About the programme

English PEN's residency programme is an extension of our long-standing work with writers around the world, through our campaigns, translation, and public event programmes. The primary aim is to support international writers by providing them with the time, space, and funds to relax and work on their own projects.

We work with a range of organisations to create a bespoke package designed to address the needs of the writer concerned; whilst some writers may benefit from being embedded in an active network, others may prefer private and safe time to write and relax. Previous residents have benefited from the involvement of arts organisations including Arvon, academic institutions including the London College of Communication and London School of Economics, and the media.

" It was not an easy decision for me to leave my children. But I was feeling exhausted, empty, and unable to cope with many things. I was sick and tired of living in violence, of being full of bad news, war, death, threats, humiliation… Here, I am focusing on my English classes and meeting with many organisations which work to support freedom of speech, journalism and human rights."

Nurcan Baysal, Kurdish writer and human rights defender

The programme is not currently open for applications.