British author Bernardine Evaristo has announced that she will offer her cottage for free writing retreats! Inspired by her own experiences of lacking a dedicated space early in her career, Evaristo decided to use her pension to purchase a cottage in Kent, providing writers with a supportive place to stay and work.

Evaristo partnered with the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) to create the RSL Scriptorium Awards. This annual award offers 10 writers the opportunity to stay in Evaristo’s cottage for up to a month. Priority will be given to writers with low incomes who lack access to a dedicated writing space.

The term “scriptorium” originates from medieval English, referring to a room designated for writing. This cottage offers numerous spaces where writers can immerse themselves in their craft, providing a great amount of inspiration for their work. Evaristo emphasizes the significance of a space like this, stating, “it’s really important that we create these kinds of initiatives that enable people to do the work that they need to do.”

The RSL Scriptorium Awards are for “professionally active” writers, that want to advance arts and society. Evaristo believes that for writers to be important they “might not be commercially successful but they are absolutely culturally essential.”

Writers who are interested in applying next spring for the RSL Scriptorium Awards should apply through the RSL website. They will then be asked to provide details of their published works and any other relevant information.

Bernardine Evaristo envisions this space as a valuable resource for writers who struggle to find the time and environment needed for their work. As President of the Royal Society of Literature and the author of ten books across genres including fiction, poetry, drama, and more, Evaristo has a prominent space in the literary world. In 2019, she made history as the first Black woman to win the Booker Prize for her novel Girl, Woman, Other.

Keep an eye out for the application for the RSL Scriptorium Awards! It’s exciting to see such a new opportunity for writers. A big thank you to Bernardine Evaristo for bringing this inspiring space to life!