Applications open for Norwich City of Literature's Virtual Residency 2020
by Ali Bowden
Director, Edinburgh
City of Literature Trust
22 Oct 2020
The National Centre for Writing, based in Norwich UNESCO City of Literature, is offering three virtual residencies for writers or literary translators from other UNESCO Cities of Literature in February 2021.
During the month-long residency, the virtual writers and translators in residence will be asked to explore connections between Norwich and their own UNESCO City of Literature, as well as working on a range of commissions. A fee of £1,500 will be provided for participation.
Commissions may include:
- Writing (in your own language) or translating (into English) one short story, essay or series of poems (up to 2000 words) that can be shared on the National Centre for Writing's website
- Taking part in an online Meet the World event with the other writers in residence
- Recording one podcast with a writer from Norwich UNESCO City of Literature as part of the NCW Writing Life series of podcasts
- Contributing your top five writing tips to the writing tips section of the NCW blog
- Running a workshop with Lit from the Inside, NCW's youth group exploring the literary arts scene in Norwich and elsewhere
- Writing a walk for the Walking Norwich section of the NCW website, which explores the real and imagined city
- Providing a reading list of recommended books from your UNESCO City of Literature (available in English or in English translation in the UK) for the NCW website, some of which may be promoted as a package by the Book Hive in Norwich
If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your application to residencies@nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk, including the following information:
- Why you are interested in Norwich and this virtual residency opportunity;
- What you will bring to it and what you hope to get out of it;
- Your project for exploring connections between Norwich and your UNESCO City of Literature;
- Your connections with a UNESCO City of Literature;
- Your CV, including publication record.
The deadline for applications is Monday 16th November 2020.
Norwich City of Literature
Norwich was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008, and is a city of astounding literary talent that can be traced back to the 14th century writing of Julian of Norwich. Other talented writers who have called Norwich home include: Thomas Browne, Thomas Paine, Ian McEwan, Kazuo Ishiguro, Emma Healey, Eimear McBride and Sarah Perry.
Norwich is home to the National Centre for Writing, which celebrates and explores the artistic and social power of creative writing and literary translation. As the organisation behind the City of Literature bid, the Centre is in charge of how the accreditation is used and the city’s programmes developed under the UNESCO umbrella.
UNESCO Creative City Network
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The 246 cities which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: to foster international cooperation with and between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.
