About the Residency

Current Resident: https://tinyurl.com/35722e4x

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 The residency is available to writers of all genres, published or unpublished, unless otherwise noted in the specific call for applications.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 call for applications will be posted 4 to 6 weeks prior to the residency period—on the Conroy Center’s Facebook page, email newsletter, and website. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of Conroy Center advisors. Applications are not accepted outside of these posted review periods.

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

REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE APPLICATION FOR THE WRITER’S RESIDENCY

  1. Tell us a story. Fiction, non-fiction, memoir, or poetry, your story must include the following: pickled shrimp, a particular attribute of the salt marsh, an anecdote about the same sweet girls you once knew, and your favorite southern phrase. Up to 250 words, in the body of the email. Have fun with this prompt!
  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. Be specific and tell us in 200 words (no more) in the body of the email.
  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 book? If so, tell us which one, and why. Don’t have a favorite Conroy book? Then tell us which book 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.
Mary Ellen Thompson
Mary Ellen Thompson
Mary Ellen, a writer herself, graciously hosts the residency
Jonathan Haupt
Jonathan HauptPCLC Executive Director
Jonathan represents the residency admission committee