Deadline: 18 August 2019
Open to: poets working in English from outside Ireland
Benefits: successful fellow would receive a monthly stipend of EUR 2000, totalling  EUR 6,000 and self-catering accommodation

Description

The Munster Literature Centre is pleased to announce an initiative aimed at benefiting poets: The John Montague International Poetry Fellowship. The fellowship is made possible through the very generous sponsorship of University College Cork. The fellowship acknowledges the special place of poetry in the cultural history and contemporary practice of Cork City. The Munster Literature Centre hosts the largest annual poetry festival in Ireland.

The fellowship requires the poet to reside in Cork for twelve weeks and find time to work on their own writing. The poetry fellow would arrive in late January and depart late April. The fellow would contribute a public reading and a four-morning poetry masterclass to the Cork International Poetry Festival. During their twelve week stay they would provide a 5-credit workshop with the creative writing department of University College Cork. Their mentoring duties would consist of devoting two hours each, per week, to two Cork poets over eight weeks (32 hours total). They will be welcomed into the literary and social life of the city where they will have the opportunity to network with resident established writers. They would present a farewell public reading at the Boole Library of University College Cork.

Eligibility

The recipient would be a poet from outside Ireland of international standing.

Fellowship applications are invited from poets working in English from outside Ireland.

The Poetry Fellow must have at least two full-length collections of poetry published. The successful candidate will be a poet respected by peers and preferably has experience in the coaching or teaching of other writers either through workshops and/or mentoring, inside or outside a formal academic setting.

Benefits

The successful fellow would benefit from the prestige of receiving a highly competitive international literary award which will not only allow the candidate to spend time concentrating on their own work but also to acquire experience in literary mentoring and the teaching of writing in an academic context. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to be inspired by living in one of Europe’s oldest cities, with a well-developed cultural infrastructure and a thriving literary community. The successful fellow would receive a monthly stipend of EUR 2000, totalling  EUR 6,000 and self-catering accommodation. The costs of travel to and from Cork would also be covered

How to apply?

Applicants should submit a single Word document divided into the following subheadings:
1) a letter outlining where you are currently with your writing and how you hope to benefit from a mentorship (maximum 500 words)
2) your literary resume (listing your publications/workshops attended/prizes/public readings etc.)
3) sample/samples of your own writing not exceeding five poems in total

For more information, and to apply please visit this website.