The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center offers a Writer’s Residency twice annually—typically in early March and early November, conjoined to our March Forth program and our Pat Conroy Literary Festival respectively. The residency is available to writers of all genres, published or unpublished, unless otherwise noted in the specific call for applications. Located on a salt marsh on St. Helena Island, approximately 15 minutes from historic downtown Beaufort, the residency cottage provides an inspirational, creative space in the heart of Pat Conroy’s beloved lowcountry for a stay of eight days.

The features of this astonishing place are too many to list here… Aside from an immaculate presence with all the amenities a residence must have this place has also a pool.  You can see the tranquility of the location at this page… The selected writer must provide her or his own transportation. Residency is for the writer only; no guests or pets allowed.

Questions: contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org

The residency dates will be October 25 to November 1, 2023, overlapping with the Literary Festival. The selected writer will have access to festival events, including up to three writers workshops.

Please submit the following by July 31, 2023, to contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org with the subject line CONROY CENTER WRITER’S RESIDENCY:

1. Tell us a story. Tell us the story of how you found your voice the first time. Up to 250 words, in the body of the email.
2. What are you seeking? Tell us how being in the lowcountry for a residency will benefit your writing, and how your presence will benefit the people you meet here. If you live in the lowcountry, help us understand why you should be chosen over someone who has never been here.
3. Who are you? Send us a short bio, along with your contact information, up to 100 words, in first person please.
4. Do you have a favorite Pat Conroy quote? If so, tell us which one, and why. Don’t have a favorite Conroy quote? Then tell us which quote by another author is closest to your heart and why in about 50 words.
5. Let’s have a look. Include a writing sample of your work, 3 – 5 double-spaced pages of prose or 3 -5 poems (collectively no more than 5 pages), attached as a PDF.

The residency is open to both published and unpublished writers. If you have applied before but not been selected, we encourage you to apply again. Pat Conroy was a mentor to writers in all stages of their careers and we wish to honor that legacy.