August 16-23
w/Guest Fellows: Marisa Renee Lee & Krishan Trotman
Join an intimate group of exceptional writers on a life-changing residency in Greece.
Applications Now Open
Join us for a life-changing week in the verdant escape of Halkidiki Greece. In the company of 9 select writers and a distinguished guest mentor, you will refine your work, hone your craft, and develop your voice.
Engaging with new genres and perspectives, you will be challenged to push the boundaries of your storytelling. Whether you are working on a novel, memoir, play, musical, collection of poems, screenplay, pilot, or other genre-bending pursuit, this is an opportunity to propel your progress alongside a group of exceptional peers.
The Retreat
Stretch your technical capacity and harness the power of long-lasting community
Write, collaborate, and workshop with a group of exceptional writers from across the globe. Rosemary’s House was founded with the mission of providing writers with the environment, expertise, and community to develop their work.
Engaging in intimate group workshops and receiving individualized mentor feedback, you’ll be invited to identify and confront the holes in your writing. Each cohort is curated to ensure that there is a diversity of strengths and expertise so that all participants accelerate their growth. While you will only formally workshop your writing with the writers in your cohort, you will be able to engage with the writers in the other cohort during non-workshop hours. Writing does not have to be a lonely enterprise. Benefit from a community of committed peers and take yourself seriously by devoting time and space to your craft.
Find inspiration, ground your creative process, and build a career
Resting in a location that the ancients used to call “phlegra” or “land of fire”, Rosemary’s House lives in communion with a place where thinkers, like Aristotle and Alexander the Great, have inflamed precedent, kindled ideas, and passed the torch.
Taking an applied approach to learning about world-building, sensory motif, time scale, and character, we lead excursions to thought-provoking environments like local archeological sites and islands.
What You’ll Learn
Each week-long retreat is designed to balance collaboration and individual exploration. Invited writers will submit an excerpt of their work for critique ahead of the residency. Most mornings, each cohort will convene for a multi-genre workshop, under the supervision of the guest fellow in residence. The schedule will also feature a formal “fellow’s chat” and Q&A, optional genre-based seminars and writing exercises, and ample time for writing.
You will refine your ability to give feedback and, in doing so, advance your capacity to critique your work. Advancing your understanding of dialogue, plot, structure, world-building, character, and narrative, you will expand your toolkit and leave with an inspiring community of collaborators to serve you throughout your career. After attending a Rosemary’s House residency, you will have life-long access to the RH alumni community.
Learning Outcomes:
Engage in daily multi-genre workshops led by pioneering mentors successful in their respective fields
Develop critical feedback skills to enhance your own writing
Expand your storytelling toolkit to bring out the best in your work
Gain life-long access to the Rosemary’s House alumni community and future opportunities exclusive to our members
Key Takeaways:
Feedback on 3500 words and a project outline
Guidance on project crafting and next professional steps
Connection with a creative community providing honest critique in a safe space
A joyful, rejuvenating stay in the scenic landscapes of northern Greece, complete with direct access to a beach at your doorstep and the best food Sithonia has to offer.
The Fellows
Photography by David Needleman
Cohort One: Led by Marisa Renee Lee
Marisa Renee Lee is a celebrated entrepreneur and bestselling author of the award-winning book, Grief is Love: Living with Loss. Her influential debut has empowered individuals and communities to navigate and transcend grief with compassion and love.
This fall, Marisa will lend her expertise at Rosemary's House, guiding writers eager to transform personal adversity into service for others. She will assist them in crafting and conveying their unique narratives to effectively reach and resonate with their audiences.
Elaine Welteroth praises her as "the friend we all wish we had in times of need," a testament to Marisa's ability to offer research-backed counsel and heartfelt wisdom. Her insights help others manage the complex emotions of loss and articulate their experiences with empathy.
Previously, Marisa served as the Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement and was a Senior Advisor on the Domestic Policy Council under President Obama. She is the Founder and CEO of Beacon Advisors, a mission-driven consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and partnerships, change management, and leadership coaching.
