The Boston University College of Communication  (COM) invites prominent and emerging writers to apply for its inaugural one-week “Writer in Residence” program. The writer in residence will visit COM classes, deliver a plenary lecture on the craft of writing, host a  workshop, and meet with students on a formal and informal basis. The residency will inspire our students and help them understand the challenges and opportunities for working writers. The writer in residence will visit Boston University for a week in the spring semester of 2023, depending on availability.

We seek a professional writer who would enjoy working with undergraduate and graduate students. The ideal candidate has written nonfiction, journalism, culture criticism, broadcast news, or opinion pieces. We are particularly open to candidates with diverse viewpoints and identities whose work crosses boundaries of genres and media. Ideally, the writer we select has work that has been published, performed, or produced and can share  perspectives on the process of writing for a public audience – from inspiration and pitch, to development, revisions, and production/release of finished work. Over the five-day period, the duties would include:

• Deliver one plenary talk about your writing journey.
• Visit five to eight COM classes and collaborate with professors whose classes you will visit to deliver a 10-15-minute talk/Q&A.
• Host a workshop where you meet students individually to review work, offer comments and suggestions, and share some of your work.
• Attend a dinner hosted by the college.

Compensation: The writer in residence will receive a $2,000 honorarium. All reasonable travel, lodging, and meals expenses for the five-day period will be paid by  the Boston University College of Communication.

To Apply: Submit a letter of intent stating why you want to share your writing process with BU students and how your experiences as a writer make you a good mentor for  students. Briefly describe the talk you might deliver. Please include a resume/CV, a sample of your work, and two professional references.  Email your materials to WriteRes@bu.edu with the subject line “Residency Application by July 1, 2022.  Applicants will be notified by Aug. 31, 2022.