Poetry in Salzburg

City announces H. C. Artmann scholarship

Symbolic image

(Bild: PLUS-Hubert Auer)

The City of Salzburg is offering the H.C. Artmann Poetry Scholarship for November 2025. Authors will be given the opportunity to work as writers in residence in Salzburg, to engage with the literary legacy of H.C. Artmann and to further develop their own works.

The scholarship is endowed with 1,500 euros and also includes a free stay in the Tobias apartment (35 m²), a climate ticket for public transport in the province of Salzburg and travel expenses within Europe.

Literary promotion with tradition

Since 2008, the H.C. Artmann/Writer-in-Residence program has been inviting authors to engage intensively with Artmann's work and promote their own writing. The program also offers the opportunity to network in Salzburg as a literary location. Writers are expressly encouraged to present their own works at readings, exchange ideas with colleagues and students and attend events at the Literaturhaus free of charge.

Mayor Bernhard Auinger emphasizes: "The H.C. Artmann Poetry Scholarship is a valuable enrichment for Salzburg as a cultural location. It gives poets the opportunity to work in an inspiring environment, to engage with Artmann's literary legacy and to gain new impetus for their work. In this way, we not only strengthen contemporary literature, but also the lively connection between tradition and modernity."

Submission by March 30, 2025

Applications must be sent by email to [e-mail] by March 30, 2025 at the latest. The documents must be summarized in a single PDF file and must include the following documents

• Fully completed application form
• Curriculum vitae with bibliography
• Letter of motivation (max. one page)
• Ten unpublished or published poems (not older than five years)

The award is made on the recommendation of a jury consisting of representatives of the Literaturhaus Salzburg, Paris Lodron University Salzburg and mosaik - Verein zur Förderung neuer Literatur und Kultur. Applicants will be informed of the result by the end of May 2025.

Invitation to a literary encounter

The scholarship not only offers space for creative writing, but also the opportunity to actively shape Salzburg's literary life. Events at the Literaturhaus can be attended free of charge, and readings and discussions with colleagues and students are expressly encouraged.

"The scholarship is specifically aimed at poets in order to support this special genre within the literary landscape. In recent years, this has made interesting encounters possible in Salzburg - I am once again looking forward to receiving many applications!" says Dagmar Aigner, Head of the Department of Culture, Education and Knowledge.

About H.C. Artmann

Hans Carl Artmann (1921-2000) was an Austrian poet and writer, known for his early poems in Viennese dialect. He was an important representative of the literary avant-garde and co-founder of the "Wiener Gruppe". Artmann was not only active as a poet, but also as a translator and promoter of young authors. In 1991 he was awarded the Literature Prize of the City of Salzburg's Cultural Fund, and since May 2003 the square in front of the Literaturhaus Salzburg has borne his name.

This residency promotes literary creation and strengthens the link between contemporary literature and H.C. Artmann's cultural heritage.