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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 2025 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 6-9, 2025, 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 other’s work on Nov 8. 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 $400 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.
Application deadline is Wednesday, October 8, 2025 (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.
Meredith Hambrock will be the Writer in Residence for the November 2025 Facilitated Retreat.
Meredith Hambrock has worked in writing rooms on over 100 episodes of TV Comedy. She most recently served as Executive Story Editor on the sitcom “Corner Gas Animated.” In 2022, her episode “A Lot to Be Desired” was nominated for a Leo Award. Her debut mystery novel, “Other People's Secrets”, was published in September 2022 by Crooked Lane Books and was called “audacious” and “fabulous” by the New York Times Book Review and was nominated for a Lefty Award in the Best Debut Mystery Category. Her second novel, “She's a Lamb!” was published in April 2025 by ECW Press and was named a Best Book of the Year (so far) at both Indigo and Apple Books.
Meredith's Thursday Night Talk
Finding Your Why
Writing is hard. Writing is fun. Writing is rewarding. Writing is disappointing.
One of the biggest hurdles many writers face is getting their butt in the chair and getting to work. In this talk, we'll consider the many different reasons people sit down to write. We'll talk through our whys - is it a love of a great plot? The feeling of expressing oneself? Creating beautiful sentences and precise images? We'll discuss different reasons and approaches to writing with the hope of defining our intention and discovering it, not just inside of our work, but in our approach to it. In doing so, perhaps we can build more excitement for craft and all that we can accomplish when we get to work.
Funding provided by:
In proud partnership with:
