JOIN US for our Arcachon Writers’ Atelier
Arcachon Writers’ Atelier brings together two established novelists for a rare, collaborative experience on the Atlantic coast of France. Participants may choose a workshop that fits where they are in their writerly journey. In “The Storytelling Sojourn” Jamie will offer a generative retreat focused on momentum, exploration, and new work. Mary will offer a more “peeling the onion” retreat, centered on discovery, digging deeper and revision. While each workshop has its own focus, the community is shared—restaurant meals, salons, the boat tour, and sustained craft conversations. This is a retreat for writers who value depth over spectacle, conversation over performance, and the rare opportunity to encounter two literary minds instead of one.
A Writing Retreat with
Mary Morris
September 6 - 12, 2026
Arcachon, France
Hiding in Plain Site: Finding the story that eludes you.
This workshop is designed to help you find the hidden treasures that might already be lurking within you or within your work that you have yet to uncover. Whether you’re an emerging writer with a story you are struggling to tell or an experienced writer, feeling stuck, this retreat is meant to help you work through the obstacles that might stand in the way. Sometimes writers don’t always know the story they want to tell. Or perhaps that story hasn’t fully emerged on the page. We will work together, finding the point of entry or pruning what stands in your way. Through prompts, readings, sharing work and just talking, we will strive to unearth those secret gems. For three hours each morning we will try to discover the stories that might just be lying in wait and develop the tools to help you uncover them.
Meet Mary
MARY MORRIS is the award-winning author of numerous works, including the novels Gateway to the Moon and The Red House,, three collections of short stories, and five travel memoirs, including recently, All the Way to the Tigers – one of NPR’s best books of 2020. Her travel memoir, Nothing to Declare: Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone, is considered a classic in its genre. She is the recipient of The Rome Prize in Literature, the George W. Perkins Fellowship from Princeton University and the 2016 Anisfield-Wolf Award for fiction. An experienced teacher, Morris has taught creative writing at Princeton University and Sarah Lawrence College. While she writes both fiction and nonfiction, Morris considers herself to be mainly a storyteller, spinning yarns that have engaged her many thousands of readers. She lives with her family, dog and a parrot in Brooklyn, New York in what she likens to a pirate ship.
For more information visit www.marymorris.net.
Upon arrival, you'll be welcomed in this amazing villa on the glorious Bay of Arcachon.
Arcachon is known for a variety of local specialities including mackerel, sole, and oysters.
Delicious French meals, prepared daily, infuse the regional joie de vivre
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.
Throughout the day,
you can always find a sweet space to write on your own.
Scheduled Activities
Optional activities during your retreat includes a private boat tour of the Bay of Arcachon, a visit to the neighboring village, Cap de Ferret, and lunch at a local restaurant.
Immerse yourself in Arcachon
In your spare time, enjoy a dip in the water, expand your writing community, and explore the village of Arcachon just minutes away on foot.
Accommodations
There are nine unique ensuite bedrooms.
Amenities include: toiletries, blow-dyer, washer/dryer and scent-free detergent, printer, and wifi.
What's included:
– 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
“What a lovely experience from start to finish. Everything was so well done for us with such consideration for each of us.”
– Mercilee Jenkins