The Finch Manuscript Lab
The Finch Manuscript Lab is a 2.5-month residency to support writers and artists completing book-length manuscripts. It takes place at the Finch Country House in Serramezzana, Italy, along the Cilento coast south of Naples and Salerno. The residency is carefully designed as the "final sprint" in the marathon of writing a book. It offers free living and work space, a stipend and travel allowance, writing time in a tranquil setting, creative community, and professional development (including manuscript consultations, craft discussions, and publishing seminars).
Residency Dates: October 1 – December 15, 2026* [Note: these dates are just an estimate; the final dates will be decided with the residents after selection and will take place in either the fall of 2026 or the spring of 2027.)
Application Deadline: July 15, 2026 at 11:59 CET. [APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO APPLIED!]
Residents will be notified of application decisions between August 7 – 15, 2026.
Funding: Thanks to the support of the Goethe Institute and Culture Moves Europe, all selected residents will receive a stipend of 2,280€ for the residency period, and a travel allowance of 400€ for travel of distances under 5000 km from Serramezzana, Italy, or 800€ for travel of distances over 5000 km. Additional funds are also given for using green travel (eg. trains instead of planes), and to support residents who are parents or caretakers of dependent family members.
Eligibility and Application: Selection criteria and further details are available at the application link below. Please note that in order to be eligible for funding, applicants must be over 18 years old and be a resident of one of the Cultural Moves Europe countries other than Italy.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
What to Expect…
We blend an abundance of self-directed freedom and solo writing time with communal dinners, craft discussions, and one-on-one mentorship to help you complete your manuscript.
Intentional Structure
Our mentors are chosen for their exceptional experience across literary creation, editing, translation, and the international publishing industry. Mentors will be paired with residents based on each resident's project, and include former editors at Penguin Random House and FSG, award-winning authors, and more. A full list of mentors and their bios is coming soon.
Personalized Mentorships
Residents are selected based on the quality of their work samples and the seriousness of their commitment to finishing their book projects. This means you’ll be in the company of exceptional writers and artists undertaking fascinating work. We also hold Zoom interviews with all finalists as part of the selection process to ensure residents will be kind, respectful, and responsible members of our community.
An Inspiring Community
The Finch Manuscript Lab was founded by author and literary program director Catherine Foulkrod, who brings over 15 years of experience in the literary arts and creative residency sectors and also serves as a co-founder and director of the Giancarlo DiTrapano Foundation for Literature and the Arts. During the COVID pandemic, Catherine rented a house in Serramezzana to work on her debut novel, Don’t Cure Me, which will be published by McSweeney’s Books in January 2027. Along with her husband, Maxmilian Narducci, she later purchased and remodeled a traditional stone farmhouse in the same area, and would now like to share this space in order to give other writers the same experience of time and focus in a gorgeous natural setting to help them complete their manuscripts.
The Backstory