Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies 2026-7
Who we’re looking for
The Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies are a fully funded, self-directed development opportunity for 12 emerging writers. Residents must be working on a project across one of four disciplines: fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry and playwriting.
Writers must be aged 18+ and based in the UK. If you could not attend an Arvon course without some financial help, or are from a background underrepresented in mainstream publishing, then we especially encourage you to apply.
To be eligible for the Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies you must be an emerging writer, by which we mean you can be unpublished, or have published one full–length work of fiction or non-fiction, collection of poetry, or have had one full-length work professionally produced for film, TV or the stage. Writers who have published more than one full–length work are not eligible to apply.
We are looking for writers who are working on a full-length project with the aim of completing it during the period of the Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies.
Please see Eligibility Section for more details.
What’s included in the scheme
Each Jerwood Arvon Writer Residency is fully funded and consists of:
- Two Residential Writing Courses chosen from Arvon’s public programme, including a contribution to travel costs to and from our writing houses
- One Online Writing Week or one Online Writing Month chosen from Arvon’s public programme
- Ten online Masterclasses chosen from the public programme
- Six 1-to-1 tutorials with a writing mentor in your chosen discipline
- Free access to Arvon’s extensive online resource of over 400 writing tips and exercises from tutors
- Opportunities to meet with and learn from leading industry professionals
- Peer networking both within and across disciplines
Residencies will run from early 2026 to mid-2027, culminating in an online showcase event to which literary agents, publishers and other industry professionals will be invited.
Mentors
Fiction
Award-nominated author of Hold and Grow Where They Fall, and a Guardian reviewer with experience judging major literary prizes.
Non-Fiction
Multi-award-winning author, journalist, and broadcaster whose acclaimed works include Homelands and Expecting.
Poetry
Prize-winning bilingual poet whose collections Ballad of a Happy Immigrant and Southernmost: Sonnets have earned major acclaim.
Playwriting
Internationally produced playwright and screenwriter, author of celebrated stage and radio works.
Timeline
- Applications are now closed
- We received an unprecedented number of applications which far exceeded our expectations.
- Our team has been working hard to review the applications, but due to the number received it is taking longer than anticipated.
- We will be in touch again once we have an exact timescale for the completion of the selection process and the start of the programme. It is likely the start of the programme will be slightly delayed, but the residencies will still run for 18 months, and we will work with the successful applicants to make any adjustments as needed.
- We understand it is difficult waiting to hear back from an application, but we are working as hard as we can and will be in touch with all applicants with more information as soon as possible – by the end of February at the latest.
Provisional Timeline for the Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies 2026-7
(This timeline is subject to change and will be updated with confirmed dates once selections are complete.)
- Course bookings open to Residency writers from Spring 2026
- Two Residential Writing Courses and one Online Writing Course from Arvon’s public programme to be attended between Spring 2026 and Summer 2027
- 10 Arvon at Home Masterclasses to be attended between Spring 2026 and Summer 2027
- 1-to-1 tutorials will be scheduled to take place throughout the residency duration
- Online industry professionals showcase to be held in Summer 2027
- Online final showcase event to take place in Summer 2027
Eligibility
- The Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies are open to anyone aged 18 or over (as of 20th October 2025).
- Applicants must be UK residents.
- Applicants must not be enrolled in full-time formal education during the mentoring period.
- Applicants can be unpublished or have published up to one full-length work of fiction, non-fiction or a collection of poems, or have had one full-length work professionally produced for film, TV or the stage. This does not include self-published work; work published online; chapbooks and pamphlets; short stories, articles or poems published within an anthology; works produced non-professionally for film, TV or the stage; textbooks or academic texts. Note that this applies across categories – so, for example, if you have a full poetry collection and a novel published, then you are not eligible to apply.
- Applicants may have a publishing contract for a first or second book or be represented by an agent. You must include details of this arrangement in your personal statement.
- The scheme is open to writers of any genre, but you must be working on a project in Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction or Playwriting, and submit work of that genre in your application.
- Past Jerwood Arvon mentees are not eligible to apply again. Staff and Trustees of Arvon are not eligible to apply.
- Applications must be submitted in accordance with the submission guidelines. We reserve the right to disqualify any submissions that do not fully comply.
Please note: Each applicant’s place is fully supported by funding from Jerwood Foundation. Financial support covers each successful applicant’s online and in-person course costs, reasonable travel costs and mentoring throughout the year.
If you have any queries, please email jerwood@arvon.org
How to apply
- To apply please complete the online Application Form below. If the application form is inaccessible to you, please email jerwood@arvon.org
- Upload a sample of the project you want to develop. If this project is not ready to be shared yet, you may upload a sample of a previous similar project, as well as or instead of your current project. Please see our FAQs for more information. Your writing sample may be:
- Up to 5,000 words of Fiction or Creative Non-Fiction;
- Up to 20 pages of script; or
- Up to 10 poems
3. Upload a personal statement which answers the following, within the allowed word limit:
- Tell us about your writing journey so far and why you write (max 500 words)
- Outline the project you’d like to work on during your residency, and tell us about your progress on it so far (max 500 words)
- Tell us about how this opportunity would make a difference to you as a writer (max 500 words)
Please include details of any previous publications, awards and any publishing deals, and please specify if you are currently represented by a literary agent. Please note, we are more interested in finding out where you are now as a writer, the project you want to work on and how this opportunity will help you to complete it.
Do not include your name on your writing sample or personal statement.
See ‘How Applications will be assessed’ section for more guidance about writing your statement.
Please note: we will not keep any unsuccessful applications or writing samples beyond the selection period.
Deadline for applications: Monday 17th November at 5pm.
