The Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians invites applications for the Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers in the USA in 2023.
Named in honour of Carson’s parents, the Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers was inspired by McCullers’s experience. Specifically her experience at the Breadloaf Writer’s Conference in Vermont especially the Yaddo Arts Colony in Saratoga Springs, New York. To honour the contribution of these writers’ residences to McCullers’s work, the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians awards fellowships for writers to study in her childhood home in Columbus, Georgia.
The fellowships are intended to afford the writers in residence uninterrupted time to focus on their work, free from the distractions of daily life and other professional responsibilities.
The Marguerite and Lamar Fellowship for Writers is offered during fall semester. The fellowship begins the first of September and ends the first of December. Fellowship recipients are encouraged to take an active role in the community and to meet informally with students and local residents interested in writing. The fellow will work with the McCullers Center director to plan a presentation near the end of the residency.
Worth of Award
- During this time, the writing fellow will reside in a spacious private apartment inside Carson McCullers’s childhood home. The apartment is adequately furnished. Fellows need to bring only their personal belongings. The Carson McCullers Center provides utilities, general property maintenance, a computer and online service. Fellows are encouraged to bring a laptop. Since public transportation is limited, an automobile is recommended; however, there are grocery stores, post offices, and other services within walking distance. A spouse or companion is welcome, but children and pets are not allowed.
- The fellow is provided with a stipend of $5,000 to cover costs of transportation, food and other incidentals.
- Fellowship recipients are encouraged to take an active role in the community and to meet informally with students and local residents interested in writing.
- The fellow will work with the McCullers Center director to plan a presentation near the end of the residency.
Eligibility
This fellowship is open to
- Talented writers who are willing to commit to 3 months undergo the programme.
- Fellows who are prepared to travel to Columbus Georgia in the USA during fall semester.
How to Apply
Application Materials
I. Compile the following information for submission: Send via email to: [email protected]
- a cover letter which explains why you would make a suitable fellow, as well as the nature and extent of the work you intend to complete during the 3-month residency
- your latest curriculum vitae, making sure to include fellowships, scholarships, prizes, or other honours you have received;
- a writing sample of no more than 20 pages;
II. Also, we require at least two letters of recommendation.
- All applications must be completed on or before April 1.
- All applications will be acknowledged, and finalists will be chosen and scheduled for telephone interviews with the selection committee by May 15.
- After each finalist completes a telephone interview, a Fellow will be chosen by the selection committee, to be announced on June 1.
The Carson McCullers Center Fellowship Program
English Department
Columbus State University
4225 University Avenue
Columbus, GA 31907
Direct questions to:
706-565-1200
[email protected]
Deadline: All applications must be completed on or before April 1.
Announcement of Winner: June 1. All applicants will receive a notification of the winner.