Blue Ash and Montgomery-area writers have until Wednesday, Sept. 23, to apply for a $10,000 paid residency at the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library.
The Library Foundation is accepting applications for its 2027 Writer-in-Residence, a yearlong literary ambassadorship the organization has sponsored since 2014. The selected writer will lead workshops, host a podcast and represent the library system in the local literary arts scene.
Applicants must be at least 18 and live in southwest Ohio. Hamilton County residents get priority. The program favors writers working in fiction, narrative nonfiction, children's literature, young adult literature, graphic novels and poetry, though any writer may apply.
What the residency requires
The writer chosen for 2027 will conduct two to four public writing workshops at CHPL locations and hold six bimonthly programs at a library branch or online. The resident must also produce four to six pieces of digital content such as blog posts or videos and host a bimonthly podcast. Additional duties include appearing at library and community events and completing a written work to share at the residency's end.
Funding comes from a private donor and The Library Foundation, according to the library's announcement. Mackenzie Manley, a content specialist at the Downtown Main Library, posted the call for applications on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
A Blue Ash connection
The current Writer-in-Residence, YA author Intisar Khanani, is a Cincinnati resident who wrote much of her work at CHPL locations. She singled out the Deer Park and Blue Ash branches as her go-to writing spots, according to the library's announcement of her selection.
Khanani, author of The Sunbolt Chronicles and Dauntless Path series, spoke about the program's value when CHPL named her to the role in January.
"Stories are a part of how we understand the world," Khanani said. "And I just can't state enough how incredible it is to have this kind of a resource in our community …"
The 2025 Writer-in-Residence, Mary Kay Carson, read from work she completed during her residency at a transition event at the Mariemont Branch Library on Feb. 7.
How to apply
Candidates must show active involvement in the local literary arts community, a record of past achievements, strong artistic merit and experience teaching writing or leading workshops. Applications are submitted online at the CHPL Writer-in-Residence page.
The deadline is Sept. 23. No timeline for announcing the 2027 selection has been published.
Upcoming community dates
- Sept. 23: CHPL Writer-in-Residence application deadline
- Sept. 25 weekend: I-75 closures in both directions for bridge work
