The Birkbeck/Sophie Warne Fellowship was established in 2011 and offers an outstanding graduate of the Creative Writing MA at Birkbeck, University of London, the opportunity of a residency at Cove Park to continue to develop their work. Former residents include Robert Akam, Graham Paul Donovan, Julia Gray, Gemma Elwin Harris, Genevieve Herr, Lou Kramskoy, Sadie McKenzie, Paul Martin and Laura Tapsfield.

Lawrence Illsley is the recipient of the 2020 Fellowship. Originally from Cornwall, the poet and songwriter is now based in Wales and was awarded the Fellowship for his MA dissertation and the narrative poem A Brief History of Trees. His writing is concerned with identity and the ecology of place and travel, but rarely escapes the shadow cast by the loss of his parents. Whilst at Cove Park, Lawrence is planning to start a long poem, loosely titled 40 Weeks about the growth of his, as yet, unborn, son over the course of forty weeks.