From the February 2024 LitNet Newsletter

The Academy of American Poets received its largest grant ever, $5.7 million, from the Mellon Foundation to continue funding the Poet Laureate Fellowships program and to serve as the fiscal administrator of the Poetry Coalition for the next three years.

The Association of Writers & Writing Programs announced that the finalists of 2024 AWP Small Press Publisher Award are Obsidian, Terrain.org, and The Rumpus. The winner will be announced at the AWP Conference on February 7.

The Authors Guild has shared guidance about how individuals can report book bans that harm students to the Department of Education.

The European Union recently passed the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, which requires AI companies to respect copyright law, among other provisions.

FEMA announced the release of the Fact Sheet on Art and Culture: Helping People Before, During, and After Disasters, which provides an overview on the role of emergency managers, art and cultural organizations, and artists in harnessing the strength of the arts to fortify communities, champion equity, and build local community resilience. 

Minneapolis-based The Loft, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has announced a new strategic framework and mission.

The National Book Foundation has announced the spring season of NBF Presents, which features 21 National Book Foundation–honored authors and nationally recognized moderators across 14 events taking place in 12 cities from February through May.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced the first round of recommended awards for fiscal year 2024, with 1,288 grants totaling $32,223,055. 

The NEA and the White House Domestic Policy Council co-hosted Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities, a first-of-its-kind convening to share insights and “explore how the arts can contribute to health and well-being, animate and strengthen physical spaces, fuel our democracy, and drive equitable outcomes for communities across the country.”

New York City–based Poets House has reopened after being closed since 2020.