Announcing the TORCH-St Edmund Hall Writer in Residence 2020

torch seh writer in residence

We're delighted to announce the inaugural TORCH-St Edmund Hall Writer in Residence 2020.

The scheme is designed to bring a BAME writer to the University of Oxford for the eight weeks of Hilary Term (January 19th through to March 14th 2020). St Edmund Hall, a small and beautiful college in the city centre, will host the writer within its academic community, and TORCH (The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities) will provide a travel bursary, and logistical support for events. The scheme is open to BAME practitioners of any of the literary arts and at any stage in their career; the Writer in Residence will join a community of poets, writers, and playwrights within the rich creative culture of St Edmund Hall and across the university.

Known affectionately as ‘Teddy Hall’, St Edmund Hall is one of the oldest academic institutions in the University, though it only officially became one of the university’s colleges in 1957. This dualism is reflected within its culture, which is both historic and forward-thinking. Creative writing is a particular strength at Teddy Hall, and regular creative writing workshops and events are a part of College life. There an online forum for writers associated with the College (The Hall Writers Forum), a termly poetry reading series (Meet the Poet), a weekly workshop run by undergraduates (The Wednesday Workshop), and an annual student-produced arts and literary magazine (A Gallery). Creative members of the College—students, staff, and Fellows—regularly contribute to the cultural life of the University and the city of Oxford.

The Writer in Residence will spend the eight weeks of Hilary term living at Teddy Hall working on a personal project of their choosing. The College will provide the Writer with accommodation, food, and membership of the College’s Senior Common Room. In return, the Writer will contribute to the College’s cultural life through engagement with members of the College community. The Writer in Residence will serve as a role model to budding writers among the college’s students and increase awareness around diversity and inclusivity across the wider University. While at Oxford, the Writer in Residence will also have the opportunity to engage with the networks and community of TORCH.

TORCH supports interdisciplinary work and fosters public engagement with both research and creative work. TORCH works with academics at all career stages and promotes collaborations with public and private institutions and partners. Under its broad umbrella, TORCH brings together academic research, diverse industries, and the performing arts. The TORCH Headline Series for 2018/19 is ‘Humanities and Performance,’ and the residency will build on the strong programme of cultural and artistic events taking place within this series. TORCH will assist the Writer in Residence in bringing their work to academic and public audiences through logistical support and access to its networks. TORCH will also sponsor the writer’s University card for one year, allowing the writer access to Oxford’s vast libraries, and will provide a bursary of £2,500 to cover travel and expenses to and from Oxford and during the residency itself.

For more information and to apply, please click here.