Organizer Information
Friends of the San Francisco Public Library is a nonprofit organization that raises funds and advocates for a premier public library system in San Francisco, working to ensure equity and access to free resources for all residents. The organization serves as the Library's investors, advocates, and champions, supporting long-term funding and robust programming across the city's libraries. The Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Residency itself was founded in 2018 by authors Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler in partnership with Friends, and beginning with the 2026–2027 cohort, McSweeney's — an independent nonprofit publishing company based in San Francisco that publishes Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Illustoria, and books under several imprints — joins as a program partner.
Title & Description
Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Residency, 2026–2027
The Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Residency is designed to nurture emerging and established San Francisco–based writers by providing free studio space and connecting them with the San Francisco Public Library. Made possible through the generosity of Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler and presented in partnership with McSweeney's, the year-long residency runs from September through August, giving writers dedicated space to produce creative work while engaging with the Library and the city's broader literary community. Since its 2018 launch, the residency has supported 35 San Francisco writers across genres including fiction, memoir, poetry, journalism, children's literature, illustration, mixed media, comic arts, and playwriting; alumni have gone on to publish books, win literary prizes, and present public programs at the Library.
Categories
- Residency
- Writing
- Creative Writing
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
- Poetry
- Playwright
- Screenwriting
- Illustration
- Comic/Cartoon
Eligibility
- Open to San Francisco–based writers, both emerging and established
- Residencies are offered to five writers per year (as described under the related Friends/SFPL residency program overview on the page, though it is not stated whether this figure applies specifically to the Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler cohort or the Friends residency program generally)
- Open to fiction writers, nonfiction writers, children's writers and illustrators, poets, and playwrights/screenwriters
- Friends states a commitment to supporting writers from a wide spectrum of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and genre
- Not specified in the source: any age, citizenship, or prior-publication requirements
Program Benefits & Awards
- Free studio space at Friends' offices in Potrero Hill, San Francisco
- Connection with the San Francisco Public Library, including opportunities to engage with the Library and its programming
- Access to San Francisco's broader literary community, including new ties to McSweeney's
- For the 2026–2027 cohort specifically: work will be featured in a special insert in an upcoming issue of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, providing a platform to reach a national audience
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 10 August 2026
- Residency period: September 2026 – August 2027
Location
San Francisco, California, United States
Additional Details
- The residency "continues to receive a record number of applications each year," per the July 1, 2026 press release announcing the McSweeney's partnership.
- Related program: Friends of the SFPL also separately administers the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Fellowship, referenced on the same page but distinct from this residency.
- Full list of past Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Residents (2018–2025) is available on the program's webpage for reference.