The fellowship is made possible through the very generous sponsorship of University College Cork. The fellowship acknowledges the special place of poetry in the cultural history and contemporary practice of Cork City. The Munster Literature Centre hosts the largest annual poetry festival in Ireland.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Open to a poet from outside Ireland of international standing
- Fellowship applications are invited from poets working in English from outside Ireland
- The Poetry Fellow must have at least two full-length collections of poetry published
- The successful candidate will be a poet respected by peers and preferably has experience in the coaching or teaching of other writers either through workshops and/or mentoring, inside or outside a formal academic setting.
John Montague International Poetry Fellowship Benefits.
- The successful fellow would benefit from the prestige of receiving a highly competitive international literary award which will not only allow the candidate to spend time concentrating on their own work, but also enable them to acquire experience in literary mentoring and the teaching of writing in an academic context.
- The successful candidate will have the opportunity to be inspired by living in one of Europe’s oldest cities, with a well-developed cultural infrastructure and a thriving literary community.
- The successful fellow would receive a monthly stipend of €2000, totalling €6,000 and self-catering accommodation. The costs of economy air travel to and from Cork would also be covered.
Method of Application
Candidates must supply through Submittable a single Word document consisting of a literary CV, a letter explaining why they want to work in Cork, and a course outline for a four morning poetry masterclass aimed at poets who have already been successfully published in periodicals. The masterclass is to take place on four consecutive mornings of the Cork International Poetry Festival involving  the same group each day. The dates for the 2020 festival are March 25 to 28, 2020. Shortisted poets may subsequently need to supply copies of their books and submit to interview by Skype.
Scholarship Application Deadline: August 18, 2019.
