Italy, here we come!
Writing Retreat in Italy!
Join us for an exciting retreat in the Tuscan countryside, where art, food & culture meet in this uniquely curated Anaphora event.
Dates: August 10 - 19, 2024
Writers & artists from all backgrounds and disciplines are welcome.
This retreat is a unique program designed to brings together writers and artists working across different genres and disciplines, to create together in community in the backdrop of the stunning Tuscan countryside.
The program will include talks and conversations; excursions to local sites; generative workshops; explorations of elements of craft across different genres; writing groups, and more.
Join us for this unique experience, and jumpstart your creative practice today!
Speakers
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Chris Abani
MIXED-GENRE FACULTY
Chris Abani is an acclaimed novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter, and playwright. Born in Nigeria to an Igbo father and English mother, he grew up in Afikpo, Nigeria, received a BA in English from Imo State University, Nigeria, an MA in English, Gender, and Culture from Birkbeck College, University of London, and a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Southern California. His books of fiction include The Secret History of Las Vegas, Song For Night, The Virgin of Flames, Becoming Abigail, Graceland, and Masters of the Board. His poetry collections are Smoking the Bible, Sanctificum, There Are No Names for Red, Feed Me The Sun: Collected Long Poems, Hands Washing Water, Dog Woman, Daphne’s Lot, and Kalakuta Republic. Through his TED Talks, public speaking, and essays, Abani is known as an international voice on humanitarianism, art, ethics, and our shared political responsibility. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the PEN Beyond the Margins Award, the Hurston Wright Award, and a Lannan Literary Fellowship, among many honors. His work has been translated into many different languages.
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Kwame Dawes
POETRY FACULTY
Kwame Dawes is the author of numerous books of poetry and other books of fiction, criticism, and essays. His most recent collection is Sturge Town(Peepal Tree Press, UK 2023). Dawes is a George W. Holmes University Professor of English and Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner. He teaches in the Pacific MFA Program and is the Series Editor of the African Poetry Book Series, Director of the African Poetry Book Fund, and Artistic Director of the Calabash International Literary Festival. He is a Chancellor for the Academy of American Poets and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Kwame Dawes is the winner of the prestigious Windham/Campbell Award for Poetry and was a finalist for the 2022 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. In 2022 Dawes was awarded the Order of Distinction Commander class by the Government of Jamaica. In 2022, Dawes was named the 2022 Brittle Paper Literary Person of the Year. Until July 2011, Dawes was Distinguished Poet in Residence, Louis Frye Scudder Professor of Liberal Arts, and founder and executive director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative. He was the director of the University of South Carolina Arts Institute and is the Artistic Director of the Calabash International Literary Festival, which takes place in Jamaica in May of each year. Dawes is currently the Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner at the University of Nebraska, where he is a Chancellor’s Professor of English.
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Laura Warrell
FICTION FACULTY
Laura Warrell is the author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the Golden Poppy Book Award. Named a ‘best’ or ‘must-read’ book by Vanity Fair, People, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Apple Books, The Root, The Millions, Hollywood Reporter, Bustle, Today, Debutiful, and elsewhere, the novel was also chosen as a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, and an Indie Next List Pick. Laura, named a “Writer to Watch” by Publishers Weekly, grew up in Ohio. She graduated from the Creative Writing Program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and she has attended residencies at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Tin House Writer’s Workshop where she taught in the online Winter Workshop in 2023. Laura’s writing has been published in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Lit Hub, Los Angeles Review of Books, Huffington Post, The Rumpus, The Writer, and other publications.
Venue
Details
Programming
The Writing Retreat in Italy is a unique program designed to bring together writers and artists working across different genres and disciplines, to create together in community in a beautiful Tuscan villa. The retreat will include talks and conversations; excursions to local sites; generative workshops; explorations of elements of craft across different genres; writing groups, and more.
Lodging & Meals
We will be staying in a beautiful historical villa in the Tuscan countryside, near the city of Lucca. The villa sits on three and half acres, surrounded by elegant gardens, and spectacular views of the nearby valley. The villa also boasts stunning frescoes, antique furniture, and quaint gathering places to inspire the creative mind, such as a beautifully lit gazebo, the notorious limonaia (a high-tech multifunctional space), and more. Participants will be staying in exquisitely decorated shared rooms overlooking the gardens of the villa.
Amenities include a mini-fridge, safe, hair dryer, air conditioning/heating, complimentary drink service, daily cleaning services (except Sundays), high-speed wifi, cable/satellite TV in the living rooms, heated swimming pool, free parking, and more. There is also a fully equipped industrial size kitchen on site, as well as communal washers and dryers. There are grocery stores, markets, and pharmacies within walking distance.
Community meals are a staple of the retreat; each one is designed to help participants connect with each other, to help you create an unforgettable experience. Our meals are prepared by renown local Chef Andrea Brugnoli, with organically sourced ingredients. The retreat will include themed dinners, including the welcome dinner, pizza night, and more. We will also hold a writing and cooking class in the retreat, to help you relax and inspire your creativity.
Transportation
Transportation to and from the nearest airports is included in the program fee. Our program staff will also be available to assist with securing additional transportation throughout. We will also have a driver on site, available upon request, to accommodate additional excursions and trips.
Excursions
The program includes two guided excursions to neighboring cities, which will include historical sites, wine tasting or food tasting trips. The guided excursions are meant to inspire and reinvigorate participants, and to further strengthen our community through shared experiences of different creative practices.
Fees
The retreat costs $5,800 to attend; the fee includes transportation from/to airport (arrival and departure), meals and lodging for the duration of the retreat, and excursions to local sites, as well as programming. Registrations will open in the Spring; we have limited spots available, so we encourage you to apply early. Registrations will close by April 30, 2024. Several fellowships will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Please note: we’re still taking applications for the retreat, apply today!
Still have questions about the program? Please check our FAQ for more details, or contact us.
Join us!
Please use the form below to register for the retreat.