If you prefer to apply in Spanish, click here. If you wish to apply in English, follow the instructions at the bottom of this page).
» Application Requirements
All applicants must complete the registration form through the Gabo Foundation platform and attach:
- A narrated autobiography of up to 400 words, in English or Spanish, that emphasizes the applicant’s journalistic experience in the cultural field as well as motivations and expectations for participating in the fellowship.
- A reference letter issued by a media outlet that certifies the journalist’s employment. If not directly employed, the media outlet must provide certification that the applicant has been published there at least once in the previous six months. In both cases, the letter must specify that the media outlet commits to publishing the work produced during the fellowship, given that it complies with its editorial policies.
- A reportage, long-form journalism piece, or profile written by the applicant, preferably on cultural affairs, which has been published in the last 12 months. This piece can be sent as a PDF of the original publication or submitted in the registration platform as a link to its online location.
In order to verify English proficiency, a telephone or Skype interview will be held with a group of pre-selected applicants, who will be notified in advance.
Important: Applications will only be valid if submitted online, through the registration form on the Gabo Foundation's website, by October 7th.
» Support for participants
Thanks to the Ministry of Culture of Colombia and support from the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Gabo Fellowship participants will have the following benefits:
- Accommodation in a shared room for 6 nights, with breakfast included
- Reimbursement of up to 250 USD for participants from outside Colombia
- Flights for participants in Colombia
- International medical insurance for the duration of the workshop
- Meals as per the workshop agenda
» How to Apply
To register for Gabo Fellowship in Cultural Journalism, please follow the steps listed below:
1. Click here and change the language from "Español" to "English".
2. Sign in with your email and password. If you do not have an account, please click on "Sign up".
3. Fill out the form and attach the required documents mentioned in Requirements for Application.
If you have questions about the registration process, please write to snavarro@fundaciongabo.org