Associates of the Boston Public Library announces more than doubled stipend for the Writer-in-Residence Program thanks to anonymous investor

Program celebrates 20^th Anniversary with guest speaker Lois Lowry

BOSTON, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Associates of the Boston Public Library‘s Writer-in-Residence program has significantly increased its stipend, from $23,000 to $50,000, positioning it as one of the highest-paid residencies for emerging children’s and young adult writers. This increase marks a major milestone as the program celebrates its 20th anniversary.

2023-24 Writer-in-Residence, Danielle Emerson, Author Lois Lowry, and 2024-25 Writer-in-Residence, Yssis Cano-Santiago

The stipend increase is made possible by an anonymous investor who, according to Associates Board Chair Alyce J. Lee, “is committed to writers having the opportunity to have a living wage.” The announcement was made at the 20th Anniversary Celebration Reading and Reception held on October 1, 2024, in the Boston Public Library’s (BPL) Central Library. In addition to the increased stipend, the program provides funds for editorial assistance and a private office space at the BPL, offering writers the resources to complete a literary work for young readers within the year-long residency.

At the celebration, Newbery Medal-winning author Lois Lowry, guest speaker for the event, highlighted the importance of financial and creative support for writers. “Virginia Woolf pointed out that a woman writer needs space and income, and more than that, needs to be acknowledged as valuable,” Lois remarked.

“With a shelf-full of books published by its past alumni, the Writer-in-Residence program now enters a new phase, as it continues to build upon Boston’s legendary history as a city where literature for children and young adults is honored, studied, written, and published” said Alan Andres, who led the program for two decades. The program has supported emerging writers, leading to the publication of over eighty works, many recognized for their excellence. Nine of these books were written at the BPL—including Annie Hartnett’s Rabbit Cake, Natalie C. Anderson’s City of Saints and Thieves, and Jennifer De Leon’s Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From—all optioned by Hollywood studios.

The first writer to benefit from this increased stipend, 2024-25 Writer-in-Residence Yssis Cano-Santiago, will spend the next year working at the BPL on her proposed young adult novel, The Hypochondriacs Guide to Love. For more information about the Writer-in-Residence program, visit www.Writer-in-Residence.org.

About the ASSOCIATES OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Associates is an independent non-profit that raises funds to preserve, digitize, and promote the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections. Since its inception in 1972, the Associates has been the driving force behind programs including the Pierce Performance Series, Hundred-Year Retroactive Book Award , and Literary Lights Dinner. For more information, visit www.AssociatesBPL.org or connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or X.

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SOURCE Associates of the Boston Public Library