This opportunity for professional development for Welsh writers will take place during Hay Festival (24 May-4 June) from Saturday 27 May to Saturday 3 June 2023 (arrive Friday 26, leave Sunday 4th). The fully programmed week, curated and led by writer Tiffany Murray, will allow selected writers to attend masterclasses, workshops, and to network with Wales-based, UK and international writers, publishers, press and agents.
Hay Festival invites applications from poets, fiction (all genres) and non-fiction writers in English and Welsh. Eligible applicants are Welsh writers (born, schooled, or currently living in Wales) who show a clear commitment to professional development citing evidence of publication, no matter how small, in print or online. Participants could be writers who may be starting out on their writing careers, or mid-career writers who need support to reach the next level 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, leaving the programme inspired to create new work and achieve their personal ambitions. We also expect new networks to be created that can aid Welsh writers in navigating the changing ways the publishing industry works in a digital age. The Writers at Work project has proven to actively support, develop and nurture new writing talent in Wales.
Writers at Work will be free to attend for the selected 10 writers. A Writers at Work Bursary will cover accommodation, travel from within Wales 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.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
The aim of the week is to broaden creativity, output, peer group support and literature and publishing contacts. Selected writers must reside at Hay-on-Wye from Friday 26 May (arrive in the afternoon) for workshops to begin on Saturday 27 May, until Sunday 4 June 2023 (workshops will end on Saturday 3 June). You must be able to fully commit to attending the whole programme to apply. Most workshops begin at 10.00 am each day. Each writer will be expected to complete a full and detailed evaluation of the week and to write for Hay Festival’s blog during the Festival week.
After reading the FAQs, if you have any questions or require additional information, please contact: writers@hayfestival.org