Who Can Apply?
Any writer who, in their country of permanent residence, is threatened or persecuted for expressing
their opinions or ideas through professional or artistic works is invited to apply to ICORN's guest
writer program.
Each ICORN city has its own criteria for choosing a writer, but none of the cities of refuge accept
candidates who advocate violence in any form.
The Application Process: Applicant, Candidate, Guest Writer
1. The application form is available as a PDF form below, and can also be sent directly to
the applicant or his or her contact person as a Word document.
If the applicant is unable to fill out the form, a contact person may submit the application on
his or her behalf. If the applicant must not be contacted directly by the Administration Centre,
this must be stated clearly on the application form.
All information on the form will be treated confidentially.
Once the application has been evaluated, the applicant will be contacted and informed of his or
her status. If the applicant is turned down, he or she may apply again if their situation changes.
2. When an application is approved, the writer becomes an ICORN Candidate. This means that
when a city of refuge has a vacant residency, the writer's profile will be made available to
the city's coordinators. Each city decides which writer they will invite. The Administration
Centre does not determine their choices and therefore cannot guarantee a placement for any
candidate.
A candidate should notify the Administration Centre of any changes in his or her situation.
3. The conditions and requirements for ICORN residencies vary from city to city. But all writers
invited to a city of refuge are considered ICORN Guest Writers and are entitled to take part in
ICORN activities.
It is acceptable for a candidate to decline an invitation. This will not affect his or her candidacy
in any way: it will not affect (positively or negatively) the way the candidate is presented to cities,
it does not guarantee that another city will invite the candidate.
Please note:
ICORN is not a refugee organization. We rarely have the resources to immediately remove a writer from a threatening situation. ICORN has no authority or influence with government organizations and must abide by the laws and regulations of each country.
ICORN cannot guarantee a placement for any candidate. Therefore, it is extremely important that all
applicants and candidates pursue every option for safety available to them.
The application form is currently available in English.
We will have it translated into other languages soon.