Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

TBA

Fellowship•Switzerland · Montricher

Jan Michalski Foundation Residency for Writers

Jan Michalski Foundation

Application Deadline

August 31, 2026

Official Page

The Jan Michalski Foundation is a Swiss centre devoted to writing and literature. Its residency hosts people working on literary projects at the foundation campus in Montricher, a village in the Swiss Jura about thirty minutes from Lausanne and an hour from Geneva. Vera Michalski-Hoffmann created the foundation in 2004 in memory of her husband Jan, and the residency sits alongside its multilingual library, exhibitions and world-literature prize. Some forty authors from around the world stay each year, each allocated one of seven cabins on the site for two weeks, one month, two months or three months. Priority goes to writers and translators, though other disciplines are considered when literature is at the heart of the project. Individuals and pairs working on one shared project are both accepted, and a pair is given separate cabins. Applications for stays in 2027 opened on 2 June 2026 and close on 31 August 2026.

Benefits & funding

  • A cabin on the foundation campus for the whole stay — two weeks, one, two or three months
  • Weekly allowance of CHF 400
  • Return travel between the resident’s home address and Montricher, paid by the foundation
  • Breakfast and lunch provided on site
  • Free access to the foundation’s library during the day
  • Electric bikes for getting around, and cultural activities open to residents, with participation optional
  • Applicants who need a Swiss visa can ask for the foundation’s support in the form

Eligibility

  • Open to all types of writers engaged in literary creation, with priority given to literary writers and translators
  • Other disciplines are considered when literature is central to the project
  • No age restriction and no nationality restriction; the application form’s country list covers more than 200 countries and territories
  • Beginners are accepted — no publication record or academic degree is required
  • Applications from individuals, or from pairs working on one joint project
  • One application per candidate per year
  • Former residents of the foundation cannot apply again
  • The form is completed in English or French; work excerpts may be in any language

Can you apply?

Open to all applicants

No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

Application process

  1. 1
    Open the online application form on the foundation’s residency page during the window — 2 June to 31 August 2026 for stays in 2027.
  2. 2
    Give personal details, including date of birth, nationality, and whether Swiss visa support is needed.
  3. 3
    Enter the project title, a summary of up to 500 characters and a description of up to 4,000 characters.
  4. 4
    Set out the professional background: biography, training, publications, prizes and memberships.
  5. 5
    Choose the length of stay — two weeks, one, two or three months — and the preferred season.
  6. 6
    Attach up to two PDF files (5 MB maximum) holding work excerpts of up to ten pages each, in any language.
  7. 7
    Submit before 31 August 2026. Documents cannot be added or changed after submission, and incomplete applications are set aside.
  8. 8
    A panel of experts chaired by Vera Michalski-Hoffmann reviews every file; all candidates are told the outcome in December 2026, without reasons for a refusal.

Program timeline

  1. Applications for 2027 residencies open

    Jun 2, 2026

  2. Application deadline

    Aug 31, 2026

  3. Selected candidates announced

    2026-12

  4. 2027-01

    First wave of residents arrives in mid-January