Picture Book Writer-in-Residence (2022)

Throughout 2021, WriteMentor has been running a new community learning hub – a place for committed writers to come along and build community and develop their craft – it’s a place for life-long learning and career development.

An important part of this learning hub has been our writers-in-residence (WIR). Our Picture Book WIR for 2021, Clare Helen Welsh, has been wonderful, a constant encouragement for all writers, and has showered us with her experience and multi-aptitudes across the full spectrum of Picture Book writing.

But unfortunately, the end of her 12 month tenure is coming to a close, and while we’re absolutely gutted to see her leave, it’s time for a new picture book author to take her place for 2022.

We are looking for a multi-published picture book author, ideally with some experience of teaching, or at least very good presentation skills, and most importantly, has an inner desire to help others writers to improve and succeed.

If you think this might be you, do read on and send us an application for this role.

Do you write for older children instead? We’re also looking for a WIR for novels, too.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• To create a monthly pre-recorded webinar on various topics of writing craft (30-45 minutes in duration with at least one writing task given to our writers, based on that month’s topic)
• To lead a monthly workshop analysing our writers work (work will be sent to you in advance of each workshop so you can read and make notes)
• To write a monthly blog post on the various aspects of the writing life (this can range from personal experiences and reflection to being more insightful on the aspects of being a career author)

JOB SPECIFICATION

The ideal person would have some/all of the following:

• excellent presentation skills
• experience recording yourself speaking/teaching (we can help with a small equipment bursary if cameras/mics are an issue)
• excellent communicator will be able to articulate well during live workshops and give feedback sensitively
• experience of teaching in any form (from writing workshops to school or university teaching) would be an advantage but not a necessity
• have good, reliable wi-fi or ability to be somewhere that does for 1 hour a month – this is especially important for our live workshops
• most of all, someone who is passionate about WriteMentor and what we do, is keen to help us grow and help writers develop

All of these duties are virtual and online. There is no in-person work.

EXPERIENCE

Our ideal author would have several published picture books and have enough knowledge and experience to be able to share valuable insights with our authors over a 12 month period.

HOURS

Work can be completed in your own time, except for our live analysis workshops, which will take place on a weekday evening from 8-9pm at the end of each month. We can be flexible about which evening and it can change from month to month.

SALARY

£4000 (incl VAT) paid in 12 monthly installments.

CLOSING DATE

Monday 11th October, 2021 (11.50pm, BST)

We may or may not need to have a quick Zoom chat (or email) with those we are considering – this will depend on the response rate etc, but we will let you know on the 12th October if this will be needed.

START DATE

January 2022.

It is a 12 month role until December 2022.

And lastly, if you do apply, we are truly honoured that you’d like to be our new Writer-in-Residence and so thank you for applying, but obviously we may have to disappoint people (the thing we hate doing most in the world), so please forgive us if you apply and we are unable to offer you the position.

At WriteMentor, no applicant will be unfairly discriminated against.

We are particularly alert to eliminating discrimination on account of age, cultural / religious / political belief, disability, ethnicity, gender, race, relationship status, sexual orientation and any other form.

Apply here: