Update May 26, 2026: the 2026 Vampire Literature Short Story Fellowship recipients are:
| Ilona Tarnopolska – Ukraine Journalist, English teacher, writer, with a PhD in History.  Ilona is an author of YA detective and fantasy novels and short stories inspired by Slavic mythology and history. The YA fantasy duology “Magic Quest” based on the Gypsy vampire myth (also used in Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Ukrainian vampire legends, and Western European mythology was awarded with a Letter of Commendation from the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi for the historical memory preservation and cultural development of the region. Ilona is also running her TikTok blog dedicated to history and especially mythology, including vampire themes (https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSus9vYEh/ ) Published work: Book series “Irka Khortitsa, the Super Witch,” 15 novels; Book series “Detective agency “White Goose,” 16 novels; Book series “Sivir,” 5 novels; Book series “Youngling,” two books of the cycle “Dead Men Factory” and “On the Dead Men’s Side,” the publishing house “Rosman”; “Lady-Maid,” the publishing house SeJeGa. | Uğur Kılınç – Turkey Writer, scholar, professor of cinema and media Studies.  Uğur’s work moves between gothic studies, horror cinema, mythology, adaptation, and creative writing. His doctoral dissertation, The Intertextual Transformation of Dracula as an Element of Horror in Hollywood Cinema, is focusing on the shifting meanings of Dracula as a figure of horror within Hollywood cinema. He is the author of 50 Maddede Korku Sineması (2022, “50 Entries on Horror Cinema”) and Dracula’nın Dönüşümü (2025, “The Transformation of Dracula”), which examines Dracula through the frameworks of horror genre studies, monster theory, and film industry analysis. Published work: Nebel Şatosu ve Diğer Öyküler (Nebel Castle and Other Stories, 2015) — gothic short story collection; Oegtar’ın Felaketi (The Calamity of Oegtar, 2016) — fantasy novel; Çürük Ayvalar (Rotten Quinces, 2022) — Anatolian noir short story collection; Vampirin İtirafı (Confession of the Vampire, 2023) — gothic novel. |
| Luna Jai – India Fiction Writer, Translator, Editor and Poet  Luna works with the genres Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy and Historical Fiction and constantly dabbles with Mythography and Lycanthropy. Her translation works include Marudhan’s ‘Angels Witches Women’, ‘Hitler’, ‘Che Guevara’, Perumal Murugan’s collection of political essays on freedom of speech among others. Her areas of specialization are Dystopian Literature, Feminist & Gothic Literature, Legend & Mythology and Paranormal Romance. Luna is engaged in editorial assistance in literary research and translation and has extensive editorial & publishing experience. Published work: Postcards from a Parallel Universe; God Bless You Devil Kiss You; What the Heaven!?; Her Harem Journal. | Roberto Cavalcante – Brazil Art historian, writer and graphic designer  Roberto’s work moves between vampire studies, gothic aesthetics, fiction writing, and visual culture. He won the Best Horror Short Story national contest (2014) by Netflix Brazil, with his story narrated by filmmaker Eli Roth. His academic research on Dracula was awarded twice at the International Dracula Congress in Brașov: The Most Innovative Research (2021) for his study on Eiko Ishioka’s costumes in Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and The Best Research (2023) for his exploration of vampiric myths and Brazilian indigenous anthropophagic rituals. He currently teaches Gothic Cinema at the Museum of Image and Sound in São Paulo (MIS SP). Published work: Blood and Couture: Dracula by Eiko Ishioka (Bulletin of Transilvania University of Brașov, 2021), peer-reviewed article; Soneto Adiposo (2013), short story collection; Garotos Invisíveis (2014), contributing author in a state-sponsored youth anthology. |
We Congratulate all the applicants to this inaugural edition of the fellowship and are eager to see the end results of their work in the fellowship manuscript!
Update May 25, 2026: the VLSS Fellowship will be awarded to four applicants instead of three.
Update April 14, 2026: the application form for the Vampire Literature Short Story Fellowship will be closed on April 15, 2026 at 2PM, Romania time.
Update March 15, 2026: the Application Form for the Vampire Literature Short Story Fellowship is now open! Short link: https://forms.gle/WvWNVEFfouERoatG8
The Vampire Literature Short Story Fellowship seeks to connect contemporary vampire fiction with its historical, cultural and geographic roots. By situating writers in Transylvania, the crossroads of folklore, history and literary myth, the fellowship supports the development of new and creative works that deepen, challenge and expand the legacy of Dracula for modern audiences.
This program is offering research fellowships to authors specializing in vampire literature. Each prize covers a one-month residential fellowship in Romania, providing an immersive environment to write short stories within the vampire genre.
