Leone Ross has joined the residency team. Leone is a master at writing sex and sensuality and she will pass on her wisdom to the residency winners.
Leone Ross is a three-time novelist, short story writer and editor. Her fiction has been nominated for the Women’s Prize, the Goldsmiths award, the RSL Ondaatje award, and the Edge Hill Prize, among others. In 2022, she won the Manchester Prize for Fiction for a single short story. The Guardian has praised her ‘searing empathy’ and the Times Literary Supplement called her ‘a pointilliste, a master of detail…’ Ross has taught creative writing for 30+ years. She has been a judge in the short story category for the Bridport Prize, Mslexia magazine and the VS Pritchett Award.
Her third novel, This One Sky Day aka Popisho was published in 2021 [Faber & Faber]. She is the editor of Glimpse: A Black British Anthology of Speculative Fiction, published in 2022 [Peepal Tree Press]. Ross is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
More information on the residency is coming soon with a little more found here.
This residency will take place near Glengariff, West Cork, from Monday 25th January 2027 until Saturday 30th January 2027. The opportunity is for emerging writers of fiction and non-fiction aged 21 and over living in Ireland and the UK.
There are three places in West Cork (two available in the cottage and one in the detached out building).
*Before applying please read the detailed description of the property in West Cork below*
ALL APPLICANTS
There is a £20 fee which entitles all applicants to three professional development sessions.
A 40 min zoom on resilience with Kit de Waal and Paul McVeigh.
Writers’ and Artists’ session on ROUTES TO PUBLICATION. In this session James Rennoldson and Finn Brown, members of the team behind http://www.writersandartists.co.uk, will discuss the different routes to publication, spanning self-publishing, indie publishing and traditional publishing.
A 30 min zoom on reading your work live with actor Tony Flynn.
All applicants will also get 30% discount on a copy of Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook.
THE RESIDENCY WINNERS
Pre Care:
The three writers will have an online session author, Sarah Butler, to discuss how to make the most of the residency.
Travel to and from Residency:
Standard class travel provided.
WELCOME:
Anna Burtt and Paul McVeigh will greet the three winners to settle them into their accommodation and answer any questions. There will be a welcome dinner and drinks.
ON RESIDENCY:
During the residency the winners will get one-hour group zoom sessions with Claire Adam, Wendy Erskine, Lisa Harding and Danielle McLaughlin.
The winners will be taken on a trip to the beautiful harbour town of Bantry to visit Bantry Bookshop where they will get one-on-one reading recommendations, receive €50 book tokens to spend in-shop and a special gift from the shop.
FOOD: Breakfast and lunch is provided family style. On the first night dinner will be provided for you, the other nights the winners will cook for each other.
Meal ingredients, basic coffee/tea/milk provided.
*Alcohol, food outside of meals, special food items must be covered by the individual*
AFTERCARE:
1. Author Ferdia Lennon will talk to the winners about his experience with finding an agent, a publisher and sending how his debut novel became a phenomenon.
2. Anna Burtt will give each writer a half-hour publishing consultancy by zoom.
3. All three residency winners will also receive a copy of the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook.
4. The winners will get membership for Writing.ie – a platform for the writing community filled with advice and resources.
Entry Eligibility & How to apply
1. Apply attaching a 1000 word extract of your prose – fiction and non-fiction accepted – a short bio outlining your publication history, and proof of payment.
*We are not looking for poetry at this time, thank you.
2. You must be available on the full dates of the residency – no changes possible.
3. Applicants must be 21 or over at time of residency.
4. Please put in your subject heading UK, or Ireland (if on the island of Ireland).
5. You can have had some short works published but not a solo book. (Poetry pamphlet/collections and self-published excepted)
6. Deadline: 30th September 2026. Shortlist announced October 30th. Winners announced November 30th.
7. Judges are Paul McVeigh and three previous residency winners Patrick Holloway, Teneya Steed and Hilary A. White.
8. Anyone currently resident in Ireland/UK can apply regardless of nationality. Anyone from Ireland/UK living abroad can apply but they are responsible for their own travel to/from Ireland/UK from where we will cover travel to the residency.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The two bedrooms in the cottage are in its converted attic. Three important things to consider; firstly, the short staircase to the attic is very sturdy butsteep. Bring socks and/or slippers with good grip.
