Hawthornden Foundation is a private charitable foundation supporting contemporary writers and the literary arts. Established by Drue Heinz, the noted philanthropist and patron of the arts, the Foundation is named after Hawthornden Castle in Midlothian, Scotland, where an international residential residency program provides month-long retreats for creative writers from all disciplines to work in peaceful surroundings. Hawthornden Foundation also supports a second residential program at Casa Ecco, on Lake Como in Italy, the site of “Conversazioni”, private conferences attended by many celebrated writers and others in the arts, and a six-week retreat for invited authors to complete a literary work in progress. In 2024, Hawthornden Foundation is opening a new non-residential retreat – Hawthornden Brooklyn – in New York. In addition, the Foundation sponsors the annual Hawthornden Prize, one of Britain’s oldest and foremost literary awards, and provides grant support to other literary programs.

This universal application form will allow writers to apply to any of the residencies. Please note that Hawthornden Foundation provides residencies at Casa Ecco through a two-tiered process of nomination and jury selection from among those who are nominated. If you have been nominated, we invite you to submit an application via this application form. Hawthornden Castle and Hawthornden Brooklyn Residencies are awarded via open application.

Please consult our website for more background on each program. If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Foundation and its residency program, please do not hesitate to contact us at inquiry@hawthornden.org.