Ursula K. Le Guin’s home will become a writers residency, the Associated Press reports.
The family of the late, legendary science fiction and fantasy author has donated her Portland, Oregon, house to Literary Arts, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “engage readers, support writers, and inspire the next generation with great literature.”
Le Guin first gained notice as a writer in the late 1960s with the publication of her novels A Wizard of Earthsea and The Left Hand of Darkness, both of which are now considered classics. She went on to write dozens of more books, and won several Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards, as well as a National Book Award. She died in 2018 at the age of 88.
On its website, Literary Arts said that the residency program “will give writers a necessary respite from daily responsibilities and uninterrupted time to focus on their work, while also providing an opportunity to engage with and inspire our community.”
The AP reports that the residents will be chosen by a group of literary professionals and family members of the late author. Writers selected for the program will take place in workshops and readings in the community.
Theo Downes-Le Guin, Le Guin’s son, said that he wants the residency to be inclusive.
“We don’t want it just to be for authors who already have had residencies elsewhere,” he told the AP. “But we’ll want applicants to demonstrate that they’re seriously engaged in the work. We want people who will make the most of this.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
