Collective residencies / Olot
CATALAN PEN international residencies for young writers. Third edition
From Monday, 2 June 2025 to Monday, 9 June 2025
June 2025
Catalan PEN, in collaboration with Institut Ramon Llull and support from the European Union, is hosting the third edition of the international residencies for young writers. This year the programme is for essay writers under 35 years old. We’re looking for writing that turns a critical eye on society, that envisages collective futures and that reflects on and experiments with topics such as climate change, gender, technology, migration, democracy and freedom of expression, among others.
The call aims to provide a place to work, get inspired and share. The residency will be broken into two blocks. The first is a group block prioritising residents’ sharing, with meetings with professionals from the sector to inspire and mentor the group. And in the other block, each resident gets to develop their own literary project individually.
One of the results of the residency will be a bilingual publication with translations of the works by the participating authors. This publication will be sent to Catalan and European publishers to encourage them to translate and publish the works in other languages. Plus, the selected participants will do a networking tour to get to know translators and publishers.
The residence is sponsored by CEDRO in the development of its social function.
Residents
MIREIA IBÁÑEZ CID
Teacher, proofreader and translator
PIT-ROIG VINYALS I TASA
Human Rights Activist, German Teacher and Writer in the Making
ARIÀ PACO ABENOZA
Writer, former phd
SZYMON OPRYSZEK
Reporter
ROLAND HENSOLDT
Account manager, journalist, writer
ULA IDZIKOWSKA
Freelance reporter and writer
GEMMA RODRÍGUEZ
Screenwriter and playwright, coordinator of the European project Be Part (PEN Català)
LAIA SERÓ MORENO
Journalist
CATALINA GAYÀ MORLÀ
PhD in communication and lecturer
Opinions
What residents are saying about us
Freelance reporter and writer
ULA IDZIKOWSKA
My time at the Polish-Catalan residency at Faberllull was both grounding and generative. It offered a rare space for focused creative work, honest dialogue, and genuine human connection. The carefully curated balance between individual time and collective ...
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Account manager, journalist, writer
ROLAND HENSOLDT
So many diverse stories brought us to the same place: the residency in Olot was a unique opportunity to meet inspiring people from both Catalonia and Poland. We shared our stories, experiences, knowledge, plans, and diverse perspectives. As someone who ...
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Reporter
SZYMON OPRYSZEK
My experience in Olot as a resident was great. First of all, I had great conditions in the hotel to focus on my work, the surrounding nature and bike trails were conducive to work. The availability of bikes and a swimming pool meant that I could relax ...
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