Writing Residency: The Bernheim Forest Writing Residency

The Baltic Writing Residency offers The Bernheim Forest Writing Residency in collaboration with Sarabande Books and Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest. Thus each year two writers will be chosen:  one by Sarabande (unsolicited / outside of a competition context), and one by the Baltic - chosen through this contest. Thus, all information below refers only to the Baltic's process of selecting a Bernheim Writer-in-Residence, as again, Sarabande will not be taking applications or queries for its arm of the collaboration.

The Bernheim Forest Writing Residency is located in a beautiful, 14,000 acre forest and nature preserve located near Louisville, KY. The writer receives a $500 honorarium, and resides, for at least 4 weeks, and up to 12 weeks, in a furnished cabin, on the grounds of Bernheim offering all of the modern domestic necessities. The period of the residency is dependent, in part, on Bernheim's overall schedule of visiting artists and writers, but will begin no earlier than late summer 2013. In turn, the writer has an immense amount of say as to when they occupy the residency, having the ability to delay beginning the residency for up to a year of being awarded the residency.

The goal in all of Bernheim's activities is to help realize its mission of connecting the people with nature. To that end, Bernheim staff will be available to meet with writers to share their area of expertise and to provide insight and knowledge about the forest and arboretum. Access to a car, for local travel, as needed, is provided. The only requirement of the writer, other than residing at Bernheim for the 4- to 12-week period of the residency, is that they take part in one to two readings arranged by the BWR and Bernheim, during their stay.

Applications must be made only by those living outside of Kentucky, and by those writing in English (translations are not admissible). Applications are read by an anonymous committee of judges composed of one member of the English Department of Harvard University, one poet of recognized standing, and one fiction writer of recognized standing.

The application fee is $16.00.

For the Bernheim Writer in Residence all of the below should be included in a Single WORD or PDF document submitted through Submittable (https://balticwritingresidency.submittable.com/submit), with a soft deadline of August 1st, 2013 (which may be extended).
* A 200 - 300 word statement of purpose that discusses how the writers work has OR, once at Bernheim, will reflect (on) the natural world, keeping in mind that neither this statement of purpose, nor the writer's work need be traditional or conventional in its relationship to the natural world, but may be experimental,
conceptual, unconventional, etc., indeed we encourage the widest array possible of relations to the natural world.
* 10 pages of poetry or 20 pages of fiction or CNF
* A CV, including a publication list, and your full contact information.
* Contact Information for two references.

Do not include any additional material (cover letter, reference letters, books,
etc.). You can email:

balticresidencyATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

with any questions you might have.