Raise your hand if the idea of writing in a beautiful setting, in community with other writers, and not having to worry about cooking or family obligations, sounds like heaven? Imagine all of that, plus the added bonus of being in a location where Black culture is abundant and honored. All of that and more is possible at the following writing residencies and retreats located all over the world.
Apply Now
By no means is this an exhaustive list, but these residencies and writers retreats are all at the top of my list to attend (I’ve actually already checked one off my list) and should be on yours too. Be clear, you don’t have to be a published author to apply to any of these opportunities. Writers of all levels are encouraged to apply. And note, as of today’s publication date, these retreats and residencies still have openings for 2022 and early 2023, so don’t delay. Get your application in soon. (By the Way...Check out my updated and expanded list of Writing Retreats for 2023 on my new blog for BIPOC writers, ReadWriteandCreate.com.)
Six Amazing Writing Retreats and Residencies for Black Writers
Rose Pan African Education Writing Retreat and Cultural Tour – Senegal, West Africa
Led by award-winning poet and memoirist, Dr. Mary-Alice Daniel, this five-day event will function as a cross-genre writing workshop on the coast of Senegal.
From the website: “We are currently accepting applications for this year’s writing workshop December 28-January 8, 2023 and then again from January 10th -20th, 2023.. Join us for 5 days of poetry, writing, and dance workshops followed by a 5 day tour of Dakar’s enchanting markets, museums, coastline, and the gorgeous lagoon and delta of northern Senegal. Dr. Daniel, our retreat leader, is a stunning talent who was born in Nigeria and raised in England and Nashville. She received her BA from Yale University, her MFA from #2 ranked Creative Writing Program at the University of Michigan, and her PhD in Creative Writing and English Literature from the University of Southern California. Solo travelers, digital nomads, academics, professors, writers, and poets encouraged to apply!! “
Details: There are two session of this Workshop. Session one runs from December 28, 2022 – January 8, 2023 and Session two runs from January 10th – 20th, 2023. Applications are being accepted now. Visit the Rose Pan African Website for more details.
The Sea Island Writers Retreat – Sapelo Island, Georgia
Founded by the incomparable, Ms. Tina McElroy Ansa, the Sea Island Writers Retreat offers a lovely location and an amazing faculty of award-winning authors including, Dolen Perkins Valdez, Nic Stone, and Regina Taylor. This is the writing retreat to feed your soul and revive your spirit.
From the website: “Join a small group of committed writers for four full days of uninterrupted “writer’s heaven” discussing, editing, revamping, and workshopping your work-in-progress with some of the most notable and brilliant writers of our time. Each workshop leader teaches her particular genre/writing, talks craft, and joins in camaraderie in the idyllic setting on one of the historic Georgia Sea Islands. Accommodations and workshops will be held in a luscious spot in a sprawling island house with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, several porches, and common areas for lectures and writing. Enjoy casual breakfast and chef-prepared meals each day, along with complimentary beverages and snacks throughout the day.”
Details: Applications are open now. Deadline to apply is August 15, 2022. The retreat runs November 2-6, 2022. For more information, check the Sea Island Writers Retreat website.
The Roots. Wounds. Words. Annual Writers Retreat – Virtual
The Roots. Wounds. Words writers retreat is now accepting applications for their January 2023 retreat for storytellers of color. This new-ish organization holds regular writing workshops and craft talks for writers of color and they are always amazing and centered on the work of marginalized voices.
From the website:
“The Roots. Wounds. Words. Annual Writers’ Retreat for Storytellers of Color is a sacred space wherein BIPOC stories are celebrated, and BIPOC storytellers immersed in liberation. At the Writers’ Retreat, Storytellers receive literary arts instruction offered by award-winning BIPOC writers in the fields of nonfiction, fiction, poetry, speculative fiction, and young adult fiction. In January 2023, Roots. Wounds. Words. Fellows will journey to a virtual sacred space where they will workshop their literary art, perform their work, participate in BIPOC-centered healing and liberation modalities, as well as receive literary arts pedagogy from renowned BIPOC storytellers.”
Details: The retreat will be held January 8 – 14, 2023 online. Applications are being accepted now through July 31, 2022, so don’t delay if you want to attend. For more information, visit the Root. Wounds. Words. website.
Sacatar Foundation: Bahia, Brazil
While the Sacatar Foundation isn’t specifically a writer’s residency, writers can absolutely apply and become a fellow at this Bahia, Brazil based artist’s retreat. Sacatar is open to people of all races and nationalities, but since Bahia, Brazil is a city with a massive African influence – owing to the fact that Bahia is where one-third of the African people abducted from Africa during the trans-Atlantic slave trade- landed post-abduction- the vibe in Bahia is super Black and will be/should be an influence on the work produced while in residence.
From the Website: “Sacatar supports residency fellowships for creative individuals of all nationalities and ages working within and across their respective creative disciplines. During their two-month residency period, Sacatar Fellows are encouraged and supported to utilize their creative practice to engage with the local Bahian communities in Salvador and Itaparica, resulting in rich intercultural collaborative exchanges that are shared through public programs locally and across the world. Sacatar provides unstructured time and an appropriate space for creative individuals to develop new work. (Note: All meals are included as well.)
The Instituto Sacatar sponsors residencies for highly qualified individuals in all creative pursuits. While we sometimes use the word ‘artist,’ we interpret ‘creativity’ in the broadest possible sense. We seek creative individuals of all backgrounds, without regard to race, creed, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, disability or HIV status.”
Details: The deadline for applying for 2023 residencies is August 1, 2022. For more information about this exciting opportunity, visit the Sacatar website.
Apply Next Year
Hurston Wright Writers Residency
One of my favorite writer’s workshops for Black writers is sponsored by the Hurston Wright Foundation. I’ve done one week in-person workshop here and I also participated in one of their virtual weekend workshops. Both featured incredible instructors and an incredibly supportive environment. Hurston Wright is an organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating Black writers and their workshops are no different.
From the website: “The Hurston/Wright Foundation’s mission is to provide services, supports and opportunities that mentor, recognize and provide community for professional and aspiring Black writers. Workshops and classes taught by award-winning authors serve emerging and midcareer adult writers. More than a thousand Black writers have taken our classes since the first one in 1996, increasing diversity in the cultural community as they have gone on to create books and careers as professors, local cultural workers, and national thought leaders.”
This year’s writer’s retreats are happening right now, so it’s too late to apply, but check out the Hurston Wright Website to see when you can apply for 2023’s offerings.
Black Rock Senegal
Founded by presidential portrait artist, Kehinde Wliey, Black Rock Senegal is another residency open to all artists, not just writers, and you don’t have to be Black to apply. But Black Rock was created in 2019, specifically to bring artists to Africa, to engage with the culture, so, Black people should feel pretty secure in that Black Rock offers a Black experience.
From the website: “Named for the volcanic rocks that blanket its shoreline, Black Rock is a multidisciplinary artist-in-residence program founded by renowned artist Kehinde Wiley in 2019. The residency brings together international artists to live and work in Dakar, Senegal for 1-3 month stays. The Black Rock compound design was conceived by Senegalese architect Abib Djenne with interior collaboration between Wiley, Fatiya Djenne, and Aissa Dione. The complex includes a residence and studio space for Wiley along with three single-occupancy residency apartments with adjacent studio spaces. Our mission is to support new artistic creation through collaborative exchange and to incite change in the global discourse about what Africa means today.”
Applications are closed for this year, so check out the Black Rock website to find out when applications for next year can be submitted.
Fly Away and Write
If these opportunities sound delicious and delightful to you, then go ahead and apply. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain in writing time, community, inspiration, education, and a room of your own to create.
Let me know if you decide to apply. I want to hear all about it.
More Good Stuff for POC Writers
Be sure to visit my new Read Write and Create blog and podcast. You’ll find a bunch of resources and inspiration for BIPOC writers and the readers who love them.
