Dunedin (Friday, 6 March 2026) – Writers from Ōtepoti Dunedin and across Aotearoa New Zealand are being invited to apply for this year’s Caselberg Trust Margaret Egan Cities of Literature Writers Residency.

The Residency, organised in partnership between the Caselberg Trust and Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature, is made possible by a generous bequest from the late Margaret Egan. It aims to provide writers from Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally with an opportunity to work on a substantial piece of creative writing and to foster connections with other creative writers.

The Residency is offered annually for a period of six weeks to writers from Aotearoa New Zealand and from other UNESCO Cities of Literature in alternating years. In 2026, the invitation goes out to writers from Aotearoa New Zealand. The selection panel, this year, will be convened and administered by the Caselberg Trust.

Applications in any genre are now open to writers with at least one published work. The applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of Aotearoa New Zealand. Applications close on 31 March 2026.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to reside and write in the Caselberg House, in Whakaoho Rahi Broad Bay on Dunedin’s Otago Peninsula, for six weeks from October to mid-November 2026. A $4,000 stipend and travel costs will also be provided.

For more information, visit https://www.caselbergtrust.org/residencies