An exciting opportunity for budding expat writers

Jo Parfitt has an announcement to make...

For many I have attended the Families in Global Transition Conference (FIGT). First in Indianapolis, then in Houston, then in Washington, DC and now in The Hague. Next March not only will the conference take place in The Hague (#FIGT18NL) but it will be FIGT’s 20th anniversary. As if that is not exciting enough, four years ago I decided it was time I started giving back. I’ve been lucky with my writing career. Not only was I published in my early twenties by the first publisher I approached but I went on, fairly easily, to get published 12 more times and then craft myself a fully portable career as an author, publisher, journalist and speaker covering important expat issues.

I decided to start a program that would help FIGT with its marketing while giving new expat writers a lucky break that would give their portable careers a leg up.

March 2018 will not only be the 20th anniversary of FIGT but it will also be the 20th anniversary of my first meeting with Robin Pascoe. Robin is Canadian, had a brilliant career as an expat journalist and author, like me, and was equally passionate about FIGT and giving back.

And so, in 2014 the Parfitt Pascoe Writers Residency (PPWR) was born. Robin was not directly involved at that time, but there was no way the program could not contain her name. Each year I have trained four writers to cover the conference and then struggled to fund the publication of a book of their work.

Now, it’s 20 years.

And so to celebrate, Robin has decided to come on board to help with funding but work in a behind the scenes way (that’s because she’s really busy these days in charge of global PR for Maple Bear Global Schools. Nevertheless we have made an important decision and taken a massive step forward for the PPWR.

This year, we are funding FULL registration for SIX rather than FOUR new writers, adding in extra training for the successful applicants and taking on responsibility for publishing the books.

Why?

Because we care hugely about two things:

1. The tough side of transition, particularly for today’s dislocated and displaced migrants.
2. Helping new writers to write about stuff that matters, including their own experiences of global transition.

So, that’s what we are doing. We are excited. We are going to help new writers to get out of their comfort zones and write about the stuff ‘they don’t know’ but the world should know about: refugees, the homeless, the bereaved, the lost, the lonely. We are going to help writers get started on successful, productive, portable careers as writers.

If you think the PPWR might be for you, then visit FIGT to find out more and get your application in before the closing date of 1st October 2017.