The Residencies

The Virginia Residencies

The Virginia Residencies

The ten-day residency in Virginia launches each new semester. The residency is the student’s opportunity to meet the MFA faculty and to attend the many workshops, seminars, lectures, discussions, readings, and activities offered.

In addition to hearing from our excellent faculty, students should also expect to attend readings and lectures from featured guests, including Pulitzer prize winners, literature scholars, literary taste-makers, and artists of all kinds.

Prior to attending the residency sessions, students submit new work to be discussed by our faculty and their peers in our faculty-led workshops. Regardless of chosen genre, students are able to attend lectures and discussions in all three genres: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

During our residency sessions, students are paired with their faculty mentor with whom they will work for the remainder of the semester.

Each student attends five residencies. The fifth and final residency marks graduation.

Students may choose to begin their program in either a summer or winter residency.

Schedule

Summer 2024 Residency:
June 22– July 1, 2024

Winter 2024 Residency:
Dec. 30, 2024 – Jan. 8, 2025

Summer 2025 Residency:
June 21 – June 30. 2025

Winter 2025 Residency:
Dec 30, 2025 – Jan 8, 2026

Summer Residency

Summer Residency sessions are housed on Randolph College’s campus.

Located in the heart of Virginia, our 100-acre campus is in an historic, residential area of Lynchburg, close to the James River, and within walking distance to several restaurants and cafes.

Randolph is one of 31 colleges on The Princeton Review’s 2023 Green Honor Roll for earning a perfect sustainability score.

Winter Residency

For Winter Residency, we will gather at an off-campus location in beautiful central Virginia.

Our winter destination provides a comfortable setting that speaks to the diverse history of the region.

Our most recent residencies have been held at the historic Virginian Hotel.