Applications are open for the 2025-26 Writer-in-Residence program through the Associates of the Boston Public Library (BPL). Notably, the recipient‘s stipend, which was previously $50,000, has increased to $70,000 after an anonymous donor contribution to the independent nonprofit that oversees the longstanding program.
As the 21st writer-in-residence, the selected writer‘s cycle will begin in October 2025, ending in September 2026. During their tenure, the resident will focus on an original children’s or young adult creative work. As in previous years, the recipient will be provided with a dedicated office space at the Boston Public Library’s Central Branch, as well as additional funds “for editorial assistance or coaching,’’ according to a press release from the Associates.
A completed manuscript will be archived at the BPL, and the resident’s work will be showcased in the fall. According to the Associates, since the residency’s establishment in 2004, alumni have published (or are scheduled to release) over 80 books.
The nonprofit — whose other efforts also aim to support the BPL’s conservation, cultural, and literary efforts — celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Writer-in-Residence program this year. In 2004, Hannah Barnaby was the first resident; her manuscript “Gideon and Portia’’ was published in 2012 with HMH Books for Young Readers, with the title “Wonder Show.’’ More recently, novelist Rhonda DeChambeau, 2022-23’s writer-in-residence, signed a two-book deal with Holiday House; her young adult novel “Top Heavy’’ is set to release on June 10 of this year. The current writer-in-residence is Yssis Cano-Santiago, whose proposed novel is a YA coming-of-age story titled “The Hypochondriac’s Guide to Love.’’
To qualify, applicants must submit writing samples and a proposal for a creative work-in-progress. Writers with previous professionally published works or who are already contracted with a publisher are not eligible for consideration. While the application does not list Boston residency as a requirement, if chosen, the current writer-in-residence must spend a minimum of 19 hours per week at the BPL.
Interested parties may submit original works of fiction, nonfiction, scripts, poetry, or graphic novel projects for young readers for consideration. Submissions are considered via a blind judging process and are due June 6. For more information and to apply, visit associatesbpl.org.
