We're pleased to share the news that Isabel Galleymore has been shortlisted for the prestigious Gladstone's Library Residency next year, for her debut collection, Significant Other, which is currently shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection.

Now into its ninth year and approaching a decade of awards, the successful Gladstone's Library Writers in Residence programme was established in association with Damian Barr (saloniere and author of You Will Be Safe Here) to support contemporary novelists and poets, and publishing industries in the UK.

Drawn from over 60 submissions from across the world, the 12 shortlisted titles represent the range of genres submitted to the residency programme; historical fiction, crime fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, literary fiction, and dystopian fiction.

To qualify for consideration, all applicants had to submit a book published in the last three years as well as a 250-word statement on liberal values (for, against, ambivalent, or deconstructive) as well as proposals for a day masterclass and an evening event. The strength of all were taken into consideration when drawing up the shortlist.

Winning authors will be awarded up to a month’s residency at Gladstone’s Library, a creative community that is open to the public and based in the world’s only residential library.

Peter Francis, Warden of Gladstone’s Library said:‘We are increasingly proud of the residency programme and its ability to bring new thoughts, ideas and books to the Gladstone’s Library community. We look forward to welcoming the winning writers in 2020’.

This year’s judging panel consists of Trustee of Gladstone’s Library and teacher at Harris Westminster Sixth Form, Freddie Baveystock; Warden of Gladstone’s Library, Peter Francis; Director of Collections and Research at Gladstone’s Library, Louisa Yates; as well as three past recipients of the Writers in Residence award - poet Penny Boxall (Ship of the Line); and novelists Rachel Malik (Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves) and Rowan Hisayo Buchannan (Harmless Like You).

Judging takes place in early August; the winners will be announced at the Gladfest 2019 launch on Friday, 6th September; and the programme will be officially launched on Monday, 25th November at the National Liberal Club in London when the winning authors will read from their work.

To see the full shortlist and find out more about the award and announcement, please visit the library's website here.
 

Congratulations to all the shortlisted writers, especially to Isabel - and good luck! 

 Isabel Galleymore’s debut pamphlet, Dazzle Ship, was published by Worple Press in 2014. Her work has featured in magazines including Poetry, the London Review of Books and in New Poetries VII. In 2016 she was a poet-in-residence at the Tambopata Research Centre in the Amazon rainforest. In 2017 she received an Eric Gregory Award. She teaches at the University of Birmingham.