Artist’s Residence Dilsberg

Writer in Residence Program

Judith Rossell was the awardee at Dilsberg fortress in 2020/2022

Please note: Due to Covid-19 the stay of Melbourne author Judith Rossell had to be interrupted in 2020. The 2nd part of this residence was continued in spring/summer 2022.

The Australian children's book author and illustrator Judith Rossell was the literature fellow of the Rhine-Neckar Cultural Foundation and the UNESCO City of Literature Heidelberg in 2020/2022. On 1 February 2020 she took up the three-month writer-in-residence at the Dilsberg Commandant's House.

Rossell, born in 1969, first worked as a scientist for the Australian government for several years before becoming self-employed. For more than 20 years now, the author has been writing puzzle and adventure books for children with an almost inexhaustible imagination. She has now published over 80 books and illustrated just as many. Her works have been translated into seven languages and have won various prizes. Rossell has also made a name for herself in Germany, not least, as the inventor of magical children's crime novels based on the cunning detective Stella Montgomery, heroine of the series under the same name, published by Thienemann- Esslinger editors.
"I feel so privileged to be visiting Heidelberg as part of the writer-in-residence program this year. I'm looking forward to working and living in the beautiful village of Dilsberg. I'm excited to have the opportunity to stay within a castle, and to meet some German people and learn more about this part of Germany," said Rossell. In Dilsberg, she continued working on her current novel, an illustrated children’s novel, and started new projects.

Like Heidelberg, Melbourne - the city where Rossell comes from - is also a UNESCO City of Literature. "But both cities have much more in common, because we have our own Heidelberg in Melbourne," explains Rossell. "In Melbourne, this is the name of a suburban town situated on the inviting meanders of the Yarra River. When this community was re-established in the 1860s, the area reminded the estate agent of the landscape around the Neckar River in Heidelberg, so he chose this name," Rossell knows.

The UNESCO City of Literature Heidelberg was pleased having been able to network the author Judith Rossell with the local and regional literary scene during her presence. Judith Rossell also presented herself to the public in several events, as well in 2020 as in 2022.

About the programm

Work Grant awarded by the "Kulturstiftung Rhein-Neckar-Kreis e.V." in cooperation with the UNESCO City of Literature Heidelberg for authors from UNESCO Cities of Literature
in the “Commandant’s House Dilsberg”, at Dilsberg Fortress, in Neckargemünd (approximately 14 km from Heidelberg).
The building served as the Commandant’s quarters of the Dilsberg garrison in the 17th century. The former Commandant’s House was acquired 1996 and renovated by the Rhein-Neckar-District. Since then the "Commandant’s House Dilsberg" has been a center for the promotion of art and culture: exhibitions, chamber music concerts, open-air concerts, readings, symposia and discussion rounds enrich the cultural life of the region. Here, art, music, and literature grant holders find a creative work sphere.
The duration of the biennial scholarship is 3 months with residence obligation in the Commandant’s House Dilsberg.

Please note: Due to Covid-19 pandemic the last writer´s residence in 2020 had to be interrupted and was continued in 2022. Therefore we apologize for not having been able to publish a call for applications in 2022. The next residency will take place in 2024. The call for application will be released in summer 2023. Keep an eye on it! And thank you for your understanding!

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