A Writing Retreat
with Christine Sneed

April 26 - May 2, 2026
Bordeaux, France

Lightning on the page

Each morning our group of 8 writers will meet for three hours of both generative writing and workshop, along with discussions addressing practical aspects of the writing life.

We’ll aim for the flexible goal of writing vibrant new work—either stand-alone or part of a longer project—by the end of our week together.

Each student will meet with Christine for an individual one-hour session.

All genres—fiction, nonfiction/memoir, poetry, and one-acts/scripts—and all levels of experience are welcome.

About Christine

CHRISTINE SNEED is the author of the novels Please Be Advised: A Novel in Memos, Little Known Facts, and Paris, He Said, and the story collections Portraits of a Few of the People I’ve Made Cry and The Virginity of Famous Men. She is also the editor of the short fiction anthology, Love in the Time of Time’s Up. Her seventh book, Direct Sunlight, a short story collection, was published in June 2023. She has received the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, the 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation, the Chicago Writers’ Association Book of the Year Award twice, the Society of Midland Authors’ Award, an O. Henry Prize, and Ploughshares’ Zacharis Award. She has also been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Chicago Review of Books’ Fiction Award. She lives in Pasadena, CA with her partner Adam Tinkham and teaches for the graduate writing program at Northwestern University in the School of Professional Studies and for Stanford University Continuing Studies. Christine is a member of both the Authors Guild and the Writers Guild of America.

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 to infuse you in 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.

Activities during your retreat include a guided stroll through the château’s vineyard and a private tasting of its wines. On Wednesday, we will tour the Citadel of Blaye, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After seeing the fortress, we will visit the colorful farmer’s market on the Allée des Soupirs –the Alley of Sighs –and lunch at a restaurant.

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.

 

Christine Sneed's
Writing 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

 
The cost of this retreat:
$6,150 for a private room
$5,550 each 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