Last year, applications from writers of minoritized identities working in any genre based in the UK or Ireland, e.g. those who identify as working class, writers of colour, disabled, and/or as LGBTQIA2S+ were sought for the inaugural Write Within Residency. On 18 October 2024, poet and author Elspeth Wilson was announced as the first resident who was hosted in the Writers’ Cabin near Machynlleth, mid-Wales for a week in February 2025.

The panel, consisting of Ayisha de Lanerolle of the Conversation Agency, Si Griffiths, a poet currently taking part in Literature Wales’ Representing Wales initiative and Julia Forster who runs Write Within, assessed 50 entries from writers across the UK and Ireland.

Julia says “As a panel, we were struck by the number and range of applications and the palpable need for a self-directed Residency – especially one such as this, where no output will be asked of the writer. There isn’t an obligation for the successful applicant to write a commission, to deliver any public-facing events, or to report on their progress at the end of their week-long Residency. In fact, we encourage the opposite – that the writer uses their time to enjoy the tranquillity of the cabin to write, read, research and dream. It will be a pleasure to host Elspeth next year.”

About Elspeth Wilson: Elspeth is a writer and poet who is interested in exploring the limitations and possibilities of the body through writing, as well as writing about joy and happiness from a marginalised perspective. Her nature writing has been shortlisted for Canongate’s Nan Shepherd Prize and Penguin’s Write Now scheme and she has contributed to Guardian Country Diary. Her debut poetry pamphlet, Too Hot to Sleep, is published by Written Off Publishing and was shortlisted for the Saltire Society’s 2023 Poetry Book of the Year Award. Her debut novel, These Mortal Bodies, is forthcoming with Simon and Schuster in 2025. She can usually be found in or near the sea or spending time with her small rescue dog.

Elspeth will be hosted at the Writers’ Cabin, a self-catering sanctuary in which writers across all disciplines are welcomed to delve into their works-in-progress in peace within the contemplative atmosphere of the Dyfi biosphere.

The 2024 Residency was funded by Write Within. In order to run the programme again in future years, Julia Forster will be putting a proposal together for funders this autumn. Anyone interested in supporting the Residency to run again with financial or in-kind support is encouraged to contact Julia here.

More about the Write Within Residency

The Write Within Residency is for seven nights at the Writers’ Cabin, situated just outside Machynlleth in mid-Wales, with a stipend of £100 paid to the author to help with the cost of travel and sustenance. The first resident, Elspeth Wilson, will be hosted from Monday 10 – Monday 17 February 2025 inclusive. The Write Within Residency is specifically for writers of minoritized identity working in any genre based in the UK or Ireland, e.g. those who identify as working class, writers of colour, disabled, and/or as LGBTQIA2S+.

We funded the inaugural Write Within Residency with contributions from customers who have paid it forward when purchasing coaching or stays at the Cabin during the previous 12-month period and the shortfall was covered by Write Within. Joined by a small and independent selection panel – Ayisha de Lanerolle and Si Griffiths – we assess applications on the basis of an Artist Statement in the form of either a one-page letter or a two-minute video.

Key dates

What is included

Accommodation for seven nights (10 – 17 February 2025 inclusive) in our secluded Writers’ Cabin, three miles from the market town of Machynlleth, mid-Wales. 

The Cabin has one double bed with bed linen and towels provided, a fully equipped kitchen/diner and a writing desk. You will have heating, electricity, and a separate private toilet and shower room – you can find full details of the amenities on this page and you can download our access document here. A travel grant of £100 will be transferred to you on acceptance of your residency to contribute towards your expenses. 

The Write Within Residency is self-catered and you will need to bring your own food and writing materials (e.g. laptop). There is a small library of books on writing craft which you are welcome to read during your stay. The residency is self-directed and we will leave you in peace to work on your project during your stay, though we are on site if you have any questions or needs.   

If you arrive by public transport, we will either collect you and take you back to the nearest station (Machynlleth) three miles away, or we will arrange for a taxi to do so. 

We have partnered with the literary agent at Greyhound Literary Philip Gwyn Jones to offer an optional online hour-long 1:1 with him as part of this package, should you be at a point where some industry insight would be beneficial.