Applications are now closed for this round of Writer Residencies, we will be in touch to organise the Online Interviews.
How Applications will be assessed
Applications will be anonymised, and all applications will be read and assessed by Arvon staff. A shortlist of applicants will be drawn up for each of the four genres and the final selection will be made by a panel of senior Arvon staff.
Members of the selection panel will conduct online interviews with shortlisted applicants before the Residencies are awarded.
We will assess your writing sample and personal statement. Here are some ideas about what we are looking for:
- Strong writing – or writing that shows promise and the potential for development
- Writers who are working on a full-length project they wish to finish during the programme
- A clear sense of your goals for the programme – why you are applying, how you think you will benefit, what you hope to achieve
- An openness to change – tell us about the role working with a mentor could have on your development as a writer
- A sense of why you write – your motivation, where your inspiration comes from, some inkling of your ‘voice’ and character as a writer
FAQs
I’m not very far into my writing project. What should I submit as a writing sample?
When evaluating applications, we will be looking at the merits of the project you are proposing to work on during the Residency, as well as your abilities as a writer. However, we understand that you may be applying to work on a project that you’ve only just started, or which is currently in the R&D phase. It’s up to you how to balance (across your entire application) showing us how you’d approach this project with showcasing your writing abilities. You are, for example, welcome to submit samples from a previous similar project as well as or instead of writing from this current project, if you feel that would represent you best. Please note the wordcount limits given above.
Can I apply if I’m a screenwriter?
The Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies are not aimed at screenwriting projects. One of the four mentors will be a specialist in writing for the stage, not the screen; and we can’t guarantee there will be more than 1 Arvon residential course dedicated to screenwriting within the programme’s timeframe.
However, if you are a screenwriter with fewer than 2 works professionally produced for film or TV, who is looking to work on a project for the stage or in poetry, fiction or creative non-fiction, you’d be welcome to apply.
Do I need to have taken part in an Arvon course to apply?
Some of our previous programmes have included a requirement that applicants must have attended an Arvon course. However, the Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies has no such requirement. Therefore, as long as you meet the rest of the eligibility criteria outlined on this page, you would be welcome to apply.
I’m collaborating on a writing project with someone else. Can we put in a joint application?
No. We appreciate and value collaboration in writing; however, this particular programme is structured to support twelve individual writers on their writing journeys. You and your collaborative partner/s are very welcome to submit separate applications.
Where can I find out more information about Arvon’s provision for writers with access needs?
Please visit https://www.arvon.org/centres/access-information for general access information. For further questions specific to access, please email access@arvon.org.
I need support to complete the form - what should I do?
Please email jerwood@arvon.org and we would be happy to help.
Can I apply in an alternative format that is accessible to me?
Yes. Please email jerwood@arvon.org to discuss.
Residential courses aren’t accessible to me - can I choose online courses instead?
Absolutely. If you are successful with your application, we will have a conversation about how to make the programme accessible to you.
I am a children’s writer. Can I apply?
You can certainly apply, although it’s worth bearing in mind that, if successful, you would be mentored by a writer who is not a children’s writer; and there are unlikely to be 2 residential and 1 online courses specifically focused on children’s writing for you to attend during the residency period. Therefore, we would ask you to consider whether this Residency is best matched to you and your project, and whether you could demonstrate in your application why you need this particular opportunity to complete your project. If you do feel this is the opportunity you need, you’re welcome to apply.
Can I make more than one application? / Can I apply to work in more than one genre?
Due to the anticipated high volume of applications, we are asking writers to submit only one application to the Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies.
Your project may cross genre boundaries (e.g. a verse novel) and, if successful, you may attend whichever courses you like, but you will be assigned one mentor from the genre you submit in, and your application will be considered against other applications from this genre.
The guidance states I shouldn’t include my name on the application, but also that I should include details of my previous publications/awards/etc. Should I include the titles/names/details of these?
Yes. You will not be disqualified for including potentially identifiable information, and we don’t want you to worry about how to talk about your work ambiguously within the word limit.
If a reader recognises an applicant and feels they cannot judge the application fairly, they will pass it on to another colleague.
We are asking applicants not to include their name on the two documents they upload, but if you do by accident, please don’t worry: you will not be disqualified.
Due to the volume of applications, we are unable to consider amended applications so please ensure that you have read all the guidelines fully before submitting.
I have never been published before. Can I still apply?
Absolutely. There is no minimum level of experience, education or publication required to apply for the Residencies.
Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions
- Arvon’s standard terms and conditions for Residential Courses and Arvon at Home courses apply to writers taking part on the Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies
- Residential Courses and Arvon at Home Courses will be on sale to the public and open to Jerwood Arvon Writer Residency participants on a first come, first served basis.
- Course transfers are not permitted except in exceptional circumstances.
- The two residential courses and one Arvon at Home course must be attended during the period from 1st March 2026 to 4th July 2027.
- Travel expenses will be reimbursed via BACS on submission of receipts and capped at a maximum of £110 (including VAT) per residential course.
- Jerwood Arvon Writer Residency participants must attend an online welcome meeting in February 2026.
- A schedule of 6x online 1-to-1 tutorials will be provided. If you cannot make any of the scheduled tutorials you must let Arvon know in good time so the meeting can be rescheduled, ideally more than 5 working days before the tutorial time. If you inform Arvon that you need to reschedule less than 5 working days before the tutorial time Arvon cannot guarantee the meeting will be rescheduled.
- It is a condition of the Jerwood Arvon Writer Residencies that participants must complete the required evaluation reports – including a baseline report at the beginning of the programme, a mid-point evaluation and a final report.
- Due to the expected volume of applications, we will be unable to provide individualised feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
- Your data is stored in accordance with Arvon’s Privacy Policy