Hedgebrook Residency

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Program Purpose: 

Hedgebrook supports visionary women writers whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come.

Program Description: 

Hedgebrook is on Whidbey Island, about thirty-five miles northwest of Seattle. Situated on 48-acres of forest and meadow facing Puget Sound, the retreat hosts women writers from all over the world for residencies of two weeks to two months, at no cost to the writer. Residents are housed in six handcrafted cottages, where they spend their days in solitude - writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property, on nearby Double Bluff beach or trails around the island. In the evenings, they gather in the farmhouse kitchen to share a home-cooked gourmet meal, their work, their process and their stories. The residency season runs from February to November.

Application Process: 

Out of a field of several hundred applicants, approximately forty writers are selected for residency each year through a two-round process. In the first round, applications are carefully reviewed by Hedgebrook alumnae to consider how the applicant would benefit from a Hedgebrook residency. In the second round, a selection committee comprised of writers, educators, agents, literary managers and editors rate the applicant's essays and writing samples and select approximately forty writers for residencies of two weeks to six weeks.

Applicant Profile: 

The women who come to Hedgebrook are writing in all genres, and are of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds and levels of writing experience.

Eligibility: 

There are no age or educational restrictions associated with this program.

Selection Criteria: 

Each entry is assessed according to the following criteria: quality of writing, originality of voice and strength of proposal, with an eye toward diversity in all areas.

Citizenship: 

No citizenship requirements are associated with this program.

Program Deadline: 

Usually in September.

How To Apply: 

Students or alumni, as applicable, may apply directly to this program. Applicants are encouraged, however, to work with SF State's fellowship advisor well in advance of the program deadline to perfect their application essays and other materials.