Writers' Room
The Eulalie and Carlo Scandiuzzi Writers’ Room, located on Level 9 of the Central Library, offers a space for writers to work on their projects and access Library resources. Use of the room is through an application process for the Writers’ Room Residency.
Applications for the 2026 Writers' Room Residency open on November 1 at 10 a.m. and will close November 14 at 5 p.m.
Writers' Room Residency
The Residency is intended to help individual writers with their projects while facilitating a supportive writing community. Writers’ Room Residents work in a variety of writing fields and genres, and are committed to using the space several days per month. We look for applicants who:
- Are currently pursuing a defined writing project
- Plan to use collections, reference and research assistance, and / or other resources available at the Central Library in support of their work
- Demonstrate commitment to the Library’s equity and inclusion goals through their work
- Have considered the nature of the space and if their own work style is compatible
- Can benefit from access to the Writers’ Room specifically with any challenges they face with working on their writing project
Writers granted a residency will have an orientation to the space, the Central Library, and Library resources available related to their projects.
About the 2026 Residency
Applications for the 2026 Writers' Room Residency open on November 1 at 10 a.m. and will close November 14 at 5 p.m. No late applications will be accepted. Applicants will be notified of decision on February 1, 2026.
How many residents are admitted per cohort?
65 residents are admitted per cohort.
How long does the residency last?
The residency starts on March 1, 2026 and ends on February 28, 2027.
What does the residency include?
The residency includes:
- Access to a dedicated space on Level 9 of the Central Library during the library’s open hours.
- Two library-hosted resident-only gatherings.
- One public reading for residents to showcase their work.
- An optional biography feature on the Library’s website.
Are there deliverables, check-ins, or projects due as part of the residency?
No, the residency is a self-directed program intended to give writers space to grow and develop at their own pace, according to their own needs. Any participation in Library-hosted events is encouraged but optional.
I’m a comic artist or children’s book illustrator. Am I eligible?
While we may admit writers who combine visual art with the written word, the Writers’ Room cannot be used as a studio space. If your goal is primarily writing for your project, then we encourage you to apply!
Do Writers' Room Residents have after-hours or extra access to the Library or to its collections?
Residents have the same hours of access to the Central Library and to its collections as all patrons. Please note that the Seattle Room and the ZAPP Zine Room have special hours, and an appointment may be required to access materials in these collections.
Does the Library validate parking for Writers' Room Residents?
We are unable to validate parking. Visit Central Library Parking for information on the parking garage and rates. Limited, paid street parking can be found on surrounding streets with a 2-hour time limit. Writers often travel to the building using public transit or, if using a car, visit during evenings and weekends.
Writers' Room Residency Application
Thank you for your interest in applying for a 2026 Writers’ Room Residency. Having a residency is an honor intended to help individual writers with their projects, increase the visibility of their work, and provide opportunities to build connections with other writers.
Please fill out the application below to apply. Contact us if you have any questions about the application or the residency.
Current Residents
Adriana Gomez-Weston
Green Lake
Currently writing: Music journalism for Vinyl Apothecary (which has a special focus on music from the Pacific Northwest) and as a freelancer
Alec Mazzoli
Central District
Currently writing: The Scenario Room; Untitled Angel Project
Past works: Miscellaneous stories and poems
Ally Ang
Capitol Hill
Currently writing: An untitled second poetry collection
Past works: Let the Moon Wobble (Alice James Books, 2025)
Amanda Hosch
Madison Valley
Currently writing: The Ninth Location
Past works: Mabel Opal Pear and the Rules for Spying
Amontaine Aurore
Pioneer Square
Currently writing: Novel set in 1960s and ‘70s
Past works: Plays including Don’t Call it a Riot; The Ever-Expanding Moment; Legacies: A Ghost Story
Blair Milbourne
North Capitol Hill
Currently writing: The Heaven Spot (feature screenplay)
Past works: Copywriting for Nike, Jordan Brand, Converse, MasterCard, Revolt Media, McDonald's, Peacock TV
Cameron Bellm
Bryant
Currently writing: The Sacrament of Paying Attention: How Writers, Artists, and Mystics Can Lead Us into Sacred Human Communion
Past works: No Unlikely Saints: A Mental Health Pilgrimage with Sacred Company
Ching-In Chen
Lake Forest Park
Currently writing: Breathing in a Time of Disaster – a community-based project on breath; Spells for Collective Resonance
Past works: Shiny City (forthcoming Autumn 2025); recombinant; The Heart’s Traffic: a novel in poems.
