My first writing residency

After all the time spent at home during lockdown juggling family life with being an author, I’ve been craving some concentrated time to write that’s away from home in a new environment. I wanted to put myself in a situation where the whole day was available for writing, whether it’s on my laptop at a desk, or in my head on a walk in the woods.

I googled writing residencies and came across Arteles Creative Center in Finland, which offers month-long residencies to writers, artists and musicians, in a converted farmhouse near Tampere.

The thought of spending a whole month there was very appealing, so on the day of the deadline I put in an application, mentioning my love of Tove Jansson and some vague plans about what I would do if I was awarded a Residency.

Guess what? I was picked! And next week I’ll be arriving there, wondering what the experience holds in store…

I will, of course, keep you posted!

Sarah

Sarah Holding

Sarah Holding is a full-time children's and YA author based in the UK and Japan.

Her fictional debut 'SeaBEAN', a best-selling time travel adventure trilogy, is regarded as a leading 'cli-fi' text, and is being taught in primary schools across the UK and around the world.

'CHAMELEON', her first YA novel published in 2020, is set during the fall of Atlantis.

Sarah's first collection of poems, 'How to Write a Poem', which was written during lockdown, came out in 2021.

Her second YA novel 'blackloop', an edgy coming-of-age sci-fi romance, came out in 2023.

Sarah's latest offering 'Road to True North', her third YA novel about an ill-fated roadtrip around Iceland, comes out in September 2025.

Sarah has given over 250 author-led creative writing workshops and talks for schools, libraries, festivals and offers a range of virtual discovery sessions for schools overseas.

When she's not writing, Sarah loves painting and drawing, travelling, cooking, singing and playing jazz.

https://www.sarah-holding.com/
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