Eyes Wide Open 1st Photo Book Grants

Three book projects by a photographer and his/her publisher will be supported with a €5,000 grant each.

Overview

Conceived and organized by Eyes Wide Open (the cultural production arm of The Eyes label) with the support of the French Ministry of Culture and SAIF, the Eyes Wide Open 1st Photo Book Bursary program is aimed at photographers who wish to propose a first book project with the support of an independent French publisher.

The Eyes Wide Open 1st Photo Book Grants program offers to support 3 book projects by a photographer and his/her publisher, each with €5,000. These grants are supported by the French Ministry of Culture and the SAIF. 

Practical Info

The grant is divided into three categories, each meeting a specific need: SAIF grant for a French photographer or a photographer living in France, Grant for a woman photographer of any nationality, and Grant for a photographer from a southern territory (Africa, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Middle East). The photographers apply directly themselves, in their name, and applications are submitted jointly for all three grants.

The grant is open to photographers who have never published a monograph with a publisher. A letter of commitment from a publisher is required to participate. Applications are open to either photographer duos or individuals. Group projects are not eligible.

Grant for a French photographer / French photographers (living in France or abroad) are eligible, with no age limit, for projects in collaboration with independent French publishers.
Grant for a female photographer / Photographers of all nationalities are eligible, with no age limit, for projects in collaboration with independent french publishers.
Grant for an international photographer - countries of the "Global South" / Photographers from the "Global South" (Africa, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Middle East) are eligible to apply, with no age limit.

Submissions must include a presentation file of the current project, including the concept, existing texts, a pre-selection of images, the authors and their biographies, a statement of editorial and graphic intent, a statement of intent that presents their project and their intent in a concise manner, a selection of images, and a presentation of a draft visual is preferred.

Plus, applicants must provide a provisional calendar, estimated budget (an explicit line for royalties must be included, please specify income and expenses), quotations for the production of the work by the service providers envisaged, a letter of commitment from an independent French publisher. In the case of partnerships and/or co-publishing, supporting documents and written commitments from the partners.

The Eyes Wide Open 1st photo book bursaries offer to support 3 book projects by a photographer and his or her publisher, each to the value of €5,000 incl. tax. Each grant is awarded directly to the photographer for the production of the book. The photographer and his/her publisher will have 18 months to complete the project, culminating in the actual publication of the book. Both agree to publish the book within 2 years of receiving the grant, by November 2026 at the latest. It may be a monograph or a work on an artistic or documentary project. The publication must have a minimum print run of 500 copies and be distributed in bookshops. The publication must include a copyright contract between the publisher and the photographer. The grant must be used exclusively for the book project submitted.

About Eyes Wide Open Association

Part of The Eyes label, Eyes Wide Open was founded by Véronique Prugnaud and Vincent Marcilhacy in 2022. Its mission is to support and develop artistic projects and actions that are driven by a social, societal and environmental commitment. The 1st photo book grants is the first initiative launched, with the aim of supporting French and international photographers through French publishing.

Photo publishing plays a major role in a photographer’s career, helping to disseminate his or her work. And yet, despite the growing number of publications, the economy remains fragile. This leads to a relative reluctance on the part of industry publishers to take on the financial risk of 1st books by lesser-known photographers. The 1st photo book grants aims to encourage French photographers and publishers in a creative dynamic.

Eyes Wide Open pursues and develops a tradition of commitment focused on the major issues facing our society, in the service of creative players and the general public. The long-term CIVIS MARITIMUS program with the Ronan Guillou Fellowships was created with this ambition in mind.