Joanna Elmy, UCL European Literary Map of London Writer in Residence 2024

Bulgarian-born author and journalist Joanna Elmy is our 23/24 inaugural Writer in Residence.

Joanna’s novel, written during her years in university, received a prestigious Bulgarian prize for emerging literature in 2022 and was shortlisted for several other national awards. During her four-week stay at UCL (24 April – 22 May), Joanna will engage with academics across faculties, and develop her second novel which features London prominently and explores ‘cities of the world’ – a modern take on urban spaces partly inspired by Italo Calvino’s approach to writing the city.

Joanna Elmy said:

UCL and the European Literature Network are creating a rare and priceless opportunity for me to engage with specific aspects of my current work while immersed in an environment of culture and knowledge related to London and our broader European heritage. It is also an important step towards broadening our perceptions of the city, the continent, what it means to be European and how literature can help us translate all of this into personal meaning. I am beyond grateful to have been selected, and also hopeful that such projects are being conceived in times when we seem more prone than ever to forgetting just how crucial literature is for the survival of our humanity – in all senses of the word.