Program Title: The Vampire Literature Short Story Fellowship
Host Location: Romania, Transylvania region.
Duration: One calendar month (tentative September 10 – October 9, 2026).
Award: The program will select three fellows who will benefit from a round-trip airfare to Romania (each plane ticket is capped at EUR 500), accommodation and board stipend (to cover two meals/day), field trips to relevant inspiring locations in Romania, and publication of the short stories in a program manuscript. Successful applicants will be part of the Inaugural Cohort of the Vampire Literature Short Story Fellowship.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be an author with at least one published work (novel, short story or substantial academic paper) related to vampire literature.
- Must be proficient in English (all submission materials and interactions will be in English).
- Must be 18 years of age or older by the application deadline.
- Must be legally able to travel to and stay in Romania for the fellowship duration.
Application deadline: The application form will open on March 15, 2026. The first 20 complete applications will be considered for review. The application form will stay open until April 15, 2026. If not selected for the fellowship, the waitlisted candidates will be considered to have their short stories published in the program manuscript. If needed, the application dates may be changed.
Application Procedure
Applicants must provide the following information and submit the following documents electronically, on the online application form that will become live on March 15, 2026:
- Completed Application Form: Personal details, contact information, and confirmation of eligibility.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): Detailing publishing history and relevant experience.
- Story proposals: An outline of each one of the short stories the author intends to write during the fellowship (approximately 500 words for each proposal).
- Writing sample: A selection of a previously published or unpublished work of vampire fiction or related literature.
- Letter of intent: A brief statement explaining the author’s interest in the fellowship and expected outcomes, focusing on how the Romanian setting might influence the work.
Selection Process: A selection committee with expertise in creative writing, branding, Dracula and vampire studies, screenwriting, and communication will review all complete applications.
Initial Review: Applications will be screened for completeness and adherence to eligibility criteria.
Evaluation: Submissions will be evaluated based on the literary merit of the story proposals, the creativity of the plot, the feasibility to be published in a short story manuscript and the potential impact of the fellowship on the author’s work. The selection criteria also include two priority themes: the connection of the short stories to the world of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and/or their connection to the history of Vlad the Impaler, Wallachia’s 15th century medieval ruler, also called Vlad Dracula.
Shortlist: The committee can select a shortlist of top candidates for a potential virtual interview.
Final Decision: The committee will select the fellows based on the comprehensive review and interview performance. All applicants will be notified of the final decision by May 26, 2026 (World Dracula Day).
Note: Waitlisted candidates will be considered for publication in the program manuscript.
Fellowship Requirements and Deliverables
The successful fellows must agree to the following conditions:
- Residency: Must reside in Romania for the entire one-month duration of the fellowship.
- Engagement: Must actively work on their proposed short stories and participate in any scheduled cultural/academic activities or research trip. They are also expected to write social media posts about their experience during the fellowship.
- Deliverables: Must submit at least three completed short stories (approximately 5,000 words each) to the program organizers by the end of their fellowship. The organizers will retain exclusive rights to publish the work with a publisher of the program administrator’s choice. The authors retain 50% original copyright and 50% of copyright transfers to the program administrator. All film, theater, and media related rights transfer to the program administrator.
- Fellows need to cover the expenses of a valid health insurance plan for the duration of their stay in Romania and provide proof of insurance to the administrator.
- Data protection: fellows need to accept the General Data Protection Regulation for processing personal data.
Evaluation criteria: each applicant will be evaluated based on the quality of the short story proposals and their marketing potential. The following criteria will be considered for the selection of successful applicants:
- Engagement with the vampire myth
- Literary quality of the prose
- Character complexity
- Narrative coherence and causality
- Relationship to the world of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and/or Vlad Dracula the Impaler’s history
- Publishing potential of the story
Field trips and site visits included in the fellowship
The fellows will be immersed in the cultural and historic life from Transylvania and Wallachia. The field trips include visits to the following sites:
Brasov – the historic center, Transylvania University, Tampa Hill
Sighisoara – medieval town, birthplace of Vlad the Impaler
Viscri – Saxon village and UNESCO world heritage site
Poenari Citadel – fortress from the times of Vlad the Impaler
Bran Castle – inspiration for Bram Stoker to create Count Dracula’s Castle
Stoker Winery – thematic winery in Dealu Mare region of Wallachia
The fellowship is secured by Vlad Village Ltd in Romania with support from Stoker Wines, a Romanian winery from Dealu Mare region specialized in producing thematic wines as a legacy for Bram Stoker’s work. The management of the program is provided by Dracula Village Ltd (Romanian company that runs Dracula Map). Questions can be directed to Radu Oprea, Program coordinator, at email roprea2000@gmail.com, phone +4 0723342410.