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EXTENDED application deadline is October 15 at midnight
Do you need a little time and space away from the pressures of everyday life to focus on your writing? Join us for our Nov 2024 Facilitated Retreat; this retreat is perfect for beginner or emerging writers who have never been to a SWG retreat and would like to dive deeply into their writing for a few days.
We are hosting our Facilitated Retreat from Nov 8-11, 2024 at St. Peter’s Abbey in Muenster, Saskatchewan. At the SWG Facilitated Retreat, our Writer-In-Residence will give an introductory talk on an aspect of writing and meet with each retreatant individually to discuss your writing and/or answer your writing-related questions. Retreatants will also enjoy undisturbed writing time, provided meals and socialization with each other, the inspiration of St. Peter’s Abbey and a sharing of each others’ work on Nov 10. The facilitated retreat is designed as a time for you to focus on the writing you would like to do and to gain encouragement and motivation by interacting with the Writer-In-Residence and your fellow participants.
What You Can Expect to Gain at a Facilitated Retreat
The cost is $350 per person and includes a private room and all meals as well as interaction with the Writer-In-Residence as described above. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the retreat; carpooling may be available (please inquire).
To apply, applicants 19 years and older should submit 10 pages of writing they would like to have evaluated by the Writer-in-Residence, a letter describing their writing experience and why they want to attend the SWG Facilitated Retreat, and a completed application form. Please see our full application guidelines before submitting.
EXTENDED application deadline is Tuesday October 15, 2024 (midnight).
Preference will be given to Saskatchewan-based SWG members who have not published a book and who have never attended any SWG retreats. This facilitated retreat is primarily a retreat for beginning and emerging writers and priority will be given to these writers. However, if there is space available, we will consider applications from more experienced writers, non-SK residents and non-SWG members. A maximum of ten participants will be accepted.
Payment is due upon acceptance to the Facilitated Retreat. A non-refundable late fee of $35 will apply to all applications received after the application deadline.
Eligible retreat applicants may also apply for the Doris Hillis Scholarship, which provides one recipient with full fees for the Facilitated Retreat at St. Peter’s Abbey. The scholarship is for an emerging BIPOC Saskatchewan writer working on poetry or drama. To apply, please fill out this application form in addition to your Facilitated Retreat application form.
Please contact Program Director Yolanda Hansen at programs@skwriter.com or 306-791-7743 with any questions.
Clarissa Harwood will be the Writer in Residence for the November 2024 Facilitated Retreat.
Clarissa Harwood holds a PhD in Nineteenth-century British Literature and is the author of three historical novels. Publishers Weekly called her first novel, Impossible Saints, “a rich debut. . . . With insight and sensitivity, Harwood explores century-old social mores and challenges that still echo loudly today.” Her second novel, Bear No Malice, won the Editor’s Choice award from the Historical Novel Society, and her third, The Curse of Morton Abbey, won the 2022 Ontario Indie Author Project Contest. Clarissa has taught university literature and writing courses for more than twenty years. She is also a freelance editor with an unhealthy passion for semicolons. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, she currently lives in Quebec with her husband and four spoiled cats. You can find her at clarissaharwood.com.
Her introductory talk will be “Write Towards the Danger”:
It’s often easier to write what we think others expect or to present ourselves in a certain way than to write honestly and with vulnerability. Honest writing can feel dangerous, but without digging deeply into what matters to us and what we believe to be true, our writing will stay on the surface, relying on stereotypes and cliché. No matter what genre you write, it’s important to find safe containers that help you write authentically. Clarissa discusses how to experiment with physical containers (from closets to close friends) and figurative containers (from POV to personality types) to find what works for you.
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