Writing Retreat with
Susan Rich
May 2 - 8, 2027
Bordeaux, France
Taking Flight: Travel Poetry (& Memoir) with Humans and Birds
Join Susan Rich in a landscape that allows your heart to soar and your pen to fly. Take in the vineyards and the rolling hills beyond.
We will visit the bird sanctuary down the road, and yes, the birds will all advance your sense of wonderment – and your writing.
This all-women retreat will let you be the woman you always meant to be, as the poet Linda Pastan writes in her stunning travel poem, In Another Country. Now that woman can be you as you explore the countryside, sun by the pool, birdwatch, and more.
Each student will receive a one-hour private consultation with Susan in addition to fifteen hours of the workshop, scheduled activities and local transportation.
About Susan Rich
Award winning poet and essayist Susan Rich has lived and worked on four continents as is evident from her first book The Cartographer’s Tongue/Poems of the World, which won the PEN USA Award to her most recent book of poems, Blue Atlas, Finalist for the Washington State Book Award. She has published six collections of award winning poetry and is editor/co-editor of three anthologies including Demystifying the Manuscript: How to Create a Book of Poems with Kelli Russell Agodon. As the editor of Birdbrains: A Lyrical Guide to Washington State Birds and a long-time scholar of Elizabeth Bishop’s work, she will offer poems, essays, lecturettes and exceptional generative prompts to poets & writers at every level, from the shyest of fledgling poets, to well published authors. Most recently, A Walking Out is forthcoming from Red Hen Press!
Susan teaches Creative Writing and Film Studies at Highline College. She is the director of Poets on the Coast: A Weekend Writing Retreat for Women, now in its 16th year. Susan has presented her work and taught in France, India, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
Books by Susan
Share a château with eight other writers for a week of creative splendor in the Bordeaux vineyards.
Delicious French meals will be prepared for you daily, infusing you with the joie de vivre of the region.
To maximize your writing time, breakfasts and our chef-prepared lunches are grab and go. In the evening, our chef prepares exquisite sit-down dinners.
In your spare time, enjoy a dip in the pool, hone your writing in cozy corners of the estate, or curl up with a great book in one of the reading rooms.
Explore the stunning grounds.
We offer a guided stroll through the château’s vineyard and a private tasting of its wine.
We will also visit the Terre d’Oiseaux, a regional bird sanctuary. After exploring the sanctuary, we’ll arrive at the colorful farmer’s market on the Allée des Soupirs—the Alley of Sighs and lunch at a restaurant.
This beauty is the Common Kingfisher found in Bordeaux.
Accommodations
The château features eleven bedrooms, each with a private, full bathroom.
Amenities include toiletries, blow-dyer, washer/dryer and scent-free detergent, printer, and wifi.
YOUR RETREAT INCLUDES:
6 nights in an ensuite private room
freshly prepared French meals
15 hours of workshop instruction
one-hour private critique
scheduled dining out & activities
local transportation
on-site concierge services
Please note that alcohol is not included
$6650 for a single room
$5950 for a shared room with someone you know
“What a lovely experience from start to finish. Everything was so well done for us with such consideration for each of us. The view from my room was spectacular!”
– Mercilee Jenkins