OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS: Two Month Collaborative Residency For West African and Scottish Writers and Poets

The Lagos International Poetry Festival and Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre, are inviting applications to Here and Now 2023 – A Collaborative Residency and Production Programme. This programme is generously supported by The British Council. The writers will spend one month at Moniack Mhor Writers’ Centre, and one month at LOATAD, the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora. During these residencies, participants will connect with local communities and build new audiences. Prior to and between the residencies, these six writers will connect and collaborate online, working towards the production of a digital pamphlet of work around the theme of Here and Now. This cross-genre work will be launched at a hybrid live/online performance event at LIPFest, the Lagos International Poetry Festival.

This residency will include:

• Stipend of £2000 for each writer (£1000 per residency), plus travel, food costs, and accommodation;
• A digital platform and programme to share and collaborate with participating writers;
• Transport to locations of interest in the Scottish Highlands and in Accra;
• Transport to Lagos International Poetry Festival, accommodation and subsistence costs;
• Time and space to develop work and expand creative practice;
• Development of a digital anthology of work.

Eligibility

The 2023 Here and Now Residency Programme is open to Scottish and West African established/mid-career writers. Applicants must have published at least one major work in poetry, non-fiction, playwriting, or songwriting: this could be a novel, a short story collection, a poetry pamphlet, an album, or a professionally staged production of work. 

For the purpose of this residency:

• Scottish is defined as writers who are living in Scotland, or writers of Scottish origin who are now living elsewhere.
• West African is defined as writers who are living in West Africa, or writers of West African origin but are now living elsewhere.

Application

Please apply by sending one document including: 

• A CV demonstrating your professional eligibility (maximum 3 pages) (i.e. writing achievements, publications and/or body of work)
• A covering letter explaining what this residency would mean to you and your work (approx. 500 words) 
• A sample of your work (maximum 2,000 words of prose or 6 poems, doubled-spaced and single-sided; or equivalent for other forms of writing). 

If possible, please send as:

• A Word document, saved as ‘Firstname_Secondname’ 
• Arial, Calibri, or Cambria font, 12pt 
• Double-spaced 
• Single sided 

If required, interviews will be held mid-October by Zoom.  All applicants will be notified of the judges’ decision by 28^th October 2022.

The deadline for application is Friday 12^th August 2022, 5.00pm GMT+1. Applications should be sent by email to: residencies@moniackmhor.org.uk (subject line International Residency 2023).