2024 Retreats

At Rosemary’s House, we offer three types of retreat programming, designed to meet the needs of our creative community. While our residential workshop retreat is our signature programming, we have expanded our offering to additionally include an individual tutorial retreat and a generative storytelling retreat. Regardless of which week you attend, all of our retreats are centered around three questions:

What makes a story compelling and sellable?
Which stories reflect our times?
How can you capture your unique story?

Residential Workshop Retreats

Rosemary's House offers signature residential workshop retreats, where each day unfolds with a group workshop dedicated to exploring the nuances of storytelling. Participants will benefit from personalized feedback, receiving insights from both the mentor-in-residence and their fellow writers. We advocate for writers to select a cohort led by a mentor whose expertise aligns with their individual craft and professional aspirations. Our workshops are intentionally multi-genre, bringing together writers with diverse strengths and backgrounds. This eclectic mix enriches the collective understanding of story architecture, allowing writers to cross-pollinate ideas and overcome narrative challenges.

Multi-Genre Workshops: Engage in daily sessions led by successful mentors to enrich your understanding across various writing genres.
Personalized Feedback: Receive in-depth mentor and peer feedback on a 3500 word sample and project outlines, tailored to your unique style and goals.
Dedicated Workshop Time: Enjoy a dedicated session to deeply engage with your work and receive focused group discussion and critique.
Project Crafting Guidance: Obtain expert advice on crafting your project and planning your professional trajectory, including insights into publishing and marketing strategies.
Storytelling Expansion: Learn new techniques for developing compelling characters, vivid settings, and mastering narrative structure and dialogue.

Marisa Renee Lee

*Residential Workshop Retreat:* August 16-23
**Remaining spaces: 0**
Marisa Renee Lee is a called-upon grief advocate, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of the award-winning book *Grief is Love, Living with Loss*. A Former Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement and a Senior Advisor on the Domestic Policy Council under President Obama, Lee regularly contributes to Elle, Vogue, The Atlantic, MSNBC, and CNN and serves as an expert for Ritual's well-being app. Praised by Elaine Welteroth as "the friend we all wish we had in times of need," Marisa is celebrated for her ability to blend research-backed advice with profound empathy. Her insights help others manage the complex emotions of loss and articulate their experiences with empathy.
The Rosemary’s House Team recommends Marisa’s retreat for ambitious professionals ready to transform their rich personal and professional experiences into powerful narratives. Whether you are aiming to pen a revealing memoir, craft thought-provoking articles, or position yourself as a thought leader through insightful non-fiction, this workshop will provide the tools you need. Under Marisa's guidance, explore how your unique story can forge connections, inspire others, and open new avenues in your career. If you aspire to elevate your expertise and influence through writing, join Marisa at Rosemary’s House. Discover how your narrative can not only resonate deeply but also empower you to emerge as a leading voice in your field.

Krishan Trotman

*Residential Workshop Retreat:* August 16-23
**Remaining spaces: 0**
Krishan Trotman is the Vice President and Publisher at Legacy Lit, an innovative imprint she founded under Hachette Books in 2020. Legacy Lit is committed to elevating issues, authors, and communities often overlooked, championing equality, equity, and inclusion through its mission-driven commercial works. The imprint seeks to provide a platform for voices that challenge and enrich our cultural dialogue.
Since joining Hachette Books in 2016, Trotman has collaborated with authors who are candid, bold, and unafraid to challenge the norm. Her impressive portfolio includes a range of award-winning and New York Times bestsellers, featuring works by figures such as Congressman John Lewis, journalist Stephanie Land, and MSNBC political analyst Malcolm Nance. Krishan is also the co-author of the *Queens of the Resistance* series and has been featured in top publications and media outlets, including The New York Times, Essence Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Shondaland, and CSPAN.
The Rosemary’s House Team recommends Krishan’s retreat for writers who are keen to inject fresh and provocative perspectives into the publishing landscape. This retreat is ideal for those ready to make bold moves and explore new possibilities in their writing careers. Join Krishan to learn how to navigate the industry while staying true to your innovative vision.

Jenny Zhang

*Residential Workshop Retreat:* September 6-13
**Remaining spaces: 0**
Jenny Zhang is the author of the story collection Sour Heart and the poetry collection My Baby First Birthday. She is the recipient of the Pen/Bingham Award for Debut Fiction, the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, and an O. Henry award. Her work appears in The New York Times, Poetry, Harpers, N+1, Best American Poetry, and other publications.
Residencies and fellowships she's been awarded include: MacDowell, Marble House, Mirante Xique Xique, Willapa Bay AiR, Jentel, Yaddo, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. She’s written television and film for A24, HBO, Netflix, Apple, and Amazon. She holds degrees from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Stanford University.
The Rosemary’s House Team recommends Jenny’s retreat for writers who are keen to refine their style and expand their narrative capabilities, whether in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or television writing. It’s an ideal setting for writers eager to explore and enhance their voice under the guidance of a mentor known for her bold and introspective approach. Jenny’s *mastery in maintaining her distinct voice across various genres and mediums makes her an exceptional mentor for writers aiming to diversify their projects and tap into new markets and revenue streams.*

Adam Leipzig

***Residential Workshop Retreat:*** **September 24- October 1**
**Remaining spaces: 1**
Adam Leipzig is a filmmaker, producer, educator, and author. He has been a senior executive at Walt Disney Studios, the president of National Geographic Films, and has worked independently as a producer, distributor, or supervising executive on 38 films that have disrupted expectations, including *March of the Penguins*, *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids*, *Dead Poets Society*, *Titus*, *The Way Back* and *A Plastic Ocean*. Adam's movies have won or been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, 11 BAFTA Awards, 2 Golden Globes, 2 Emmys, 2 Directors Guild Awards, 4 Sundance Awards, and 4 Independent Spirit Awards. Adam began his career as one of the founders of the Los Angeles Theatre Center. As both producer and dramaturg for the center, Adam produced and supervised more than 300 productions.
*The Rosemary’s House Team recommends Adam’s retreat* for writers seeking to refine their screenplays or stage plays with industry-level feedback, or for those looking to adapt existing projects across different genres. Join Adam to gain invaluable insights and guidance on taking your work to the next level, leveraging his extensive experience and success in both film and theatre.

