A writing residency can give you a room of your own, and hopefully a desk with a view, providing a temporary escape from the madding crowd.
Most writers, especially the ones who actually devote time to their craft, are not rich. So, why are residencies so incredibly pricey sometimes? Well, it’s a market economy. There are enough people who can afford the luxury. And even if some of our favorite writers were dirt poor and sometimes couldn’t even afford ink to fill their quill, well, times have changed, and silence and solitude are precious these days.
If you find yourself often incapable of devoting time to finishing your book, here are the European writing residencies you should be checking out right now: the Jura mountains of Frankenstein, walking on Kafka’s footsteps in Prague (I did exactly that last year, and it was a dream), a medieval Latvian castle, the Pyrenees, Provence, my beloved Greek coast, Lake Como (where Mary Shelley actually created her monster), Liguria, Umbria, a luxurious feminist castle in Northern France (I was there in 2019, and it was magical), and a Shakespearean castle in Denmark with my once editor extraordinaire Shawna Kenney.
Some of these cover accommodation plus meals, travel, stipend, or workspace. A few charge a small application fee, a couple do charge accommodation, but they make it worth your while. A few are not open at this exact minute but are so fabulous you should keep an eye on them,
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1. Jan Michalski Foundation — Montricher, Switzerland
I love Switzerland. I did do a residency in a cabin in the mountains at COLECTIVA, run by the incredible Paola Carbone, and I feel this mountainous, quiet European country is ideal for getting your creating juices flowing. The blue skies, the mountain air. It is also the land of one of my favorite writers/activists, Jean Ziegler. So, let’s see what this one has to offer!
The Jan Michalski Foundation places writers and translators in individual cabins suspended under a futuristic canopy at the foot of the Jura Mountains. Each cabin has its own atmosphere, and the whole thing looks like a cross between a monastic retreat, an architectural fever dream, and the lair of a very sensitive Bond villain.
Residencies are open to writers and translators working in all literary genres. Stays can run from two weeks to three months.
What’s covered: accommodation, travel costs, breakfast and lunch, a weekly allowance, library access, and bikes.
Why it’s sexy: You get to live inside a hanging writer’s nest in Switzerland. Both fancy and chill in more ways than one. Also, this one’s prestigious as they get.
2. Prague UNESCO City of Literature — Czech Republic
Apply: 2027 Prague Creative Residency
Status: Open now. Applications close August 7, 2026.
Prague is almost too obvious. Kafka’s city. Cobblestones. Towers. Cafés. History at every step. I thoroughly recommend downloading a Kafka walking tour guide. Also, please read Reiner Stach’s definite biography. Knowing about Kafka’s life and times is a must for any serious scribe. I could go on for hours, but let’s see what the residency is about.
This two-month residency is for foreign writers and translators. Residents live in Prague’s historic center and are expected to work on a literary project, take part in the city’s literary life, and produce a text inspired by the stay.
What’s covered: accommodation, travel expenses, and a monthly stipend.
Why it’s sexy: Because in Prague you breathe literature. And you can have your coffee and the unbeatable foie gras at CAFE LOUVRE (since 1902) and write on its napkins. Einstein was a regular as well as Kafka. I can’t begin to tell you how happy the place made me.
See the full list of 10 residencies on my Substack post:
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