Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council, sponsors fellowships for writers at Château de Lavigny, a writers’ residence near Lake Geneva.
Writers based in the regions of Pro Helvetia’s liaison offices (Arab region, East Asia, South America, South Asia, and West, Central, East and Southern Africa) spend four, eight or twelve weeks there; a four-week research-trip residency is a second route.
Benefits & funding
- Residency costs and lodging at the château
- A per diem grant; the application form states a CHF 1,400 stipend
- Travel (return flight), local transport and health insurance
- Length: 4, 8 or 12 weeks; research trip: 4 weeks
Eligibility
- Permanent residence in a liaison-office country (full list below)
- An active writer with a professional track record
- Not enrolled in a school, university or training programme
- Eligible countries (Pro Helvetia apply page): Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates; mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan; Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela; Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam; Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. (The Lavigny page names China rather than all of East Asia.)
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Residence required
Algeria · Egypt · Jordan · Lebanon · Morocco · Palestine · Tunisia · UAE · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan
+ 64 more
Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Paraguay · Peru · Uruguay · Venezuela · Bangladesh · Bhutan · India · Nepal · Pakistan · Sri Lanka · Vietnam · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · DR Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
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Application process
- 1Residency route: apply online to Pro Helvetia via myprohelvetia.ch by 1 March, in English, for the following year.
- 2Research-trip route: apply both to Château de Lavigny (form by email, deadline 15 October, for the following year) and to Pro Helvetia, in English.
Program timeline
Pro Helvetia applications open
1 January
Residency deadline (23:59 CET)
1 March
Applicants notified
July
Research-trip deadline at Lavigny
15 October
Following year
Residency takes place