Mellon Foundation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund Announce the 2025 Letras Boricuas Fellows

Established in 2021 as a collaborative effort between the two foundations, the fellowship aims to elevate and amplify the voices of Puerto Rican writers while bolstering the archipelago's culturally rich, yet historically underfunded, literary tradition and cultural ecosystem. Since its inception, Letras Boricuas has awarded a total of more than $2 million in funding to eighty-four writers, across literary genres, geographies, and career stages, with the intention of fostering creativity, opening professional opportunities, and convening an intergenerational community of Boricua writers.

“Being a Letras Boricuas Fellow has had an immense impact on my work this year. First, I’ve been able to dedicate more time to writing — my new fiction project is almost finished — thanks to some financial breathing room,” said Ana Teresa Toro, 2024 Letras Boricuas fellow. “Likewise, having the opportunity to save toward a personal goal that benefits my son has been an emotional relief, allowing me to concentrate on writing. On the other hand, connecting with other voices I hadn’t known before has enriched me both as a reader and as a Puerto Rican. It’s an honor for which I am truly grateful.”

“At Flamboyan, we listen and learn from our creative community. Expanding Letras Boricuas allows us to support more writers with the freedom to create. Together with Mellon, we’re proving that when we invest in artists, Puerto Rican creativity—and the identity that unites us—flourish,” said Carlos Rodríguez, Executive Director of the Flamboyan Foundation.

"Mellon is honored to expand our support for these innovative voices at work in Puerto Rican literature today," said Elizabeth Alexander, President of the Mellon Foundation. "This fourth cohort of Letras Boricuas Fellows welcomes writers, translators, anthologists, and performers from across the diaspora, and celebrates their multidisciplinary creativity. We are pleased to continue growing this remarkable community of literary artists amid our sustained commitment to Puerto Rican culture as a whole."

The 2025 Letras Boricuas Fellowship cohort embodies the creative pulse of Puerto Rican literature. This new cohort showcases the breadth and brilliance of Boricua voices — including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, spoken word, and playwriting — and represents thirteen cities across Puerto Rico and the U.S. diaspora. Together, these writers honor and expand Puerto Rico’s literary legacy, demonstrating the strength, imagination, and cultural pride that continue to define the Puerto Rican artistic spirit.

Fellows were chosen through a two-step nomination and selection process by Committee members, including experienced writers and literary experts Sofía Irene Cardona, Vanessa Droz, Sergio Gutiérrez Negrón, Jorge Merced, and Urayoán Noel. Given the high level of interest, this year's cohort has expanded from twenty to twenty-four fellows.

The Letras Boricuas Fellowship is part of the Mellon Foundation's continued commitment to sustaining and enriching Puerto Rico's vibrant cultural, knowledge, and memory ecosystems. To date, Mellon's commitment to this effort totals over $120 million.

The 2025 Letras Boricuas Fellows are:

CREATIVE NON-FICTION

FICTION

PLAYWRITING

POETRY

SPOKEN WORD

To learn more about the 2025 Letras Boricuas fellows and their work please visit https://flamboyanfoundation.org/letras-boricuas-fellows/.

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Guided by the belief that all children deserve the opportunity to live fulfilling lives, the Flamboyan Foundation works to ensure that every child in the US and Puerto Rico receives an outstanding education. In Washington, DC, Flamboyan is accelerating student learning by helping educators and school systems transform their relationships with families. In Puerto Rico, Flamboyan is ensuring students are reading in Spanish on grade level by third grade while building a thriving philanthropic and nonprofit sector, which includes arts and cultural organizations. http://www.fundacionflamboyan.org

The Flamboyan Arts Fund is a partnership between the Flamboyan Foundation, Lin-Manuel Miranda, his family, and the Broadway musical HAMILTON to preserve, amplify, and sustain the arts in Puerto Rico. Launched in 2018 in response to Hurricane Maria’s devastation, the Flamboyan Arts Fund has preserved key artistic entities, invigorated new cultural initiatives, and elevated the voices and work of artisans across the island. Since its creation, the Fund has disbursed more than $15 million to over 100 organizations and 900 artists. The Flamboyan Arts Fund supports all facets of the arts community, including music, theater, visual arts, dance, literature, and youth arts education, to ensure that the arts and culture continue to flourish during Puerto Rico’s rebuilding efforts.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty and empowerment that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and guided by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.