Entre les lignes et les rayons 字里书间

The British Council’s Across Lines & Shelves pilot programme supports literary exchange between the UK and mainland China through short‑term bookshop‑based residencies. Two participants from China will be placed in UK independent bookshops and two participants from the UK will be placed in Chinese bookshops. Residents receive a flexible workspace, networking opportunities with local literary stakeholders, and a travel grant of up to £3,000 covering return airfare, six nights’ accommodation, local travel and incidental costs. The residency is designed for representatives of literary organisations, bookshops, publishers, festivals, cultural venues or similar platforms, who can act on behalf of their institution. Applicants must be based in the UK or mainland China, be able to demonstrate organisational authority, and cannot be freelancers, for‑profit companies or funding bodies. The programme runs from the time of the residency (to be agreed with the host) until 30 June 2027. Successful applicants are notified on 15 December 2026 and sign a grant agreement by 21 December 2026. The call opened on 5 November 2026 and closes on 30 November 2026 at 10:00 GMT.

Short‑term residency attached to a bookshop, travel grant, networking with literary stakeholders, access to local events and audiences.

Open to representatives of UK or mainland China literary organisations, bookshops, publishers, festivals, cultural venues, or similar platforms. Applicants must act on behalf of an organisation; freelancers, for‑profit companies and funding bodies are ineligible. UK applicants must be UK residents; Chinese applicants must have a legal address in mainland China.