PEN Català, in collaboration with Barcelona City of Literature, and with the support of the program Culture Moves Europe, issues a call for applications for 3 international literary residencies in 2024 within the framework of UNESCO Cities of Literature.

The second edition of the call is aimed to promote the mobility of Ukrainian writers, refugee writers in Europe, and European writers in minority languages.

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What is included?

The residency includes housing, travel expenses, and 550 euros allowance.

Who is eligible?

Ukraine writers, refugee writers in Europe and European writers in minority lenguages.

Requirements

●        Proof of two previous literary publications (self-publishing excluded), or two productions in the case of playwrights.

●        Sufficient knowledge of  English.

●        Willingness to participate in cultural activities and exchanges with local authors in the city of Barcelona.

It will be taken into consideration

●        Membership at a PEN centre, previous participation in the Writers in Refuge programme in one of the ICORN cities, or a connection to one of these two networks and proof of such.

●        The literary and linguistic quality of the presented project will be evaluated, as well as its treatment of contemporary issues.

●        The author’s interest in the city of Barcelona and Catalan culture and language will be evaluated.

Duration

The duration of the residency is 22 days, taking place from June 17 to July 9, 2024.

Residence

The residency will be located at MUHBA Vil·la Joana, an emblematic building surrounded by vegetation in the Collserola hills, and which includes a museum and the literary residence. The residence, distanced from the city, and thus without nearby stores or supermarkets, is well-connected to the Barcelona city centre by train (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, Baixador de Vallvidrera stop). The path from the residence to the train station (10 minutes by foot) contains stairs and is thus not accessible for people with reduced mobility.

Each writer will have an individual room with bathroom and desk for working, as well as a balcony with views of the Collserola hills. There is also a common space with a fully equipped kitchen where the writers can prepare their meals. During the residency, the selected writers will live there at the same time.

During the residency, activities will be organized in the city of Barcelona with the participation of resident writers who will contribute to cultural interaction and exchange.

The writers will be in contact with a person from PEN Català who will welcome them the first day and check in with them during their stay but will not live with them at the residence. Therefore, the writers must be autonomous when it comes to planning and managing their stay, as well as buying and cooking their own meals.

Documentation needed to apply

●        Letter of motivation

●        CV

●       Proof of legal residence in one of the Europe Creative countries (Id, Passport, bills, …)

●        List of published works

●        Presentation of the literary project to be worked on during the stay. The submission will include a title, a description (1-2 pages) and a writing sample (3-5 pages).

Deadline for submitting applications

April 18, 2024

Download the basis here.

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