Deadline for submissions is 2.00 pm, Thursday 26 February 2026.
This opportunity for professional development for Welsh writers will take place during Hay Festival (21 May – 31 May) from Friday 22 May to Sunday 31 May 2026. The fully programmed 10 days will allow selected writers to attend masterclasses, workshops, and to network with Welsh, UK based and international writers, publishers, press and agents.
The activities and networking opportunities curated during the 10 days will primarily focus on adult fiction and non-fiction and will be mainly led through the medium of English but applications from poets, those writing for young adults are also welcomed. We specifically encourage writers working in Welsh, and writers who use both languages to apply. Please note that this programme is not aimed at scriptwriters (stage nor screen). Eligible applicants are Welsh writers (born, schooled, or living in Wales) who show a clear commitment to professional development and able to cite evidence of publication.
Participants may be writers in the early phases of their writing career who are looking to start building a professional pathway for themselves, or mid-career writers who might be facing difficulties with their next publication and need support to reach their career goals. Hay Festival also invites applications from more established writers who feel they have achieved all they can in one genre or language, but who face barriers in attaining a desired step change. The assessment panel is particularly interested in hearing how applicants believe their work contributes to Wales’ contemporary literary landscape and how the programme will support them at this precise moment of their careers.
There is no age limit, beyond the minimum age of 18, and there are 10 places available.
The unique gathering of the literature and publishing industry that takes place at Hay Festival will enable the selected writers to increase confidence, skills, and to form peer group support to support their writing development and career, leaving the programme inspired to create new work and achieve their personal ambitions.
Writers at Work is free to attend. A Writers at Work Bursary will cover accommodation, travel from within Wales or the UK and subsistence on site. The Festival site is fully accessible for wheelchair users and performance venues are fitted with induction loops. Guide dogs are permitted. All accommodation will be booked by Hay Festival, but participants must make their own travel arrangements; costs for travel will be reimbursed.