Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature offers a free one month residency for a writer from another UNESCO City of Literature in September 2022. Writers of all ages, genders, nationalities and languages can apply as long as the affiliation with a UNESCO City of Literature is strong.
Writers from or with strong ties to any of the 41 other UNESCO Cities of Literature can apply. The applicant must have published at least one work of fiction (poetry, prose, play or screenwriting).
Travel cost, free lodging in Gröndal‘s House residence flat and a sum of 800 Euros will be covered by the organisers. The residency flat can be found here. The Reykjavík City of Literature staff will help to connect the resident with the local literary community and other relevant parties related to literary work. Presentation of literary works will also be possible, be it by an open event, media presentation or other channels and the guest should be able and willing to take part in the literary life of the city.
There are any restrictions on the nature or content of the work being written during the stay. The organisers ask for a short text about Reykjavík and/or the stay or the author‘s home city‘s ties to Reykjavík or Icelandic literature to be written during the residence. The piece may be translated to Icelandic and used by the Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature, on the programme‘s website, social media channels and/or in a publication dedicated to the residency in the future without further compensation. Applications can be submitted until 1 March. Check out the Open Call criteria here.
Reykjavik was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in August of 2011 – the fifth city in the world to receive this honorary title. It was also the first non-English speaking city to become a City of Literature, which is a permanent title. UNESCO's Cities of Literature are a part of the larger UNESCO Creative Cities Network, of which Reykjavik was the 29th member. Since its induction, the constantly expanding Network has grown extensively.