Secondly, the bedrooms are adjoining so be aware if you have privacy concerns.
Thirdly, there is only one toilet/shower for you both to share and it is downstairs.
If the stairs are off-putting, the ground floor has a daybed that extends into a double. The out building is single floored but there is a grass incline to access it.
You are in the countryside in the middle of national park with beautiful scenery, outdoor swimming and walks. The nearest village is Glengariff, a 10-15 min drive, and not walkable. I will be staying nearby and will have a car for excursions etc.
Refunds cannot be given. Please be sure before applying.
Word Factory is open for applications to the Word Factory Apprentice Award 2021 in partnership with the Northern Writers’ Awards and the Society of Authors. Applicants must be over 18, of any nationality or descent but permanently resident in England, serious about developing their short story writing and passionate about working with the Word Factory team.
The judges will select two award winners, one of whom must be based in the north. We are delighted that this year our mentors are Toby Litt and Catherine Menon. The award will be judged by co-founders Cathy Galvin and Paul McVeigh, joined this year by writer Leone Ross and New Writing North’s Will Mackie.
This is your opportunity to join the distinguished Word Factory Apprentice Award alumnae. Previous winners of our mentoring award have achieved industry recognition – including publication with independent and mainstream publishers such as Salt and Faber and awards and shortlistings including the Guardian BAME prize, Bath Flash Fiction Prize, Wasafiri and McKitterick Prize.
Apprentice Award winners will:
* Have one-on-one mentorship over a six to nine month period with a leading author + a bursary.
* Be invited to read with their mentor at a Word Factory event, online or at a venue to be decided.
* Be offered additional support from Word Factory director Cathy Galvin.
* Have free admission to our salons and a selection of masterclasses. Our northern winner will benefit from writer-development activities offered by our partner, New Writing North.
* Receive free membership to the writer’s union, the Society of Authors.
* Be promoted by us on our website and on social media.
In exchange, we expect dedication to the craft and ethos of the Word Factory. We are looking for writers who will contribute their time in helping us run and promote events, work with us online and offer their skills to the team.
How To Apply:
Please apply if you are working seriously on your writing and would benefit from our scheme at this stage of your career. You may have already had stories published or be at the stage of thinking about sending work out for publication. We will be looking for dedication and understanding of the art and craft of the form and for individuals willing to work within our team. Please Note: the scheme is not suitable for anyone with novels or collections already published or under contract (writers of self-published and non-fiction books may apply).
Writers living in the North of England, should apply via the Northern Writers’ Award and do not need to use this Eventbrite portal. If you live in the north, go direct to http://www.northernwritersawards.com where you will find the entry portal for the Word Factory Northern Apprentice Award. The northern application process deadline is February 18th 2021.
Everyone else living in England should apply here:
* Use this Eventbrite page to buy your ticket. The £10 fee covers administration and goes towards supporting our not-for-profit work.
* After you have purchased your ticket, you will receive an email confirmation with an order number. Keep that number safe.
* Prepare your application: we need you to send us two things: a 400 word letter explaining how you will benefit from the award and how you will contribute to our work as a team. You will also need to enclose a sample of your work – a story or extract from a story no longer than 2000 words long.
* Send your letter and your work to us at wfaward@thewordfactory.tvwith your Eventbrite ticket order number in the subject header and body of the email. Please also tell us where you live and it’s useful to know how you like to identify yourself. We are keen to support marginalised writers.
* Please note: it is a requirement of entry that the Eventbrite ticket order number is included in your application.
* Applications OPEN: November 26th 2020.
* Applications (other than the north) CLOSE: February 28th 2021
* Winners are announced in June 2021 via the Word Factory and the Northern Writers’ Awards.
Due to the high numbers of applications expected, we will not be contacting you if your application has been unsuccessful.
If you can’t afford the £10 fee, write in confidence to us at wfaward@thewordfactory.tv and we may be able to offer you a free application or concession.
Paul McVeigh 