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La Maison de la Poésie de Nantes

Residency brief

The mission of the Maison de la Poésie de Nantes (Nantes Poetry House) is to encourage contemporary poetry practices. Their library is the second-largest contemporary poetry fund in France and can be accessed by the residents. Once a year, in the fall, they organize the “MidiMinuitPoésie” festival in various cultural spaces around the city. They also hold regular poetry evenings called “Poèmes en cavale”.

Established in 1986, the Maison de la Poésie de Nantes is a truly multicultural institution working with many local, national and international structures, encouraging interactions between poets from around the world. Since 2017, it has started hosting international residencies with the aim of getting the French audience acquainted with diverse poetic traditions.

During the residency, the author will have time to continue working on his/her current writing project. Public readings and meetings in Nantes and throughout France will be organized through our network of partners. Depending on the nature of the author’s work, events will be organized for specific audiences, especially with students.

  • Thematic focus Poetry
  • Location Nantes (Pays de la Loire)
  • Dates March 2027
  • Length of stay 4 weeks

Our Space

The sixth biggest city in France, Nantes stands out by its cultural life and the profusion of artistic events all year long. The Atlantic coast can be reached in less than an hour and Paris in two. The author will stay in the lovely neighbourhood of “Butte Sainte-Anne”, close to the city center and Nantes Island. A bakery, a supermarket and coffee shops are within walking distance, as well as several transportation modes to move quickly throughout the city.

Jonaki Ray

Poet

During my residency, I will focus on my translation project with the 2025 Villa Swagatam laureate, Thibault Marthouret. The resulting cross-border, multilingual work, Delhi-Gangtok-Bordeaux (working title), is themed around eco-poetry and is at the intersections of language, environment, and culture. I will also finalise my hybrid collection that weaves in history and fact through poetry, photographs, and archival material, showcasing the permeability and interdependency between them.

I am looking forward to meaningful exchanges with other residents, which will give new ideas and directions to my writing, and also hoping to explore the landscape and heritage of Nantes and be open to its influence on future work.

Jonaki Ray was educated in India (Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur) and the USA (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign). A scientist by education and training, and a software engineer (briefly) in the past, she returned to her first love, writing, and is now a poet, writer, and editor. She is the author of Firefly Memories (Copper Coin, India) and Lessons in Bending (Sundress Publications, USA).

Jonaki has received multiple recognitions, including Pushcart Prize and Forward Prize for Best Single Poem nominations, the Iceland Writers Retreat Alumni Award, and First Prize in the Oxford Brookes International Poetry Contest, among others. Her work has been published in Poetry, Poetry Wales, The Rumpus, Asian American Writers’ Workshop, Lunch Ticket, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and elsewhere.

Residency conditions

  • The resident will be given a duplex apartment on the top floor of a building overlooking the Loire River, offering a stunning view of Nantes at nearly 360°. Very spacious and luminous, it includes 3 bedrooms, a living room with a mezzanine, a kitchen and a bathroom. Two main bedrooms furnished with desks, and a living room offering a cosy and inspiring working place.
  • The resident’s travel costs to and from his/her home address will be covered by the French Institute in India.
  • The resident will receive a fixed stipend of INR. 60 000 per month to cover his/her food and living expenses.
  • The resident will receive a fixed residency grant of INR. 50 000 per month.
  • The resident agrees to give a maximum of 20% of their residency time to give lectures, workshops, conferences or participate in any other cultural activities organized by La Maison de la Poésie de Nantes or The French Institute in India. As part of his/her residency, public events in other cities could be proposed in conjunction with a partner host structure.
  • This is an exploratory residence, which means that there is no obligation of results at the end of the residency. However, the residency program needs to be acknowledged in any artistic production resulting from the residency.
  • The French Institute in India expects the selected resident to send them a short text (1000 - 2000 words) testifying of their experience within 3 months of completion of the residency.

Eligibility criteria

  • Proficiency in English is required for the applicant, whereas fluency in French is not a prerequisite.
  • The resident must have a minimum of one published book to apply.
  • Applications from self-published writers will not be considered. He has to have at least one work translated into and published in English

Past Laureates

Third Edition (2025 - 2026)
Meena Kandasamy Author and poet
Second Edition (2024 - 2025)
Rohini Kejriwal Poet