May 2027 · Southern France
A Creative Sojourn
Space to write. Time to connect. Room to create.
Step into an immersive creative sojourn designed to revitalize your writing practice and deepen your craft. Over six uninterrupted days, you will join an intimate, supportive cohort of fellow writers for daily generative workshops, constructive group sharing, and dedicated time to create. Whether you are bringing a project in progress to refine or arriving with a blank page ready for fresh ideas, this retreat offers the structure, stillness, and artistic freedom needed to explore your process fully and emerge with renewed momentum.
Two sessions · six writers each
The Venue
Ma Maison
We’ll be staying at Ma Maison, a charming former village bakery built in 1879 in Rabastens-de-Bigorre—a quiet market town nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees. With its original bread oven, terracotta floors, and historic bakery doors, it’s a wonderful space to retreat and create. We’ll have the entire townhouse to ourselves, complete with a spacious kitchen, a long communal table for shared meals, and plenty of quiet nooks to settle in and write.
The house features 6 bedrooms (one reserved for me) and 5½ bathrooms. Beds are king-sized, and one bedroom includes an ensuite bath.
A practical note on accessibility: The bedrooms are located on the second and third floors, accessible only by stairs (no elevator). Please keep this in mind when considering if this space will work for you, and feel free to reply with any mobility questions!
The Dates & Daily Rhythm
To keep these gatherings intimate, we are offering two separate sessions with a maximum of six writers per group:
May
9
Week 1
Sunday, May 9 – Saturday, May 15, 2027
May
23
Week 2
Sunday, May 23 – Saturday, May 29, 2027
Our days will blend dedicated writing time with inspiring group connection, structured feedback, and quiet reflection. Whether you’re looking to dive deep into a work-in-progress or generate fresh draft material, this retreat gives you the space to do both. Each participant will also receive a private, one-hour consultation with me during the course of the week.
Food & Wine
All meals are included, except for lunch on excursion day. Writing days will feature light, continental breakfasts, fresh lunches (soups, salads, and sandwiches), and evening apéritifs followed by chef-prepared regional dinners paired with local wines. On Wednesday, we’ll venture out for a local excursion and lunch together; that lunch is at your own expense.
If you are vegetarian or have specific dietary restrictions, just let us know—we’ll happily accommodate you!
Getting There
Your destination hub will be Tarbes, just 20 minutes from the townhouse. Tarbes is easily reachable via direct trains from Paris (including an overnight option), regional trains from Toulouse, or regional flights from Paris Orly and Rome into Tarbes-Lourdes Airport. We will collect you at the station or airport on arrival day and return you on departure day.
Arrival hub
Tarbes
Station or airport pickup on arrival day, and return transfer on departure day.
A Look Inside Ma Maison
Accommodations & Investment
Single occupancy: $2,695
Shared room option:
One bedroom features two beds (a king and a single) with a shared bath. Two writers booking together can reserve this room at a reduced per-person rate.
What’s included
Full accommodations, all meals and wine (except for lunch on excursion day), local transfers to/from Tarbes, and our midweek excursion.
Once offered a spot, a $500 non-refundable deposit secures your place. Half of the remaining balance will be due on or before January 4, 2027 and the final remaining balance will be due on or before March 1, 2027.
How to Apply
This quick application helps me get to know a bit about your current writing goals and put together two supportive groups. Priority consideration has closed, and spaces are now open to a wider audience.
There’s no payment or commitment at this stage.
Kathy Fish
Retreat host
Let me know if you have any further questions!
Warmly,
Kathy