Announcement of the 2025 UCL European Literary London Writer in Residence

Ciara Broderick is a young Irish prose and poetry writer, based in Galway. Her work has been published in several Irish and international journals and in 2025 her first novel was selected as a winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair. As UCL’s second European Literary Map of London Writer in Residence, when in London Ciara will pursue her own writing and engage closely with UCL staff and students, as well as participate in various related events. This 4 week Residency is offered as part of UCL’s European Literary Map of London (EMIL), an interactive and ever-growing online Map, featuring texts about London, written in many languages by European writers who have over the decades both transformed, and been transformed by, London.

Ciara says:

“[This] is an excellent opportunity to represent the Irish language on the Map. While Irish is a recognised European language, it is often excluded from the conversation on languages of the continent. It is a particular passion of mine to build on the work of others in raising the profile of Irish in popular culture and showing the nuance and beauty of the Hiberno-English vernacular as it exists today. The work I intend to create [during the Residency] is based on the theme of “Poverty and Plenty” and is a work of short fiction loosely connected to a novel-length project I am currently working on. Inspired by the experiences of my family the short story will focus on the multi-generational experiences of Irish immigrants coming to London and how that is formed and shaped by the major social and cultural events happening around them at the time. The story will highlight that, for immigrants, all is fiction.”

Ciara Broderick was selected from an outstanding shortlist of 10 writers from all over Europe. The selection panel wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to all the shortlisted writers, in alphabetical order:
 

CIARA BRODERICK – IRELAND; KATA GYŐRFI – ROMANIA; NISRINE MBARKI – NETHERLANDS; ELENA MEDEL – SPAIN; DOMAS RAIBYS – LITHUANIA; REGINA REX – DENMARK; AIJA SAKOVA – ESTONIA; TONE SCHUNNESSON – SWEDEN; IRYNA SHUVALOVA – UKRAINE; JACKIE THOMAE – GERMANY

The judging panel was led by former BBC journalist and Director of the European Literature Network Rosie Goldsmith, UCL staff members and the EUNIC London Presidency.  The public submission process was open to any writer of any age writing in any language from anywhere in Europe. 

On behalf of the panel, Rosie says:

“The response to our open Call was overwhelming and excellent, and we wish to thank all 112 authors who applied for their ideas and engagement. We are sincerely sorry we could offer just one Residency but equally hope that our shortlisted authors might wish to collaborate with us in other ways in the future. Our mutual commitment to promoting and supporting European literature and culture in the UK is strong and ongoing.”

The European Literary Map of London Writer in Residency is a new annual Residency offered to one writer for 4 weeks. The first writer in residence 2024 was the Bulgarian writer Joanna Elmy. This spring, as the second writer to take up the Residency, Ciara Broderick will base herself at UCL, embedded at UCL Faculty of Arts & Humanities, with full access to UCL facilities. She will receive London accommodation courtesy of the Goethe-Institut London, travel and support from EUNIC London, and a one-off honorarium from UCL.

The public Call for Submissions to the Residency was made in January 2025 through the combined forces of UCL, the European Literature Network and EUNIC London.

Any queries about the Residency or the shortlisted authors, please email Rosie Goldsmith at rosie@rosiegoldsmith.com, copying in contact@eunic-london.org.

UCL European Institute also wishes to acknowledge and thank the UCL internal teams whose support helped make this Residency possible: UCL Grand Challenges, UCL Global Engagement and UCL London Office.