Our sister UNESCO City of Literature, Tartu, is the second largest town of Estonia, but is widely considered its intellectual capital – vitally significant in developing the educational system, culture, science and literature in the Estonian language.

In 2015 Tartu was designated UNESCO City of Literature which has further enhanced the vibrant literary scene. Tartu City of Literature residency program aims to increase international exchange and communication, contribute to the mobility of writers and translators, offer a creative and inspiring environment, and provide writers an opportunity to introduce their work to the Estonian readers. The programme is open to all writers and translators (translating from Estonian to other languages) from across the world, who meet the criteria described below. The residency program is coordinated by the Estonian Literary Society in cooperation with the Tartu Department of the Estonian Writers Union and in partnership with various other literary institutions.

This residency period is 2 months – April-May 2023. One applicant will be selected.

The deadline for applications is February 15th. The results will be announced by March 2nd the latest.

 

What the residency offers:

• 2-month stay at a small apartment in Supilinn (Soup Town), an old wooden house district close to the city centre. This one room apartment has all necessary amenities, fast Wi-Fi, shower and a small kitchen. For more details about the apartment click HERE.
• A scholarship of 600 euros per month
• Compensation of travel costs to and from Tartu up to 350 euros
• An opportunity to get engaged in the cultural scene of Tartu and to perform at different events, including Tartu International Literary Festival Prima Vista taking place May 8th-13th 2023.
• A contact person who is responsible for making arrangements for performances, meetings and tours and helps to engage in the local literary life

 

Required documents to be sent to the address eks@kirjandus.ee

Please use “Tartu residency spring 2023 application” as the subject line.

• Application form AVAILABLE HERE for downloading
• Fragment (up to 5 pages) of a published text (in Estonian or English) or a fragment of a published translation (from Estonian into another language)

 

Criteria

• Upper intermediate level of spoken English or Estonian.
• At least one published book (fiction or non-fiction), screenplay, theatre script, or translation from Estonian into another language by the applicant.
• Interest in Estonian culture and literature.
• Readiness to participate in the local literary life, including events, meetings, interviews, festivals.
• Literary work during the residency.
• The candidate cannot be residing in Estonia while applying for the residency.

 

If you’re wondering what international residencies are like, we have a piece about international residencies from David Hartley, a Manchester currently involved in a long term residency with Tartu.