Literary Arts - INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM (IWP) FALL RESIDENCY

The National Arts Council 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. 

Fall Residency Program Dates:  19 August –  28 October 2026 

Application Deadline:  15 June 2026 (Monday), 2359hrs 

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.  For more details: http://iwp.uiowa.edu/residency/this-years-program 

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. 

Residency Schedule at a glance: http://iwp.uiowa.edu/residency/events 

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. 

Application Procedure: All applications are to be submitted via FormSG by 15 June 2026 (Monday), 2359hrs. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Please read through the Application Guidelines 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).