Ronald Duncan Archive Stipend 2025

Deadline: Sunday, June 15th 2025
Start Date: September 2025
End Date: August 2026

Special Collections at the University of Exeter is thrilled to launch the annual Ronald Duncan Stipends for Southwest Writing. These stipends are funded by a donation from the Ronald Duncan Literary Foundation to continue his legacy of experimental and cross-disciplinary writing.

Each year, three talented writers will have the chance to explore our incredible archives to inspire new creative works. We’re looking for innovative minds eager to engage with our collections in fresh and exciting ways, producing original writing and sharing their journey with the public.

While the University of Exeter Special Collections (Exeter & Penryn campuses) will be the core focus, we welcome projects that connect with other heritage organisations, weaving rich narratives across multiple collections.

Each year one of these stipends may be offered in partnership with another organisation and take a specific focus. For 2025, we are partnering with Exeter City of Literature to offer one of the stipends to a writer from another UNESCO City of Literature.

What’s in it for the selected writer?
✅ £2,000 stipend to support your time and expenses
✅ Up to £500 for outreach and engagement activities
✅ Specialist guidance from our expert Special Collections team
✅ Access to a vibrant network of university partners & professionals

In addition, the UNESCO City of Literature stipend holder will receive up to £1,000 to cover travel and accommodation expenses as well as:
✅ A dedicated writing space for 1–2 days per week
✅ Access to local, national, and international networks
✅ Opportunities to participate in ExCoL events, subject to scheduling

This is a fantastic opportunity for writers to immerse themselves in a new literary environment while connecting with a vibrant creative community.
Eligibility Special Collections is looking for passionate writers who are eager to dive into the collections and create something truly unique. To be eligible for the Ronald Duncan Stipend, you:
✅ Must have a strong connection to a UNESCO City of Literature. This could mean:
• Living and/or working in the region
• Being actively involved in your region’s literary scene
✅ Can be at any stage of your career—emerging, mid-career, or established writers are all welcome!
✅ Must be able to travel to visit the Special Collections in Exeter, England.
✅ Must be proficient in English. 
✅ Must be over 18.
✅ We strongly encourage applications from writers with diverse lived experiences, offering fresh perspectives on the collections.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear your ideas.

As a stipend holder, you’ll share your journey through Special Collections’ social media presence. Beyond this, you’ll create a unique piece of work inspired by your experience AND/OR share your experience with the collections through a public outreach event.

Literary Works (examples include):
• Short story
• Poem
• Dramatic work
• Prose
• Graphic novel
• Zine

Have another idea? We welcome innovative suggestions—just run them by the panel for approval.
Outreach Events (examples include):
• An interactive workshop
• A live reading of your work
• An insightful lecture
• A performance piece that brings your project to life

We encourage fresh, creative approaches—if you have a different concept for an outreach event, feel free to propose it for approval. Each stipend has a budget of up to £500 towards the costs of running outreach events.
This is your chance to bring Special Collections to life in new and exciting ways. What will you create?

The application link can be found here.