Dr. Corey Minatani
International District
Currently writing: Sefer Gevurat Yahweh (The Book of Yahweh's Power); Doctor of Exegetical Theology Dissertation: Blood and Sin
Past works: The Scrolls of Dega (Published Articles and Fictional Stories); PhD Dissertation in Lore: Piercing the Demonic Veil: Exorcism Via Multiple Pathways; The Demonologist's Handbook V1
Dori Gillam
Queen Anne
Currently writing: A memoir – Heavy Lift: How I Conquered Caregiving and How You Can Too
Past works: Contributor to 3rd Act Magazine, the University of Washington, and various newsletters and publications on a freelance basis
Elizabeth Anne Mailo “Lizzy” Paulson
Beacon Hill
Currently writing: Lima Taupou, a short story collection about five Samoan women, resilience and paranormal forces
Past works: Washington University’s Jeopardy Magazine and Hunger Mountain; a short story “Tiene Aitu Ma Tagata” was featured in the Talanoa anthology
Lady Izdihar
Capitol Hill
Currently writing: Research-based nonfiction project Soviet Seattle
Past works: Scripts and educational videos on labor, communism and Soviet history
Evelyn Iritani
Maple Leaf
Currently writing: Safe Passage: The Little-Known Story of Ocean Liners, Diplomatic Intrigue and the Exchange of American and Japanese Civilians in World War II (Slated for publication March 2026)
Past works: An Ocean Between Us; numerous articles in the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Frank Abe
Mt. Baker
Currently writing: No-No Boy, a play
Past works: We Hereby Refuse; The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration; John Okada
Gabriel Moseley
Capitol Hill
Currently writing: The Godspore King
Past works: A Man Stands Tall (short story)
Haley Shapley
Downtown
Currently writing: Night Owl (St. Martin's Press, Macmillan)
Past works: Strong Like Her (Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster)
James T. Washburn
Capitol Hill
Currently writing: A companion essay on Queering Polish folk dance, connected to a "folk dance ballet" short film currently in pre-production
Past works: Achilles + Patroclus (Seattle Opera); Rust: A Ghost Story
Jamie Li
San Diego, CA and Rainier Valley
Currently writing: A coming-of-age campus novel with a plucky female protagonist who hails from South Seattle
Past works: “To Be Is To Beam” (published in Mangoprism, Sept. 2021)
Jill Leininger
Central District
Currently writing: Noctographia and Kiln, Crucible, Glacier, Space: experiments in ekphrasis
Past works: Roof Picnic Skies: New York; Sky Never Sleeps
Julene Tripp Weaver
Seattle
Currently writing: A memoir about her experience being a long-term survivor living with HIV/AIDS, who worked in AIDS services for 21 years
Past works: Slow Now With Clear Skies; Truth Be Bold
Kalehua Kim
Mercer Island
Currently writing: Currently promoting first poetry collection, Mele, from Trio House Press
Kate Olson
West Seattle
Currently writing: Improvise Authentically in Any Genre
Past works: Musical scores
Katura Reynolds
Green Lake
Currently writing: Round and Round, an activity book about the history of wheels
Past works: Essays and articles for the Los Angeles Times, Bitch Magazine, and Taking the Lane zine
Krista Lee Hanson
Mt. Baker
Currently writing: Memoir and essays on parenthood, disability and complex care
Past works: Published in The Rumpus, The Normal School, Rad Families anthology, and Short Reads
Dr. Lakeya Afolalu
Seattle
Currently writing: Mixed-genre collection of essays and poems
Past works: “The Truth About Being a Black Woman in a Liberal City” (ZORA Magazine)
Lynne Ellis
Mercer Island
Currently writing: A poetry collection that works to celebrate my Mexican heritage, heal inherited trauma, and lift up the endangered Western Migrating Monarch butterfly
Past works: Future Sketchbook (2024 Washburn Prize, Harbor Review) and In these failing times I can forget (2018, Papeachu Press)
Meg van Huygen
Crown Hill
Currently writing: Sophon: Soul Food from the Khmerican Diaspora
Past works: Nearly 25 years of journalism covering local restaurants, performance, travel, and PNW history; The Stranger, Seattle Times, Seattle Met, Seattle magazine, many other publications
Nikita C. Anderson
Seattle
Currently writing: A novel and a 10-minute play
Past works: Short stories – "Let the Church Say Amen," "Night Shift," "The Suitcase," "Simple Mindplay on Crazy Rose"; Original stageplay – The Polaroid
Sharon Hashimoto
Tukwila
Currently writing: Novel, poetry, short stories
Past works: The Crane Wife; More American (2022 Washington State Book Award winner in poetry); Stealing Home
Siri Ballestad
Ballard
Currently writing: I Became a Tree (children’s book); The Seattle Plant Journal (nonfiction)
Past works: Editor of Disabled in Nature (online publication)
Stacy D. Flood
Redmond
Currently writing: Wardenclyffe, The Importance of Emergency Lighting
Past works: The Salt Fields; Morning in America or How to Set a Body on Fire; The Optimist or What Space Travel Means to Me
About the Space
The Writers’ Room is a shared writing space on Level 9 of the Central Library available only to residents. It is a contemporary light-filled space with large windows looking southwest. There are six writing desks, each with an adjustable chair, light and outlet. Writers are free to use any open desk during a visit.
There is no ceiling, and ambient noise and occasional conversations can be heard in the space. Many of our participating writers bring headphones.
Room access is through a secured door with a code that is shared with the yearly cohort.
Level 9 can be reached by elevator, stairs or by escalator plus ramp or stairs. The closest restrooms are on Level 7 (accessible via stairs, elevator, or ramp). Covered beverages are allowed in the Writers’ Room and writers are permitted to bring snacks if care is taken to fully clean up.
While in the Writers’ Room, residents have access to all the resources and reference materials of The Seattle Public Library.
Other Spaces to Write at the Central Library
The Level 10 Reading Room is an excellent open space for research and writing. For more suggestions of places to write at the Central Library, please ask staff at one of the reference desks.
Questions about the Writers’ Room and the residency? Please send us an email via Ask Us.