Philip Gwyn Jones turned agent in 2023 after 33 years as a publisher, leading and founding imprints large and small (Picador, Scribe UK, Granta, Portobello, Flamingo), always with a particular love for nurturing debut writers. Among the first books he commissioned were those from Melissa Broder, Anna Burns, Anthony Doerr, Julian Gough, Naomi Klein, Jhumpa Lahiri, Ben Marcus, Gavin McCrea, Magnus Mills, Azadeh Moaveni, Patrick Ness, and Arundhati Roy. Now, as an agent, he is looking for their equals in originality, reach and skill.

Who can apply

If you are a writer based in the UK or Ireland over the age of 18 who identifies as working class, a writer of colour, disabled and/or as LGBTQIA2S+ and you are currently working on a written work-in-progress in any genre, then we welcome your application. You can be at any stage of your project and career. The Write Within Residency is designed for writers who are seeking some solo reflection time away from their everyday commitments to undertake self-led work. Please note that due to the surrounding terrain our cabin and shower block are not wheelchair accessible; our access document is available for download here and available in plain text, large print formats or upon a coloured background upon request.

How to apply

Please read about the Cabin on this page first and familiarise yourself with the access document here to ensure the environment will be amenable and comfortable for you to write in. You will then need to write a one-page Artist Statement or make a two-minute film then submit it with the form by clicking on the Apply Now button further down the page. Applications for the 2024 Write Within Residency were open between 24 May and 2 September 2024 and we will announce the outcome on 18 October 2024.

What is an Artist Statement?

Inspired by Liz Lerman and adapted with permission from Felicia Rose Chavez’s book The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop, an Artist Statement speaks to the impulse behind your work and how the Write Within Residency will support your creative practice. If you would like to apply, you can either upload a single-spaced, one page letter or a two-minute video in which you are invited to:

·  Summarize your work-in-progress in one short paragraph

·  Outline which aspects of your current project pose the greatest challenges for you

·  Explain what success has so far resulted from your project

·  Describe what your vision is for the future of your project

·  Explain how the Write Within Residency would support your aspirations for your work-in-progress

Who Assessed the Applications?

Si Griffiths is a poet, writer and community organiser living in Machynlleth. Raised in Walsall, and from a working-class background, his poems, essays and short stories have appeared in Spelt, Lumpen, Sarai Reader, Unthology, Permaculture Magazine, Flesh: Bodies and Technology, Clean Slate and Sparks. His poem ‘Sycamore Lungs’ came third in Wildfire Words, 2022 Every Breath competition, judged by Ben Ray. His pamphlet, Debone and Fold, forthcoming with Broken Spine Press, draws on his years working as a chef to focus upon the catering industry and explore our complex relationships with what we eat and those who produce and serve it. He’s recently been awarded a place on Literature Wales’ flagship professional development programme for under-represented writers, Representing Wales 2024-2025, and is really pleased to have the opportunity to pass such support on through Write Within’s Residency.

Ayisha de Lanerolle is a practical philosopher who runs The Conversation Agency to build bridges between people, places and communities. The roots of her practice lie in hospitality and hosting of conversations – in galleries, museums, around the dinner table, at events and anywhere that re-thinking, re-imagining and storytelling can take place.

During the pandemic Ayisha worked with cultural institutions such as Royal Museums Greenwich, Pitt Rivers Museum and Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum to look within, creating a pause for reflection on how their collections connect us to issues of decolonisation and social justice. Ayisha is currently exploring the relationship between story and narrative on a year-long programme Building Our Narrative Power with PIRC. Ayisha’s published work includes a co-authored chapter on collaboration and co-creation in galleries  Visitor-Centered Exhibitions and Edu-Curation in Art Museums (Villeneuve and Rowson Love 2017), and as a contributor to the Arts Admin blog, Make Space.

Julia Forster runs Write Within. She is a published author and poet who is passionate about writer development. As a young writer, she enjoyed subsidised residencies in Tarazona, Spain, and Manhattan, USA, and she wanted to replicate in Wales what she enjoyed about those residencies for the writing community. She has worked in publishing for 25 years and currently co-directs Being A Writer for The Literary Consultancy, works as a freelance book PR for independent presses and as a coach specialising in working with authors. 

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