Literary Arts: International Writing Programme (IWP) Fall Residency

International residencies for Singapore writers

International residencies and capability building programmes play a significant role in encouraging cultural exchange between countries. To support Singapore writers’ participation at such platforms, the National Arts Council works with various international partners to offer fully paid residency awards to Singapore writers across Singapore’s four major languages, English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Our partners have included the Lu Xun Academy of Literature (China), the Toji Cultural Foundation (South Korea), the National Centre for Writing (UK), Sangam House (India), and the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program (USA).

Each residency offers unique opportunities for creative development, cultural exchange, and professional networking within established international literary communities. Our partnership with the University of Iowa's International Writing Program offers an intensive 11-week multicultural residency experience:

International Writing Programme (IWP) - Fall residency

NAC is pleased to partner with the University of Iowa’s renowned International Writing Program (IWP), to offer a fully-paid, 11-week residency for up to two Singapore writers in 2026. 

The residency is open to writers who write in any one of Singapore’s official languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The selected candidate will be required to be conversant in English. The final candidate to be selected and funded every year is subject to the merits of the candidates who apply and the competitive assessment criteria as outlined by IWP. 

About the residency

Administered by the University of Iowa, the International Writing Program (IWP) is the oldest and largest multinational writing residency in the world. Since 1967, over 1,600 writers from more than 160 nations have taken part in the Fall Residency. The goal of the IWP is to provide authors a one-of-a-kind inter-cultural opportunity and the time and space to write, read, translate, study, conduct research, travel, give readings, stage work, and become part of the vibrant literary and academic community at the university and in Iowa City, the only American city designated as a UNESCO City of Literature.  Visit the UIOWA website for more details. ↗ (opens in new tab)

Residency duration

Over the course of 11 weeks, aside from working on their own projects, writers will give readings and lectures that share their work and cultures, collaborate with artists from other genres and art forms, and travel and interact with American audiences and literary communities across the United States. 

Browse residency schedules ↗ (opens in new tab)

Residency funding

The 2026 Writer-in-Residence will be awarded full residency support, including a stipend to cover meals and other incidentals, and have their airfare, visa fees, housing, transport and insurance costs covered while they attend the residency. 

How to apply

All applications are to be submitted via FormSG ↗ (opens in new tab) by 15 June 2026 (Monday), 2359hrs. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Please read through the Application Guidelines [PDF, 381.76 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab) carefully before submitting an application. The application must include the following documents

1. Detailed curriculum vitae of applicant, focusing on applicant’s literary works; and

2. Representative sample of a past work in English (between 10 to 15 pages long).

For enquiries, please contact Ms Gladys Chua at gladys_chua@nac.gov.sg. 

Key dates