Writer-in-Residence Program
The Concord Free Public Library Corporation hosts a Writer-in-Residence program annually from January to June. Concord’s literary heritage is an important part of the Town’s history, from the works of Emerson, Thoreau, and the Alcotts to those of numerous contemporary authors. The Library Corporation’s Writer-in-Residence Program is intended to continue this tradition, offering new ways to celebrate diverse voices and share stories through literary arts programming.
The 2027 Writer-in-Residence Program is proudly sponsored by Barefoot Books, a Concord-based, independent children’s book publisher celebrated for their beautifully diverse, inclusive, and globally inspired stories. Barefoot Books’ mission aligns perfectly with the Library Corporation’s and Library’s mission, and we are honored to partner with them in nurturing creativity and imagination across our community.
The Writer-in-Residence receives a stipend and private office space within the Library, allowing for sustained creative work, community office hours, and the development of writing programs and workshops for patrons of all ages.
Writers-in-Residence are selected by a panel with representatives from the Concord Free Public Library Corporation trustees, Library staff, Friends of the Concord Free Public Library, and the Library Committee. Finalists are presented to an advisory board of celebrated Concord authors to help make the final selection.
The Program
The Writer-in-Residence Program provides private office space in which the Resident can write, hold office hours, or attend to other activities within the scope of the residency. The entire library facility is available as the Writer-in Residence seeks to connect with the community. During the 6-month program, the Writer-in-Residence will be expected to create an original piece of work as well as conduct writing programs and workshops for the Library community.
A stipend of $10,000 is offered with the expectation that the Writer-in-Residence will create a schedule that meets their own needs as well as those of the library, offering flexibility to create programming and social opportunities for the CFPL community as well as time to create while on site. The Writer-in-Residence committee and library staff are available to assist the Resident with getting accustomed to the area and organizing specific events.
Applications
The application period for the 2027 Writer-in-Residence Program closed on July 15, 2026. The next residency will take place from January to June 2027.
Questions
If you have questions, please contact Madeline Klein, Senior Library Assistant and Writer-in-Residence Committee Chair.
Writers-in-Residence
2026 Writer-in-Residence
The Concord Free Public Library and the Trustees of the Concord Free Public Library Corporation are delighted to announce Danielle Bradley as the 2026 Writer-in-Residence.
Danielle Bradley is the winner of the 2025 Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award and a 2025–2026 Tin House Reading Fellow. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Salt Hill Journal, Indiana Review, Colorado Review, and Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism, among others. Her writing has been supported by scholarships and residencies from the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, the Juniper Summer Writing Institute, the Hudson Valley Writers Center, and Smith College. She holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and an MFA from the MFA for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her debut novel is currently a finalist in the Simon & Schuster (Avid Reader Press) Books Like Us First Novel Contest.
A panel with representatives from the Concord Free Public Library Corporation Trustees, Library staff, Friends of the Concord Free Public Library, and Library Committee reviewed more than 50 applications in Fall 2025. Finalists were then presented to an advisory board of celebrated Concord authors to help make the final selection.
Bradley was selected for her exceptional alignment with the mission of the Writer-in-Residence program, her literary rigor, and her demonstrated commitment to community engagement. Her experience organizing readings, editing literary magazines, and facilitating workshops positions her to offer thoughtful, inclusive, and accessible programming for library patrons of all ages.
The 2026 Writer-in-Residence program is made possible through the generous support of the Concord Free Public Library Corporation and the Sponsorship of Barefoot Books. Together, they provide a stipend and dedicated office space for the Writer-in-Residence and support the expansion of creative programming, workshops, and community engagement initiatives throughout the year.
2025 Writer-in-Residence
The Concord Free Public Library and the Trustees of the Concord Free Public Library Corporation are pleased to announce Steve Edwards as the 2025 Writer-in-Residence.
Steve Edwards is the author of the memoir Breaking into the Backcountry, which chronicles the seven months he spent as the sole caretaker of a remote homestead along Oregon’s federally designated Wild and Scenic Rogue River. He is a recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in Fiction/Nonfiction, and his essays have appeared in The Sun, Orion, Literary Hub, and Longreads. His recent essay on writing, mental health, and neurodiversity was among The Yale Review’s most-read articles of 2024. Edwards is a professor of English studies at Fitchburg State University and a visiting lecturer at Tufts University.
More than 70 applications were reviewed by a panel of Library Trustees, staff, and Friends of the Concord Free Public Library in Fall 2024, with finalists presented to a review board of local authors for final selection.
Edwards was chosen for his focus on nature writing, his commitment to teaching emerging writers, and his work’s close connection to Concord’s literary history. His residency includes time to write, hold office hours, and develop creative programming that invites community members into meaningful literary engagement.
The 2025 Writer-in-Residence program was generously funded by the Concord Free Public Library Corporation. This support provided the Writer-in-Residence with a stipend and private office space within the Library, allowing for sustained creative work, community office hours, and the development of writing programs and workshops for patrons of all ages.
2024 Writer-in-Residence
The Concord Free Public Library and the Trustees of the Concord Free Public Library Corporation were proud to name George Jreije as the Library’s inaugural Writer-in-Residence in 2024.
George Jreije is the author of numerous books for young readers, including the Shad Hadid and Bashir Boutros fantasy series, as well as the graphic novels Tarik’s Bazaar Adventure and Lilo and the League of Librarians. He also writes short fiction across genres and age categories and has collaborated with organizations such as Scholastic and UNICEF. In addition to his writing, Jreije is a public speaker, writing instructor, and book editor.
Selected from a pool of 60 applicants by a panel of Library Trustees, staff, and an advisory board of local authors, Jreije was chosen for his passion for publicly accessible literary culture and his inclusive vision for community programming. During his residency, he led workshops for writers of all ages, held office hours, and collaborated with Library organizers on the Concord Festival of Writers.
The 2024 Writer-in-Residence program was made possible through the generous support of the Concord Free Public Library Corporation. The Corporation’s funding provided a stipend and dedicated office space, enabling the Library’s inaugural Writer-in-Residence to write, hold office hours, and develop creative programs that engaged writers and readers throughout the community.