Fables creator Bill Willingham is among the 24 writers selected by Amtrak for its inaugural literary residency program.

Inspired by comments made by author Alexander Chee, the residency was announced in February, offering writers with a free round-trip, long-distance train trip with a sleeping compartment equipped with a desk, free meals and access to the observation car -- all designed to inspire creativity through rail travel.

Amtrak began accepting applications in March, and received more than 16,000 responses. The recipients were ultimately chosen by a panel of four judges: Chee; Joe McHugh, Amtrak's vice president of government affairs and corporate communications; Samuel Nicholson, an editor at Random House; and Amy Stolls, director of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Willingham, who brings his multiple Eisner Award-winning series to a close early next year, is joined in the residency program by bloggers, poets, journalists and novelists -- among them, film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum, Chang and Eng author Darin Strauss, How Star Wars Conquered the Universe author Chris Taylor, and NPR contributor and Superman: The Unauthorized Biography author Glen Weldon.

Beginning in October, about two writers each month will travel on pre-selected trains, with all of Amtrak's 15 long-distance routes ultimately being covered.