Levenshulme Old Library is recruiting four emerging writers for two projects: Ghosts at the Old Library, our winter ghost stories project, and You Are Here, a new digital project coming in the spring.
These are paid mentoring and training opportunities aimed at early-stage writers aged 18+ who are interested in developing their short fiction.
Ghosts at the Old Library
Ghost stories at Christmas have long been an oral storytelling tradition. This coming Christmas, Levenshulme Old Library is commissioning six original ghost stories for a series of atmospheric performances in our historic former Carnegie library building in South Manchester. The completed stories will also be published and released digitally. This is the third in our Ghosts at the Old Library series – you can find information about last year’s project here.
Four of the writers we have commissioned are professional authors. Two additional commissions will be for emerging writers. These placements will match writers at an early stage in their careers with an experienced writer and editor who will provide dedicated mentoring and editorial guidance via a series of one-on-one in-person sessions at Levenshulme Old Library tailored to their needs and abilities. Their work will feature alongside professional peers, giving them a unique experience in terms of career progression, developing their confidence and making valuable contacts.
The successful applicant will also be paid for their writing and performance in line with their fellow authors. The fee is £300 for an original work of short fiction, and £150 for each performance of which will be two, bringing the total fee to £600. This opportunity is funded by Arts Council England.
The deadline for applications is Friday 20th September.
You Are Here
You Are Here is a new literary project which will launch at the beginning of spring. Through this project, five writers will be commissioned each to create an original story set in a different park in the local area.
Three of these have been commissioned from established authors, and the remaining two will be the work of local emerging writers who will receive a mentorship programme via a series of one-on-one in-person sessions at Levenshulme Old Library with an experienced writer. The stories themselves will be structured around park walks and recorded as podcasts, offering an immersive experience for park visitors.
For both of these opportunities, we’re particularly interested in applications from those currently underrepresented in the arts sector, including racially diverse applicants and applicants from low income socio-economic backgrounds. We will also prioritise applications from people who currently live, work or study in Levenshulme and the surrounding area.
People are welcome to apply for both of these opportunities simultaneously, although successful applicants will only be accepted onto one programme (ie. we won’t commission the same writer for both projects).
The successful applicant will receive a fee of £350 for an original work of short fiction. This opportunity is supported by The Space.
The deadline for applications is Friday 29th November.
If you have any questions please get in touch by emailing hello@levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk