Love being a part of the AWA community? Or new to AWA and seeking a generative, supportive gathering of writers and workshop leaders?
Attend our annual online retreat, September 25–27! Early Bird registration ends September 7. Register here!
Our 2026 retreat will be online, from the evening of Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27. Our theme is The Pen as Possibility: From Inspiration to Impact.
Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) hosts a retreat every year. Originally, it brought our large network of trained writing workshop leaders together. Now, with all our new writer members, it is designed to connect our Affiliates and Writers.
It’s also a way that we invite new writers into the AWA fold. Members get a $50 discount on the retreat, and Writer membership is $50 annually—it’s a great deal to help you dive in and learn what AWA’s all about.
In the past, we offered the retreat in person. The pandemic had us shift to online, which made it more accessible for those who couldn’t travel. We even tried a hybrid event, both in-person and online. This year we are offering it exclusively online, so more of you can participate.
Join us if you’ve ever taken an AWA training, whether it was in 1999 or 2019, or if you’re a writer interested in developing your craft without damage to your self-esteem.
What’s the Plan? Session Descriptions, Presenter Bios
Prefer to check out the program first? Here’s the schedule with the full session descriptions and presenter bios.
Our retreats can offer inspiration and tools for your craft or business, and they can also serve as a restorative reset. You can trust the AWA practices to hold the creative space and sink deeply into your own work as a writer.
Participants bring their unique perspectives to a long weekend of panel discussions, facilitated writing sessions, presentations and workshops. The retreat is designed based on the interests and assets of our community.
Keynotes and Masterclass
This year, Saturday’s Keynote and Masterclass will be offered by Lisa Cooper Ellison! If you’re not interested in joining the full retreat, you’re welcome to attend just her Keynote, The Nervous System is the First Reader, for $10 and/or the Masterclass, Building A Nervous-System-Aware Writing Practice, for $25.
