An “ageist” advert has caused outrage online with people saying its offensive to anyone over 50.
The flyer, shared by the Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF), promotes an ‘Older Writers’ grant’ – urging anyone interested to apply.
But alongside the writing is a cartoon of an elderly couple, which has not gone down well with social media users.
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The poster shows a man and a woman with grey hair, glasses, wrinkles and a walking stick.
The poster states those eligible for the grant must be “at least 50 years of age”, as reported by Need To Know.
Users on X have slammed the SLF for its depiction of those in the targeted age bracket.
“No one has looked like that at 50 since the 1970s,” one person wrote.
Another said: “Terrible ad perpetuating unhelpful and ageist stereotypes. Who signed this off?”
“This is offensive,” added another.
“I’ll be 54 in a few weeks. Whoever designed that is out of touch,” said author Kristen Painter.
One social media user said it was probably a “graphic made by a 20-year-old intern”.
The poster has even caused some people over 50 to share images of themselves to showcase what they really look like.
“It’s a terrible cartoon so that’s not unfair. It’s a grant for over 50 year old writers and they have come up with two 80 plus white people,” said Julie Owen Moyland, alongside a photo of herself.
“My mum is 78 and doesn’t look like that,” said David Barnett, who also shared a snap of the poster.
Jeanne Veillette Bowerman added: “My mother is 92 and doesn’t look like that!”
The SLF is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting literary quality in speculative fiction.
The advert asks for a cover letter (between 500-1,000 words) and a writing sample of up to 10 pages.
The grant is worth around £800 ($1,000) and the deadline is 31 May 2024.
Jam Press has contacted The Speculative Literature Foundation for comment.
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