Boston
Public Library
Children's Writer-in-Residence Program
Associates
of the Boston Public Library
The Associates of the Boston Public Library Announces Eighth Children's Writer-in-Residence
The Associates of the Boston Public Library is pleased to announce the selection of its eighth Children's Writer-in-Residence Fellowship winner for the year 2011-2012. This year the call for applications was limited to illustrated picture books. The award goes to Sarah Winifred Searle of Danvers, Massachusetts.
A reception in her honor was held on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011.
Ms. Searle was chosen unanimously from over 60 applicants. In her words, "It would be impossible to express my gratitude and joy in receiving the fellowship. Thank you to the Associates from the bottom of my heart. I can't wait to become a part of the community at BPL this upcoming fall, and to finally have the resources to share [my] story with the world."
The Associates would like to thank all applicants for their efforts and interest in this position. The applications were varied, professional, charming and represented an impressively wide range of talent.
Ms. Searle got her foundation in fine arts at Maine College of Art, graduated from Southern Maine Community College with a degree in New Media, and is currently studying Humanities at Harvard Extension School. She found her professional niche as a game artist, but now she hopes to use her background to create a unique storytelling experience. Her graphic novel, Under the Apple Tree is, in short, a ghost story. Set during World War II, a girl must solve the dark mystery that shrouds her home, while handling the trials and tribulations of adolescence during times of great change in American history. The book will be available to read online in its entirety for free, and the website will feature a transmedia appendix to more deeply explore the research and themes of the book. Read more.
The Associates will post the 2012-2013 Writer-in-Residence Application and Guidelines after January 1, 2012.
The Children's Writer-in-Residence Program at the Boston Public Library
Objectives
The Writer-in-Residence fellowship is focused on an children's authors, and is intended to:
- Provide an emerging children's writer with the financial and administrative support needed to complete one literary work
- Promote the awareness of young readers, families and teachers of the Boston Public Library and its resources, by establishing a living link between Library and the community
- Draw attention to the importance of children's books in our culture, as well as the many free educational opportunities offered by the Boston Public Library
Criteria for Eligibility
- U.S. Citizenship
- Active engagement in work as an author, whether full or part-time, or as an avocation or profession
- Submission of an application, proposal, letter of intent, recommendations and writing samples by the required deadline
- No more than three previously published works
- No works proposed that are already under contract with a publisher
Benefits of Residency
- Access to and use of the Central Library's special and circulating collections
- A stipend of $20,000, payable monthly over a nine-month period
- Use of office space, a computer, copying and fax machines (no clerical help)
- Provision of a forum for the presentation/promotion of finished work
- Opportunities to establish connections with writers, publishers, artists and the community at large through participation in and attendance of Library readings, colloquia, lectures and conferences
Terms of Residency
- In residence in the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, Boston, for twenty hours per week from September through June
(For the 2012 Wrtiner-in-Residence, this will be September 2012 - June 1, 2013)
- Completion and public presentation of a submission-ready children's book at the end of the nine-month period
For examples of previous work, please read about prior recipients.
For further information about the Children's Writer-in-Residence Program or about the Associates, please contact the Associates’ Office at 617-536-3886 or associates@bpl.org.
Associates
of the Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Phone: 617-536-3886
Fax: 617-536-3813
e-mail:
associates@bpl.org
