An international Home for Writers

DELEDDA MASTER

Master in Creative Writing & Translation

Based in Oristano, Sardinia,
and inspired by the legacy of Grazia Deledda, Nobel Prize in Literature

A low-residency graduate program taught in English

Combining intensive residencies with individual mentoring, and guided by an internationally established faculty.
Offered by SSML San Domenico, a higher education institute authorized by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research

Write where history breathes

ABOUT THE MASTER

The Deledda Master in Creative Writing & Translation is an international graduate program designed for writers and translators at various stages of creative development, including adult learners and working professionals

The program offers a rigorous yet flexible framework for advanced literary work, combining intensive in-person residencies with long-term individualized mentoring. Students are able to pursue sustained creative practice while continuing their professional and personal lives

Rooted in Sardinia, the Master provides a setting that encourages focus, depth, and reflection—essential conditions for serious writing and translation

WHY THIS MASTER

Our distinctive approach combines academic rigor with the flexibility needed by working professionals

  • Low-residency format: one-week intensive residencies combined with structured mentoring at a distance

  • International faculty: writers, translators, and educators of established international reputation

  • Small cohorts: ensuring close mentorship, continuity, and individual attention

  • A distinctive cultural context: fostering cross-cultural perspectives and long-term intellectual exchange

PROGRAM DETAILS

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

The Master is structured over two years (with the possibility of extension), following a low-residency model:

  • Intensive in-person residencies held in Sardinia
  • Home-based semesters with one-to-one mentoring
  • A final creative thesis completed under faculty supervision

The curriculum is designed to align with international MFA standards while remaining fully accessible to students living and working around the world

The program is initially focused on creative writing (fiction, non-fiction, poetry and related forms). Literary translation is introduced as an advanced and specialized component of the curriculum, reflecting the growing importance of translation in contemporary literary and cultural exchange

Teaching is provided by an international faculty composed of writers and translators with extensive experience in higher education and creative mentoring. The programs are coordinated by an academic coordinator, responsible for academic coherence, faculty coordination, and the overall intellectual identity of the Master

SSML San Domenico is a university-level higher education institution authorized by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. The institution is entitled to award academic credits recognized within international higher education frameworks

 

LOCATION

Residencies take place in Oristano, Sardinia, a Mediterranean setting with a strong cultural identity. Far from metropolitan distractions, the location offers students the time and concentration necessary for deep creative work

THE RESIDENCY

Intensive residential sessions held twice a year. Each residency offers an immersive period dedicated entirely to writing, reading, discussion, and creative exchange. Days are structured around workshops, seminars, and group critiques

MENTORSHIP

Between residencies, students continue their work through guided writing and one-to-one mentoring. This low-residency structure allows writers to remain rooted in their professional lives while engaging deeply with an international community

As a student in the Deledda Master in Creative Writing & Translation, you become part of a small international community that gathers in Sardinia for intensive residential sessions held twice a year in Oristano

Each residency opens a new semester and offers an immersive period dedicated entirely to writing or translating, reading, discussion, and creative exchange. Days are structured around workshops, seminars, lectures, and group critiques, balanced with time for individual work and reflection

The residential setting encourages a shared rhythm of life: conversations continue beyond the classroom, over meals, during walks through the city, and in moments of informal exchange that are central to the learning experience

Between residencies, students return home and continue their work through guided writing, one-to-one mentoring, and sustained dialogue with faculty. The low-residency structure allows writers to remain rooted in their professional and personal lives while engaging deeply with an international literary community

Following each residency, students continue their work from home through a structured period of individualized study

Over the course of the semester, each student works one-on-one with a faculty advisor, following a personalized study plan developed in dialogue with their interests, background, and artistic goals. While individual paths may differ, the level of rigor, critical attention, and commitment to craft remains consistent across the program

This low-residency mentorship model reflects the real working lives of writers and translators today. It encourages autonomy, discipline, and sustained creative practice, while allowing students to develop a distinctive voice within an international community of peers and mentors

Start Your Journey

Prospective students are invited to explore the full program details,
admissions requirements, and upcoming residency dates