The Barcelona Institute of Culture, within the framework of the Barcelona, UNESCO City of Literature programme, has opened the call for the 2026 international writing residencies at Vil·la Joana. The initiative aims to promote literary creation and foster exchange with other centres and creators from around the world.

The residencies, aimed at writers and translators from outside Catalonia and of any nationality, offer stays in a privileged environment: Vil·la Joana, in Vallvidrera, one of the sites of the Museu d’Història de Barcelona and the place where the poet Jacint Verdaguer spent his final years. The 2026 edition includes eight residency periods, with a maximum of three residents per session, who will have accommodation, workspaces, and a programme of activities to connect with the city’s literary network.

Eligible applicants include authors of fiction, poetry, playwriting, comics, literary journalism, and audiovisual scripts, as well as translators with at least one published or premiered work. The projects must have an explicit link to Barcelona, which will be assessed alongside the applicant’s career and the literary quality of the proposal.

Selection will be carried out by a committee made up of three sector experts and a representative of the Institute of Culture. Applications must be submitted through the Barcelona City of Literature website by 16 January 2026, together with the required documentation.

Selected residents must take part in the scheduled activities and submit a final work report. If the work is eventually published, it must be credited as having been written during the residency.

The hosting of writers at Vil·la Joana will once again help strengthen exchange agreements with other Cities of Literature for Catalan authors.

All information is available in the International Literary Residency section of the Barcelona UNESCO City of Literature website.