The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship
Enriching cross-cultural intellectual discourse since 2013
The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship is made possible through the generous support of The de Groot Foundation.
Announcing the 2023–24 Visiting Fellows
2022–23 Visiting Fellows
What is the Visiting Fellowship?
The American Library in Paris Visiting Fellowship was created in 2013 to nurture and sustain a heritage as old as the Library itself: deepening French-American understanding. The Visiting Fellowship offers writers and researchers an opportunity to pursue a creative project in Paris for a month or longer while participating actively in the life of the American Library.
There are two one-month Fellowship periods a year in fall and spring, with dates to be specified later.
A $5,000 stipend will be paid before start of a Fellowship period. The award, to be spent at the discretion of the Fellow, is designed to cover travel to Paris, accommodation, and expenses associated with the month in Paris. In addition to the stipend, the Library will connect the fellow to resources and people in Paris that could be helpful to his or her project.
What is expected of Visiting Fellows?
Visiting Fellows must be in Paris during the period of the fellowship, and are expected to be present in the American Library for a minimum of three half-days a week. During their residency, fellows will present an hour-long evening program at the Library, participate in a Library reception, meet with staff informally to explore a topic of mutual interest, and extend the Library’s reach by participating in events arranged by the Library with other organizations in Paris.
At the conclusion of the Visiting Fellowship period, fellows will provide the Library and the funding foundation with a written report of the Fellowship experience. Fellows are expected to appropriately acknowledge the Library and the Visiting Fellowship in publications and print media related to the Fellowship project. Fellows will participate in the Library’s social media communication, fundraising campaigns, and other public events.
In addition to scholarly writing, my time at the library was hugely enriching and productive for the conversations and other opportunities it made possible. I met activists, philosophers, students, library colleagues and others whose conversations continue to revisit and inspire me. I was continuously impressed by what a vibrant centre for cultural events and intercultural conversations the American Library is.
Who should apply?
We welcome the applications of all researchers, journalists, writers (both fiction and non-fiction), poets, screenwriters, playwrights, directors, documentary filmmakers, and artists.
Applicants should be researching or working on a project that contributes to cross-cultural discourse. Particular attention will be paid to an applicant’s ability to offer the Library’s community a variety of opportunities for exploring a topic. All topics and subject matters are eligible.
Applicants need not be American. International applicants are encouraged. The proposed project must be in English. Members of the Library governance are not eligible recipients of a Visiting Fellowship.
How to apply
This year’s application form asked applicants to provide a single file containing:
- A cover letter (one page) CV (two pages max.)
- The narrative description of your project (two pages max.)
- The names and contacts of two professional references
- A one-time application fee of 30 euros
Frequently Asked Questions
No, due to the improving COVID situation in France, Fellows are expected to be present in Paris during the period of the Fellowship.
Yes. We give equal weight to applications from France-based creatives.
While you do not need to be a published author to apply, many of our Fellows have one or more previous publications under their belts and often have a publishing contract secured for their next project.
The deadline for the 2023-24 application cycle was 1 April 2023. This year’s cycle is now closed. All applicants can expect to hear back from us with a final decision by July 2023.
The 2024-25 application cycle will open on 1 February 2024. Please regularly check this page for any other updates.
In the interest of fairness, we are unable to advise potential applicants on their materials.
In your cover letter, you should introduce yourself and your work to the committee. You might also like to add why you are interested in spending time at the American Library in Paris and its community (in Paris) in particular.
No. Once an application is received, you cannot swap or add materials.
We typically receive between 100 and 200 applications in our annual cycle, and we award two Visiting Fellowships per year.
No. Only applicants who have submitted the application fee (30 euros) will be considered for the Visiting Fellowship. We will inform you if your application is missing payment, but please plan to submit payment with your application in order to receive full consideration.
30 euros. If the application fee poses an issue for you, please contact fellowship@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Visiting Fellows are chosen through an application process. Writers-in-Residence are invited directly by the Library, and are typically more senior or established authors. We do not consider proposals for Writers-in-Residence.
Please contact fellowship@americanlibraryinparis.org if you have any other questions.
Past Visiting Fellows
“As much as I rely on the Internet, I’m a big fan of going places. As a reporter for The Boston Globe, I learned that there was a lot that could be accomplished on the telephone, on deadline, but that there was always something to be gained just by showing up at an event, bumping into people, observing things, or having unplanned conversations. A Visiting Fellowship at the American Library in Paris was an extraordinary opportunity, prima facie. It was made even more so by all these experiences, many of which I could not have planned. So while I cannot possibly express my gratitude sufficiently to the American Library in Paris, the board and staff, to the de Groots and the de Groot Foundation, I can say that it worked. I’m confident that future Visiting Fellows will have similar unscripted revelations. Who knows what might await. My advice to them would be as follows: Just go.”
