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APPLICATIONS FOR 2025-26 RESIDENCIES
October 1, 2024 - January 6, 2025

We are now accepting applications for our 4-6 week writing residencies in James Merrill's National Historic Landmark home in Stonington, CT.

James Merrill Writer-in-Residence Application Process

Selection Criteria:

  • Eligibility: Writers or scholars with a specific project of literary or academic merit, committed to a full-time 4-6 week residence in Stonington.

  • Genres Accepted: Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and plays. Please note that the residency is not intended for the completion of one’s dissertation.

  • Community Contribution: Applicants should be willing to engage with the community, which may include a reading or a workshop. . We also film each writer for our archive in the Studio 107 series. We welcome suggestions from applicants on how to reinforce the community’s ties to writing, poetry, and James Merrill’s legacy.

  • Integrity and Responsibility: Candidates must demonstrate the ability to be entrusted with the Merrill Apartment and its contents.

Overview:

The Writer-in-Residence program includes a stipend of $1,100 per month, prorated according to the length of stay. We offer six residencies for the following periods:

  • October 2025 (4 weeks)

  • November 2025 (4 weeks)

  • December-January 2026 (4 weeks)

  • February-March 2026 (6 weeks)

  • April-May 2026 (6 weeks)

  • August 2026 (4 weeks)

Applications:

We accept applications for the 2025-2026 residencies from October 1, 2024, to January 6, 2025. Decisions will be made by mid-March.

A complete application includes the following documents:

  1. A resume of four or fewer pages.

  2. A writing or work sample of ten or fewer pages.

  3. A statement of your plan of work while in Stonington, CT.

  4. Two letters of reference.

  5. If applicable, a brief biographical sketch of a spouse or partner who will reside in the apartment with you. Please note that we do not allow pets or children, and the apartment is located on the third floor, accessible only by stairs.

  6. A $30 application fee. Unfortunately, we do not allow fee exemptions.

Please direct inquiries about the application process or application status to jmhprograms@gmail.com.

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Q&A ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Have questions about the applications? Please review this list or message us if you have a question that is not answered here. 

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LIVING IN THE DAVID JACKSON APARTMENT

The Writer-in-Residence lives in the David Jackson Apartment and has unlimited access to the James Merrill Apartment. 

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WORKING IN THE MERRILL APARTMENT

The Writer-in-Residence has unlimited access to the James Merrill Apartment and its collections.

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LIVING IN STONINGTON

Stonington Borough lies halfway between Boston and New York.
It has independent restaurants, coffee houses, a library, a post office, and shops. A large farmers’ market runs year-round.

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CURRENT AND FORMER WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE

See the list of our current and former fellows, and read their testimonies 

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