The National Centre for Writing and the Lithuanian Cultural Institute are pleased to invite proposals from either an author, or a collaborating author and translator team, to take part in a one-month residency at the National Centre for Writing in Norwich, England.
Authors must have been active in Lithuanian literary scene and had at least one book published in Lithuanian. The residency will run from 1-26 February 2027.
About the residency
The focus of the residency will be on time for the author, or author and translator team, to work on their project in Norwich, England’s first UNESCO City of Literature.
The resident(s) would be asked to write a piece for the World, Meet Norwich section of the NCW website as an opportunity to reflect on the residency. NCW features residents on the NCW Instagram and in their newsletter.
The resident(s) will be invited to attend a monthly networking session at the National Centre for Writing where they can meet local writers and industry professionals and selected translators will also be offered up to two mentoring sessions with an experienced literary translator.
Travel and accommodation
The resident(s) will be offered free accommodation in the Dragon Hall cottage from Monday 1st February to Friday 26th February 2027.
The cottage is part of the Dragon Hall campus, home to the National Centre for Writing. Downstairs it has a sitting room, study, kitchen and bathroom. Upstairs there are two bedrooms. Please note that the stairs up to the two bedrooms are rather steep, in typical Norwich style. Please outline any access needs in your application so we can discuss any necessary adjustments. Outside the cottage there is a small terrace leading to the Dragon Hall garden.
Each resident will be offered one roundtrip economy-class flight ticket, reimbursed local travel costs and paid a stipend of £350 per week (£1400 total) towards living expenses. Fees will be offered for any agreed additional public engagements.
The resident(s) should take out their own travel and health insurance for the period of their journey and stay and are responsible for organising their own visa, if required.
Criteria
Applicants for the author residency:
- Authors must have been active in Lithuanian literary scene and had at least one book published in Lithuanian. The book may have been published in any territory, but for the purposes of this residency, self-published books will not be considered. If applying for the joint author/translator residency, the book does not need to have been translated by the person with whom you will share the residency
- Authors must demonstrate strong motivation and outline why they would both benefit from this residency at this particular time
- Applicants must be available for the entire duration of the residency
Applicants for the collaborating author and translator residency:
- Collaborative author and translator teams must submit a joint application
- Authors must have been active in Lithuanian literary scene and had at least one book published in Lithuanian. The book may have been published in any territory, but for the purposes of this residency, self-published books will not be considered. If applying for the joint author/translator residency, the book does not need to have been translated by the person with whom you will share the residency
- Translators should have at least one book of translation published in any genre in English translation
- Author and translator teams do not need to have been commissioned to publish a book together, but if they do, this will be considered an advantage. Nevertheless, all applicants should outline a creative translation project that they would like to develop collaboratively as part of the residency
- Each applicant must be available for the entire duration of the residency
How to apply
If you are interested in this opportunity, please send a proposal document to residencies@nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk with the subject title Lithuanian Cultural Institute residency.
Please include in the application:
- CVs and short biographical statement for each applicant
- An outline of the collaborative project, if applying as an author/translator team
- Outline why you would both benefit from this residency at this particular time
- Information about any interest from publishers in your project.
The deadline for applications is Monday 19th October 2026. We aim to notify the successful applicant by the 10th November 2026.
About the Lithuanian Cultural Institute:
The Lithuanian Culture Institute is a budgetary institution established by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, which is consistently strengthening the role of Lithuanian culture in the world. The Institute purposefully presents Lithuanian culture and professional art abroad and enhances the opportunities on the international scene for cultural professionals and artists, as well as for specialists and organisations working in these fields.
About the National Centre for Writing:
National Centre for Writing (NCW) is a contemporary literature house in the heart of England’s first UNESCO City of Literature, committed to the transformative power of stories for personal, social and community development. NCW is a writing and development agency with a local, national and international footprint, offering year-round opportunities to connect, learn and be inspired through innovative collaborations, events, festivals, residencies and activities for writers, literary translators and readers. NCW’s work expands into communities across Norwich and Norfolk, with children, young people, families and older people, encouraging them to use writing and creative ideas to tell their stories of the past and create their futures.
