"Writers craving time, solitude, and salt air will soon have a rare opportunity to create in a special historical landmark," said a Millay House Rockland news release.

On February 22, applications will open for The Millay House Rockland Writer’s Residency, a month-long solo retreat housed in the historic Rockland home where Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay was born.

Situated in the heart of Maine’s midcoast, the residency offers a private, light-filled space for one writer at a time. Along with uninterrupted time to write, residents will receive a $1,200 stipend to support their stay from the Ellis Beaureagard Foundation, in partnership with the Millay House Rockland. Residents will also be invited to offer a reading, workshop, or conversation with students or the general public.

"Millay knew the courage and solitude writing requires," said Millay House Rockland. "This residency honors her bold spirit, offering writers a space to engage deeply with their work while drawing inspiration from the coastal town that was the birthplace of one of America’s most distinctive poetic voices."

Applications are open to emerging and established writers of all genres. The program seeks applicants who will use the time for creative exploration and reflection. The residency period runs for one month and includes lodging and a dedicated writing space in the rich community of Rockland that is a working harbor, home to the Farnsworth Art Museum, and a vibrant Main Street lined with independent shops and restaurants.

This call for submissions marks the third year of writing residencies at the Millay House Rockland. Writers in residence have included poets from California and Maine and a fiction writer from Virginia. This year’s judge is award-winning poet Dorianne Laux, who was also born in Maine. 

Applications open: On Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Birthday, February 22, 2026
Deadline to apply: April 1, 2026, or sooner if the submission cap of 100 is reached
Residency dates: Either the month of October, 2026, or the month of July, 2027
Location: Rockland, Maine
Stipend: $1,200

For more information or to apply, visit MillayHouseRockland.org and select “Residency.”

About the Millay Birthplace Writer’s Residency:

Millay House Rockland is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), as well as supporting literary arts and writers with the solitude, landscape, and legacy to nurture creative work. Central to its mission is the preservation of the birthplace of Millay, offering community literary programs, and hosting writers-in-residence in the Rockland, Maine double-house where Millay was born.