Apply to be the 2025 Writer in Residence at the Boston University College of Communication
The Boston University College of Communication (COM) invites prominent media writers to apply for its one-week “2025 Writer in Residence” program. The COM Writer in Residence will visit BU classes, deliver a plenary lecture on the craft of writing, host an open house/workshop, and meet with students on a formal and informal basis. The residency will inspire our students and help them understand the challenges, opportunities, and rewards for working writers. The Writer in Residence will visit BU for a week in the spring semester of 2025, depending on availability.
For the 2025 residency, we seek a professional writer in the advertising or public relations industry (corporate or agency practitioner) who would be energized by mentoring undergraduate and graduate students during a high-impact week. The ideal candidate will be engaged in a writing-centric career in media/communications, such as ad copywriting, content marketing, public relations writing, speechwriting, and similar disciplines.
We are particularly open to candidates with diverse viewpoints and identities whose work crosses advertising and PR boundaries. Ideally, the writer we select has a portfolio of professional work/case studies that has been produced and can share perspectives on the process of writing for a public audience – from research, inspiration, and pitching to development, drafting, revisions, and production/release of finished work. Over the five-day period, the duties would include:
- Deliver one plenary talk about your writing journey.
- Visit eight to 10 COM classes and collaborate with professors whose classes you will visit to deliver a personalized one-hour “mini-lecture”/Q&A.
- Host a workshop where you meet students individually to review work, offer comments and suggestions, and share some of your work.
- Attend a dinner hosted by the college.
Compensation: The Writer in Residence will receive a $2,000 honorarium. All reasonable travel, lodging, and meal expenses for the five-day period will be paid by BU.
Promotion and Recognition: COM will conduct significant promotion across a variety of official channels to recognize and commemorate the chosen writer and the residency.
To Apply: Using the form below, submit a letter of intent stating why you want to share your writing career with BU students and how your experiences as a writer make you a good mentor for students. Briefly describe the talk you might deliver. Please include a resume/CV, a sample of your work, and two professional references. The application deadline is Oct. 31, 2024.
If you have questions about the residency program, contact Michael Dowding, COM writing director, at mdowding@bu.edu.