CALL FOR APPLICATIONS OPEN
DEADLINE: MARCH 21, 2022
The U.S. Embassy in Lithuania is accepting applications from emerging literary talents for the in-person International Writing Program (IWP) Fall Residency. The program will take place at the University of Iowa in Iowa City from approximately August 20 to November 8, 2022. The 2022 session will bring together 35 emerging and mid-career writers from around the world for an immersive twelve-week cultural exchange program. During the program, IWP will implement COVID safety measures based on the latest U.S. national, state, and local guidance.
Please submit your applications to KirvaitieneJ@state.gov by March 21, 2022. The subject line of the email should specify “International Writing Program.” For a complete application, an applicant will need to include the following documents:
- A literary-focused CV.
- A representative writing sample in English or English translation (and original language when applicable). A standard sample will contain 10–15 pages of clearly formatted material.
- Biographical information in an essay format.
For questions about the program, please contact Jūratė Kirvaitienė, Public Programs Specialist at KirvaitieneJ@state.gov .
IWP Fall Residency Program Background and Description:
One of the most prestigious programs of its kind in the United States, the IWP’s Fall Residency furthers participants’ professional development, understanding of creative writing, literature, publishing and U.S. societal values and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration. Program activities will provide international writers with opportunities to engage with the U.S. creative economy and culture. IWP’s host institution, the University of Iowa, is also home to the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In 2008, Iowa City became the first UNESCO City of Literature (http://www.iowacityofliterature.org/) in the United States, the third such city in the world. Two IWP alumni—Orhan Pamuk of Turkey and Mo Yan of China—have received the Nobel Prize in Literature.
IWP Fall Residency Nomination and Selection Process:
The IWP Fall Residency is open to established and emerging writers of fiction, graphic novels, drama, poetry, and screenplays from any country.
Qualifications of Candidate:
- A significant publication record; at least one published book or screenplay/play, or a record of publishing regularly over the previous two years in traditional or online media.
- The working language of the program is English, and visa issuance requires that candidates are proficient speakers of English. Candidates neednotwrite in English; the program provides translation for their creative work as needed.
- Nominees must be comfortable with cross-cultural dynamics, and eager to engage with other writers from diverse cultures.
- Nominees must be adults between the age of 21 and 64 at the time of the program, non-U.S. citizens, who are able to travel to the United States and stay for the full twelve weeks.
- Family members and others are not allowed to accompany the writers during the Fall Residency.
- The IWP welcomes nominees with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in the program.
- If you have any questions about a candidate’s qualifications, please visit theFall Residency’s FAQ websiteor contact Jūratė Kirvaitienė, Public Affairs Assistant of the U.S. Embassy Vilnius at KirvaitieneJ@state.gov
Your application will be reviewed based upon the following criteria:
- quality of writing, the literary merit and artistic maturity of the authored work (it is crucial that the sample’s translation from Lithuanian into English is as faithful to the source text as possible; it should closely render the cultural, semantic, stylistic and aesthetic codes of the original text in the English language text).
- stature, achievement, potential of the writer within the local literary scene.
- recent productivity or signs of continued productivity.
Program dates and/or format may vary and/or incorporate virtual portions depending on the evolution of the current public health situation.
For more information about this program, please visit this page.
