Nanjing is offering 6 residencies in 2025 to writers, poets and translators from all UNESCO Cities of Literature.

Nanjing International Writers Residency means to bridge the city’s literary community with its international counterparts. This yearly program was initiated in 2019. To this day, over 30 writers, poets, comic writers and translators from the subnetwork have been hosted by the program.

Nanjing boasts a literary tradition of over 1800 years. The city served as China’s capital for about 400 years across six dynasties. Besides having the cultural legacy built through those dynasties, the city has made an impact in modern Chinese literature, a possible unexplored treasure house for international writers.

This year is particularly poignant for Manchester writers, as we have an ongoing artist exchange, ‘Real Contentment’, with the city. You can read more about it at the end of this post.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 1st June.

 

The residency theme

The theme for 2025 program is “Literary Masters and The City”. Some literary masters, like the great poet Li Bai, and the modern time master of novels and essays Lu Xun, have written great works during their stay in Nanjing. Their spirits continue to inspire people generations after generations in many ways, their legacy is what the city of Nanjing remembers through multiple events every year. With the 2025 program, we would like to invite six writers to deeply experience the life in Nanjing. This may include the literary events, reading clubs, cultural adventures, city walks, random encounters and meetings etc., simply to probe into diversified aspects of Nanjingers’ life today.

We hope that the daily life in Nanjing will become an inspiration for literary creation, and that literature will ultimately light up the brilliant sparks of our lives.

The timeline

Open call for applications: from Thursday 15 May till Sunday 1 June

The final decision will be announced before 15 June

The residency: happens between 15 July and 30 July

 

What Nanjing City of Literature Offer

• 10-15 day in-person residency in Nanjing City of Literature;
• Tours to culture landmarks and literary places in Nanjing;
• A selection of local literary activities;
• Dialogue with Nanjing writers, poets, translators, literary organizations, and students;
• The flight tickets, food, accommodation and local transport will be provided;
• And stipend of 1200 USD for each writer-in-residency.

 

What We Expect

Selected participants are supposed to:

• Be connected to a UNESCO City of Literature (either a resident or one who works or studies in that city, or has other connections with that city as recognised in writing by a UNESCO City of Literature office)
• Have at least three-years experience in writing, or at least one published work ( book in print, all genres acceptable), or have received awards that are recognised by your local literary communities.
• Be willing to interact with Nanjing’s literary communities, emerging and established writers; as well as to partake in local literary activities;
• Write a piece of work in English (no less than 1000 words, or 50 lines for poetry) that is inspired by the residency, or translate Chinese stories, poems or prose into English; (All the virtual writers will retain the copyrights of their works. Please understand the works might be used for promotional purpose by Nanjing Literature Center)
• Be fluent in spoken English, or Chinese;
• Documents for application:
  All applicants must submit:
  • A CV with a passport photo and a life size photo;
  • Extracts from his/her published works;
  • Proof in writing of his/her connection with a City of Literature, when applicable.

Please send all the required materials to the following contact prior to the date mentioned above: Sifan Zhao info@njliterature.org or zhao.sifan@njliterature.org.