Sigma Tau Delta’s Summer Awards Cycle will be open June 22 through July 13, 2026, 4:00 p.m. CT. During the 2026 Summer Awards Cycle, applications are being accepted for the Outstanding Chapter Award, Classroom Library Grants, Internship Stipends for the fall 2026 semester, Priority Selection for PRH Summer 2027 Internship, Priority Selection for W. W. Norton Internship for the fall 2026 semester, Tennessee Williams Fest & Saints and Sinners Fest Internships for the fall 2026 semester, and Lambda Literary Internships. Learn more about these opportunities below and consider applying via our AwardSpring platform.
Outstanding Chapter Award
Sigma Tau Delta’s Outstanding Chapter Award is designed to recognize local chapters that have exhibited outstanding motivation, creativity, and service in the preceding year. Award recipients will receive a check for up to $500 and a plaque. Winning chapters may also receive up to $350 in travel assistance for sending at least one student representative to the annual convention and bringing a chapter exhibit. Any active chapter is eligible to apply for an Outstanding Chapter Award, but no chapter may receive an Outstanding Chapter Award in consecutive years. Chapters that wish to apply must have completed the 2025-2026 Chapter Annual Report.
Classroom Library Grants
Sigma Tau Delta’s Classroom Library Grants are designed to enhance the Society’s goals of promoting interest in literature and language in the surrounding communities; fostering all aspects of the discipline of English, including literature, language, and writing; and serving society by fostering literacy. The Classroom Library Grants are also intended to support our members who have entered the field of teaching and need material support to help achieve these goals through their work in the classroom by providing their students with a library in their own classrooms, especially where access to school or public libraries or to books in the home may be limited.
The Society will award up to five grants of $400 each per cycle to help student and alumni members of Sigma Tau Delta who are teachers of record in pre-school through twelfth-grade classrooms build a classroom library for their students. Applicants need not be recent college graduates or new teachers.
Internship Stipend
Sigma Tau Delta Internship Stipends offer funding for current undergraduate and graduate student members accepting internships for which their expenses exceed what they will be paid. Sigma Tau Delta will not cover expenses related to tuition and/or student fees. The Internship Stipend is a competitive program providing a limited number of stipends of up to $1,500 each. The internship must involve working for an “organization” while being directed by a supervisor/mentor within that organization, and the intern’s duties must be consistent with the applicant’s level of education, area of study, and career goals. Financial need will be taken into consideration in addition to internship length. Applicants are responsible for obtaining and providing verification of the internship.
Penguin Random House Internship: Priority Selection Application
The Penguin Random House internship program offers candidates the opportunity to work in the Penguin Random House Adult & Children’s divisions, attend weekly professional development programming, and learn about the world of publishing. This program is intended to provide opportunities for racially/ethnically underrepresented groups in the publishing industry. Active chapter members interested in learning about the world of marketing in book publishing are encouraged to apply. No prior publishing experience is required.
Interns will work remote for 21 hours per week at a pay rate of $20/hr. Intern schedules will be flexible to account for candidates who may be located in a variety of time zones. PRH offers internships in such areas as Editorial, Marketing, Publicity, Sales, Art/Design, Legal, Book Making, Finance, and Subrights. Internship offerings vary from cycle to cycle and will be announced by PRH when they open their application portal.
The Sigma Tau Delta Summer Awards Cycle is accepting applications for priority consideration to the summer 2027 PRH Internship. Sigma Tau Delta will submit the selected priority candidates from our Summer Awards Cycle to PRH during their application window in September.
W. W. Norton Internship: Priority Selection Application
Sigma Tau Delta is partnering with the W. W. Norton College Division to offer Sigma Tau Delta student and alumni members the opportunity to gain experience in college/university publishing through a 12-week W. W. Norton Internship program. Internships provide valuable hands-on experience with the day-to-day work that brings books into existence, as well as opportunities to network with employees at the company and with fellow interns who frequently go on to become colleagues in the field.
Interns at W. W. Norton are paid $16.50 per hour and work a maximum of 20 hours weekly. Specific work hours are flexible, but interns are expected to work three or four days per week. All interns must be able to work during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST).
Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival and Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival Internships
The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival (TWFest) offers Sigma Tau Delta student and alumni members an opportunity to become acquainted with the inner workings of a literary arts nonprofit that produces two annual festivals, six writing contests, and a variety of literary events throughout the year. This internship provides opportunities to practice writing, editing, and communications skills specific to publicity, marketing, patron engagement, and event planning.
The festival takes place in March each year and has over 100 in-person events, including literary discussion panels, writer’s craft sessions, Tennessee Williams scholars conference, literary walking tours, theater events, culinary events, music events, a book fair, and writing marathons, plus the Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival (SASFest) March 27 – 29, 2026, with its own literary discussion panels, writer’s craft sessions, reading series, pitch sessions to small presses, book launch celebrations, and awards.
SASFest internships are available for Sigma Tau Delta student and alumni members who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and all emerging identities.
Sigma Tau Delta priority members who are awarded an internship with the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival and/or Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival will receive a $750 stipend from Sigma Tau Delta.
Lambda Literary Internships
Sigma Tau Delta has developed a wonderful partnership with Lambda Literary. We are excited to announce a unique opportunity for LGBTQ+* members of the Sigma Tau Delta community to intern with Lambda, the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ literary organization. The Program Interns will work with the prestigious Lambda Literary Awards (Lammys) or Writers Retreat remotely for 15 hours per week. These internships are ideal for individuals passionate about LGBTQ+ literature and eager to gain experience in program management, communications, and event planning.
*Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and all emerging identities.
Sigma Tau Delta priority members who are awarded a Lambda Literary Internship will receive a $750 stipend from Sigma Tau Delta.
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