In partnership with the Odesa UNESCO City of Literature Office, a unique creative opportunity is now open for writers across the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Applications are officially invited for the Summer 2026 Odesa Polyglot Literary Residency, offering selected authors the rare chance to spend up to one month immersed in the historic and vibrant cultural landscape of Odesa, Ukraine.
As one of Europe’s most singular literary hubs on the Black Sea, Odesa has long been a city of wit, freedom, and cosmopolitan dialogue. Historically a melting pot of languages and cultures, it is a city where writers have traditionally transformed hardship into style and friction into artistic innovation. Even today, in the shadow of ongoing challenges, Odesa continues to write, publish, translate, and fiercely defend the freedom of letters.
An Environment of Creative Freedom
Designed to prioritize intellectual independence and artistic focus, the residency provides authors with the space and time needed to advance their work while connecting with Odesa’s active literary community.
- Accommodation: Selected residents will stay in private apartments located within Odesa’s historic city centre, experiencing the city’s legendary courtyards, architecture, and public life as locals rather than visitors.
- Expectations: The residency champions absolute creative freedom. Authors are free to use their time to write, research, translate, or contemplate. In return, participants are asked to contribute modestly to the local literary scene through one or two public engagements and a brief reflective essay following their stay.
- Application Deadline: July 20, 2026
For detailed information regarding the application criteria, eligibility, and submission guidelines, please visit the official announcement link below:
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