Irish author selected for Fall Residency 2026 at International Writing Program in Iowa

Dublin City Council and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature are delighted to announce that author Sarah Gilmartin has been selected to take part in the International Writing Program’s 2026 Fall Residency at the University of Iowa, from August to October 2026. 

UNESCO Cities of Literature may submit one nomination each for the prestigious Fall Residency at the International Writing Program each year. From this year’s nominations, four writers were selected to be part of the 2026 Fall Residency.

On receiving news of her selection, Sarah Gilmartin said:

"I'm thrilled to have been selected for this prestigious residency. Ireland has a long history with the university and the International Writing Programme and I'm proud to be part of it. At this stage of my career, I think I will benefit greatly from the programme. I look forward to living in Iowa, immersing myself in the culture of the university and the town, and of course getting to know the other writers from around the world. I'm grateful to Sinéad Mac Aodha at Literature Ireland for the nomination and the support of Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and Dublin City Council throughout the process." 

Dublin City Librarian Mairead Owens said:

“After consulting with our literary partners to identify a writer who would most benefit from attending the International Writing Program’s Fall Residency at this stage in their career, the writer and arts journalist Sarah Gilmartin was selected from a strong field of nominees. We are delighted that she will represent Dublin UNESCO City of Literature at this prestigious residency.”

Sarah Gilmartin’s short stories have been published in The Dublin Review, The Tangerine and The Stinging Fly. She won the Máirtín Crawford Short Story Award in 2020. Her novels Dinner Party: A Tragedy (2021), Service (2023) and Little Vanities (2026) are published by Pushkin Press. She was the 2025 Arts Council Writer-in-Residence at Dublin City University.

The International Writing Program hosts the oldest and largest multinational writing residency in the world at the University of Iowa, bringing emerging and mid-career writers from around the world to Iowa City for an immersive eleven-week cultural exchange. The Fall Residency is dedicated to inclusive literary and cultural exchange and provides a platform for creative expression and sincere and vigorous discussion. Writers from around the world will work on their writing and artistic projects. The Residency Programme furthers participants’ professional development; advances their understanding of creative writing, literature, publishing, and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration. Participation in the Fall Residency is fully funded for all participants. 

In 2008, Iowa City became the first UNESCO City of Literature in the United States, the third such city in the world. Three IWP alumni—Orhan Pamuk of Turkey, Mo Yan of China, and Han Kang of South Korea—have received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Dublin was the 4th UNESCO City of Literature in the world and has been a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities’ Network since 2010. There are 63 Creative Cities of Literature across the globe. 

Resourced and funded by Dublin City Council, the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature office is managed by Dublin City Libraries. The office supports, promotes and develop Dublin as a UNESCO city of literature, reflecting a capital city with a strong sense of its literary past and its contemporary literary scene. The Dublin UNESCO City of Literature office also receives funding for programmes from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.  

Further details on the Fall Residency at the International Writing Program are at this link:

Residency | The International Writing Program - Graduate College | The University of Iowa

ENDS