Nanjing City of Literature are accepting submissions for their 2025 Residency
By Ōtepoti He Puna Auaha | Dunedin UNESCO City Of Literature | Posted: Friday May 16, 2025
Applications close Sunday 1 June 2025
Nanjing is offering six residencies in 2025 to writers, poets and translators from all UNESCO Cities of Literature.
Do you have a project that would benefit from a residency in the Chinese city of Nanjing?
We're excited to share that our friends at Nanjing City of Literature have opened applications for their 2025 residencies programme. They are offering 6 residencies in 2025 to writers, poets and translators from all UNESCO Cities of Literature.
Nanjing International Writers Residency builds a bridge for the city’s literary community to develop mutual understanding with its international counterparts. The annual programme started in 2019 and has hosted 30 writers, poets and translators from the Cities of Literature network.
Nanjing boasts a literary tradition of over 1800 years. The city was the capital of China for about 400 years across six dynasties, and the heritage of those dynasties and its diverse contemporary culture have made it an engaging destination for travellers to China.
The Theme
The theme for 2025 is 'Literary Masters and The City'. Some literary masters, like the great poet Li Bai, and the modern time master of novels and essays Lu Xun, have written great works during their stay in Nanjing. Their spirits continue to inspire people generations after generations in many ways, their legacy is what the city of Nanjing remembers through multiple events every year. With the 2025 program, we would like to invite six writers to deeply experience the life in Nanjing. This may include the literary events, reading clubs, cultural adventures, city walks, random encounters and meetings etc., simply to probe into diversified aspects of Nanjingers’ life today.
With “Literary Masters and The City” as the theme for 2025, Nanjing City of Literature hope that the daily life in Nanjing will become an inspiration for literary creation, and that literature will ultimately light up the brilliant sparks of our lives.
Applications are open until Sunday 1 June. The residency starts mid July, into November, and lasts two weeks in Nanjing.
What Nanjing City of Literature Residencies Offer
2-week in-person residency in Nanjing City of Literature
Tours to culture landmarks and literary places in Nanjing
A selection of literary activities
Dialogue with Nanjing writers, poets, translators, literary organisations, and students
The flight tickets, food, accommodation and local transport will be provided
A stipend of 1200 USD for each selected writer
Applicants must:
Have a connection with a UNESCO City of Literature, whether through birth, residency, or established connection with the local City of Lit office (us!)
Have at least one of the following: three years writing experience; one published work; an award recognised by the local literary community (eg Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards)
Be willing to interact with Nanjing’s literary communities and take part in local literary activities
Write a piece of work in English (no less than 1000 words, or 50 lines in poetry) inspired by the residency, or translate Chinese stories, poems or prose into English (All writers will retain the copyright of their work. The work may be used for promotional purpose by Nanjing Literature Center)
Be fluent in spoken English, or Chinese
How To Apply
To submit an application, please send the following items to Sifan Zhao by Sunday 1 June 2025.
a CV
headshot and passport photo
a writing extract
written outline of your connection with a City of Literature