Portland’s Mechanics’ Hall is looking for a new writer-in-residence

 Mira Ptacin, current writer-in-residence at Mechanics' Hall (Photo by Nicole Hill courtesy of Mechanics' Hall) For author Mira Ptacin, writing isn’t meant to be a solitary activity. Ptacin, who lives on Peaks Island, has held the writer-in-residence position at Mechanics’ Hall since September last year.  She originally approached the organization with the aim of beginning the program because she was struggling with procrastination while working alone at home. Previously, Ptacin was encouraged to self-isolate by a former mentor in order to fuel her creative process and once ended up in another residency program where she worked mostly in solitude. Ptacin said that the isolation made her feel as though she was losing her mind. Now, she’s enjoying a new kind of creative experience at Mechanics’ Hall. “What makes this residency different is that it’s not just this isolated space. It’s not a room of your own. It’s a community space where you will be nurtured,” said Ptacin. Advertisement Six months into her residency at Mechanics’ Hall, Ptacin completed two book proposals and sold one book. “I got so much done. It is such a magical place to work,” said Ptacin. With Ptacin’s term nearly over, Mechanics’ Hall is looking for a new Maine-based writer-in-residence. The writer would begin their year-long appointment in September and will have a dedicated workspace at Mechanics’ Hall, community support, a residency launch event and a $2,500 honorarium. In return, the writer-in-residence will be expected to participate in the Portland writers community at Mechanics’ Hall, including holding monthly office hours, as well as hosting events and presenting creative work completed during their residency. The application period is now open and will close on June 30. Applications can be submitted on the [Mechanics’ Hall website at mechanicshallmaine.org](https://mechanicshallmaine.org/writer-in-residence/). Writers of fiction, nonfiction or hybrid genres at any stage in their career are encouraged to apply. SPACE FOR CURIOSITY AND COMMUNITY Mechanics’ Hall, built in 1859 by the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association, serves as one of the nation’s oldest lending libraries and a gathering place to hold literary, music, dance and community events, as well as lectures.  Advertisement “We like to say ‘we welcome the curious’ by providing a space where people can connect with ideas, creativity, and one another,” said Annie Leahy, the inaugural executive director of Mechanics’ Hall. The appointed writer-in-residence will have a dedicated desk to work on their creative projects and community support from other makers in Mechanics’ Hall. They will also be given promotional across the organization’s social networks, including having their work featured in newsletters and social media. [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/NHIL0940-3_017e02.jpg) Mira Ptacin works from her writer-in-residence desk in Mechanics’ Hall. (Photo by Nicole Hill courtesy of Mechanics’ Hall) Ptacin plans to keep working at Mechanics’ Hall as a member, even after she hands off the writer-in-residence position at the end of August. The new writer-in-residence will have big shoes to fill. To the New York Times and Kirkus reviews, Ptacin is an award-winning writer of books such as “Poor Your Soul” and “The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna.”And to Mechanics’ Hall, Ptacin is a beloved addition to the community described by Leahy as “part of the daily life of the library.”  Portland poet Charisse Gendron, a volunteer at the library and member of the library committee at Mechanics’ Hall, said that their experience with Ptacin has inspired excitement at Mechanics’ Hall as they put out an open call for someone to take Ptacin’s place as writer-in-residence. Gendron is part of the jury who will select the new writer. “Besides providing accessible mentorship and learning opportunities for local writers, the successful candidate will connect with other artists and writers working in our space to strengthen Portland’s cultural identity. We see the position as an extension of our history as a place for makers,” Gendron said. Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, a writer and executive director of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, who lives in Portland, views the writer-in-residence position as fruitful for both the writer and the Maine community. “Writers, individually and collectively, are part of the creative and cultural fabric of Maine, and help us understand ourselves and our communities. They help us dream, imagine, feel and understand,” he said. “These kinds of positions are tremendously important for a writer’s development and capacity to get new stories (in any form) done.” Copy the Story Link Tagged: [books](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/books/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/chloe-swedberg) [Chloe SwedbergStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/chloe-swedberg) Chloe Swedberg, a graduate of Bowdoin College, is pursuing a master of journalism degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She is working with the Press Herald's features team. [More by Chloe Swedberg](https://www.pressherald.com/author/chloe-swedberg)