For any questions regarding our positions, please contact Dr. Erin Elizabeth Smith at erin@sundresspublications.com.
Editorial Intern, Sundress Academy for the Arts
Deadline: June 1, 2026
The Sundress Academy for the Arts at Firefly Farms, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is seeking editorial interns. The position’s responsibilities include the preparation of documents necessary to run an independent writer’s residency, as well as online participation in literary events including readings and workshops. This part-time internship would consist of approximately 5-10 hours of work per week and run from July 1st, 2026 to December 31st, 2026. All applicants must be local to the greater Knoxville, TN area for the majority of the internship period.
The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is an entirely volunteer-run organization that hosts residencies, workshops, and retreats centered on creative writing in all genres. Located on a 45-acre farm twenty minutes from downtown Knoxville, SAFTA’s mission is to give writers of all levels a chance to workshop with nationally renowned professionals in their field as well as uninterrupted time to focus on their creative work.
The editorial intern’s responsibilities will include writing press releases, composing blogs, creating promotional graphics, proofreading, working with social media (Facebook, WordPress, etc.), collating editorial and residency data, research, and more. The intern will also be needed to help facilitate Zoom readings and workshops.
Preferred qualifications include:
- A keen eye for proof-reading
- Strong written communication skills
- Experience with WordPress, Zoom, Google Sheets, and Canva
- Knowledge of contemporary literature a plus
While this is an unpaid internship, all interns will gain real-world experience in working with online event planning, nonprofit management, running a residency, communications, and more while creating a portfolio of work for future employment opportunities. Interns will get to work alongside members of both the local and national literary community through SAFTA workshops and readings, which interns are able to attend for free during their tenure with the organization.
To apply, please send a resume and a brief cover letter detailing your interest in the position to the Staff Director, Rachel Mekdeci, at saftastaffdirector@gmail.com. Applications are due by June 1st, 2026. For more details on how to complete this application, you can refer to our Editorial Internship Guidebook.
Development Director, Sundress Academy for the Arts
Deadline: June 15, 2026
An extension of Sundress Publications, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit publication group founded in 2000, the Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is an writers’ residency on a 45-acre farm in Knoxville, Tennessee, that offers residencies to writers in all genres including literary, nonfiction, journalism, and academic. With two residency rooms and a dry cabin on site, we offer a rotating space for nationally recognized and emerging artists in multiple disciplines. SAFTA also hosts virtual workshops, a reading series, and yearly retreats.
This position will run for one year from your start date with a chance to be renewed the following year. The development director’s responsibilities includes working with a team of interns and other directors to research grant opportunities, help with drafting grant proposals and close-outs, coordinate between SAFTA department heads, work with our budget office, create new fundraising opportunities, and lead a team to write, edit, and submit national, regional, and local grants.
Qualifications include:
- Strong organizational, creative problem-solving, and written communication skills
- Familiarity with online research
- A keen eye for grammar, punctuation, and syntax
- A passion for contemporary literature and community arts programs
Previous experience with arts administration and/or grant writing is greatly preferred but not required Applicants are welcome to telecommunicate and therefore are not restricted to living in the Knoxville area. We are especially interested in applications from writers of color, transgender and nonbinary writers, and writers with disabilities.
While this is an unpaid position, all directorships with SAFTA gain real-world experience with a nationally recognized press and arts organization while creating a portfolio of work for future employment opportunities. Directors will also be able to attend all retreats at the Sundress Academy for the Arts for free.
To apply, please send a resume and a brief cover letter detailing your interest in the position to our Hiring Manager Katie Collins at sundresshiringmanager@gmail.com. Applications are due by June 15, 2026.