Cove Park is a Scottish artists’ retreat located on the Rosneath peninsula, an hour’s drive west of Glasgow. In 2018 Cove Park is offering at least five funded literature residencies. Applications are open writers around the world.
Cove Park was founded in 1999 by Peter and Eileen Jacobs. The centre’s residencies “respond to the diversity of contemporary artistic practice in all the art forms, whether performing or visual arts, crafts, literature or music. [Its] interdisciplinary programmes, for both individuals and collaborating groups, offer time, space and freedom to make new work and to find new ways of working.”
Cove Park’s distinguished alumni include Margaret Atwood, Anne Carson, Brian Chikwava, Helen Cross, Rachel Cusk, Fred D’Aguiar, Joe Dunthorne, Jennie Erdal, Rodge Glass, John Glenday, Jen Hadfield, Jack Mapanje, Michael Pedersen, Jo Shapcott, Zoe Strachan, Chiew-Siah Tei, Kate Tough, Christos Tsiolkas, Chika Unigwe, Louise Welsh and Nicola White.
In 2018 at least three main literature residencies will be offered. These take place between May and September and applications are open to writers around the world. The residencies last for between one and three months and, to be eligible, writers should have published at least one book. Applications are invited from writers who work across the genres of adult fiction, memoir, poetry, biography. Writers who cross or combine these genres are also welcome to apply as are writers who are established in one genre and wish to develop or experiment in another.
At least one further residency will be offered to an emerging writer from Scotland. This residency will run for four weeks and applicants do not need to have published a full-length book, but must be able to show exceptional promise.
New in 2018, is a residency for translation. Applicants should have a commission to translate a Scottish book into their chosen language. ‘Scottish’ is defined as an author, living or dead, who was born or lives/has lived in Scotland, or the book takes Scotland as its central subject, or is published by a publisher based in Scotland.
Writers will be selected for interview based on the following criteria:
- The quality of your ideas and work.
- Your need for a period of research and development and your reasons for applying to this residency program.
- Your interest in working within a community of artists.
There are no application fees for their residency. Residents receive a £400 (US$525) fee per week in addition to the use of Cove Park’s facilities include self-catering accommodation, a communal meeting space, library, archive, computer suite and a stunning 50-acre site.
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This short documentary was filmed at Cove Park during summer 2010 and features Christos Tsiolkas, Luke Fowler, Deirdre Nelson, Frances Priest and Janice Parker discussing their residencies.———————————————————–
Writers must include in their application a two-page introductory statement about their work and their reasons for applying for the residency, a current CV and a 3000-word writing sample. For full details download the 2018 Application Guidelines (PDF).
Applications for Cove Park’s 2017 literature residencies close on Monday 11 December 2017. For further information visit the Cove Park website.
Writers who don’t meet the application requirements can still stay at Cove Park. Accommodation and studio space is available for hire between October and April by individuals with a creative project. A single cube (the self-catering individual live/work spaces) costs £60 per night with a two-night minimum; double and group rates are also available.