Ben Taub

*Residential Workshop Retreat:* September 24 - October 1
**Remaining spaces: 2**
Ben Taub is a staff writer at the *New Yorker.* He has written for the magazine about jihadism, crime, conflict, climate change, exploration, and human rights, on four continents and at sea. In 2020, he won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing, for his work on the lasting effects, on former detainees and guards, of American abuses in Guantánamo Bay. He has also received a National Magazine Award, two consecutive George Polk Awards, a Livingston Award, a Robert F. Kennedy Award, an Overseas Press Club Award, and other honors, and his work has appeared in recent editions of “The Best American Magazine Writing” and “The Best American Travel Writing.” Taub also received the ASME Next Award for Journalists Under 30, and was named one of Forbes's 30 Under 30 in Media.
The Rosemary’s House Team recommends Ben’s retreat for writers eager to delve into journalistic writing or embark on research-driven projects across any genre. This retreat is particularly suited for those tackling political, environmental, or humanitarian themes, offering a unique opportunity to refine your craft under the guidance of an award-winning journalist. Join Ben to explore the complexities of capturing intricate stories that drive global conversations.

Heather Aimee O'Neill

***Residential Workshop Retreat:*** **October 2-9**
**Remaining spaces: 1**
Heather Aimee O’Neill has worked with hundreds of novelists, memoirists, short-story and essay writers in her roles as the assistant director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop and as an independent editor and writing coach. She helps writers start, finish, polish, and find publication for their work. Many of her students and clients have gone on to publish with major publishers, including Viking, W.W. Norton, Harper Collins, Double Day, Flatiron Books, and Simon & Schuster, among others.
The Rosemary’s House Team recommends Heather’s retreat for writers across all genres, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. This retreat is ideal for anyone looking to enhance their writing skills, receive personalized guidance on their projects, and explore effective strategies for navigating the publishing industry.

Individual Tutorial Retreat

Our individualized tutorial retreat caters to writers seeking to dedicate most of their time to writing, guided by expert supervision. In collaboration with Sally Bayley, Rosemary’s House has crafted a week-long experience reminiscent of an Oxbridge supervision term. Participants will have the opportunity to submit up to 10,000 words of a larger work for detailed review, complemented by personalized mentorship sessions, ensuring focused and constructive advancement of their project.

One-on-One Mentorship: Receive personalized, intensive mentorship sessions tailored to your specific project and writing goals.
Detailed Project Feedback: Get in-depth feedback on up to 10,000 words of your work to refine your manuscript and define a clear path forward.
Custom Writing Plan: Develop a writing plan customized to leverage your strengths and address your challenges, guiding your project completion.
Advanced Craft Techniques: Learn sophisticated storytelling techniques and narrative strategies to elevate your writing and storytelling skills.
Project Structuring and Planning: Obtain expert guidance on effectively structuring your project, from initial concept to final draft, focusing on pacing, plotting, and character development.

Sally Bayley

*Individual Tutorial Retreat*: October 2-9
**Remaining spaces: 1**
Sally Bayley is a writer of fiction and non-fiction. She is particularly interested in the shifting relationship between genres. Girl with Dove (William Collins, 2018), is a literary coming of age story. It has been lauded as a completely original work that invents a new genre. Sally also hosts and performs the highly successful immersive podcast, A READING LIFE, A WRITING LIFE, which offers innovative forms of storytelling set to music and soundscapes as well as creative prompts for writers, readers and creatives. She is currently a Lecturer in English at Hertford College, Oxford.
The Rosemary’s House Team recommends Sally’s retreat for writers who are in the advanced stages of drafting a full-length project and are looking to focus on independent writing and personalized mentorship. This retreat is ideal for those seeking to refine their work with expert guidance, in a week-long program modeled after an accelerated Oxford term.

Generative Storytelling Retreat

Rosemary’s House is proud to introduce our first-ever themed generator week, focusing this year on 'The Inward Journey”. Instead of the usual group workshops, this unique residency emphasizes generative writing exercises designed to foster creativity, develop process, and invite personal growth through storytelling. This retreat is open to writers at all stages of the creative process and invites those who are curious to explore the relationship between story, selfhood, and freedom.

Understanding Personal and Creative Identity: Explore how your personal experiences and identity shape your writing through identity mapping and intention setting exercises.
Active Participation in Healing and Craft: Learn to actively engage in your healing journey alongside enhancing your craft, using group feedback to refine your storytelling.
Embracing Liberation and Creativity: Discover the connection between liberation and creativity, imagining and discussing what you could create from a place of freedom.
Enhancing Storytelling Skills: Participate in daily workshops that cover narrative structure, character development, and thematic exploration.
Personalized Developmental Feedback: Receive targeted mentorship and developmental edits on your submissions, with clear steps for advancing your writing.