A fervent advocate for social healing, Marisa has held roles such as Managing Director of My Brother's Keeper Alliance, co-founder of the digital platform Supportal, and founder of The Pink Agenda, which raises funds for breast cancer research, care, and awareness.
Marisa's insights are regularly featured in top publications such as Elle, Vogue, and The Atlantic, and she frequently appears on MSNBC and CNN. She also provides expert advice for Ritual's well-being app. A graduate of Harvard College, Marisa enjoys cooking, is a dedicated Green Bay Packers fan, and resides in upstate New York with her husband, Matt, their son Bennett, and their dog, Sadie.
Photography by Nicole Mayhorn
Cohort Two: Led by Krishan Trotman
Krishan Trotman is the Vice President and Publisher at Legacy Lit, a trailblazing imprint she launched under Hachette Books in 2020. Legacy Lit is dedicated to amplifying issues, authors, and communities that have been marginalized. The imprint champions equality, equity, and inclusion through mission-driven commercial works, fostering a platform for voices that challenge and enrich our cultural dialogue.
Joining Hachette Books in 2016, Trotman has consistently worked with authors who are candid, bold, and unafraid to disrupt the status quo. Her portfolio boasts a range of award-winning and New York Times bestsellers, including works by Congressman John Lewis, journalist Stephanie Land, and MSNBC political analyst Malcolm Nance, among others.
Her dynamic roster includes Lindy West’s The Witches Are Coming, UFC’s Paige VanZant’s Rise, and The End of White Politics by Zerlina Maxwell. Trotman’s influence extends to celebrity authors like Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski and The Today Show’s Al Roker, whose engaging narratives have captivated a wide audience.
At Rosemary’s House, Krishan will leverage her extensive experience to support authors eager to introduce fresh and provocative perspectives into the literary world. She is also the co-author of the Queens of the Resistance series and has been featured in prestigious publications and media outlets including The New York Times, Essence Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, and CSPAN.
Through her visionary leadership at Legacy Lit, Krishan Trotman continues to shape the publishing landscape by nurturing powerful stories that inspire, challenge, and connect
Info & Lodging
Dates:
August 16-23, 2024 (arrival on the 16th and departure on the 23rd)
Address:
Rosemary’s House
Nitiki, Sithonia
Greece
Location / Travel:
Rosemary’s House is located on Halkidiki’s second peninsula, Sithonia. It rests between the villages of Nikiti and Marmaras, perched on a cliff that overlooks the Aegean Sea. We provide complimentary airport transfer from the local airport Thessaloniki (SKG). The journey is about one hour by car.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need assistance.
Lodging:
While Rosemary’s House, its common spaces, private pool, and private beach are open to all attending writers, we house the majority of our writers in accommodations in neighboring hotels and houses. All accommodation options are within walking distance of the main house, and we additionally operate a shuttle bus that is available to all writers throughout the day. Fresh linen and clean bedding are provided in each room at the beginning of the retreat. Attending writers can opt for various tiers of housing and privacy, which are detailed here.
Meals:
Acclaimed local chefs and taverns cater all meals, providing a hearty Mediterranean diet of freshly-caught fish, regionally sourced vegetables, and locally-pressed wine. Attendees will have access to a plentiful garden on the premises, as well as daily access to the breakfast buffet at the neighboring five-star hotel Athena Pallas. We work with our partners to ensure that we can accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies and provide all participants with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Vaccination:
To ensure everyone’s safety and well-being, we ask that participants have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 when attending the retreat. If you are not fully vaccinated at the time of the retreat, we require proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the retreat start date.
Pricing & Application
Your admission includes full access to the retreat, all guest workshops, group excursions, airport transfers (SKG), 6 nights/7 days of beautiful accommodation, and full catering, which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We have a team of acclaimed local chefs who will be preparing our beautiful, nutritious cuisine. It does not include the cost of your flight. Our standard admission rates include shared lodging, but you can upgrade to a private room. Our private options are detailed here.
As our admissions are rolling, we can’t guarantee that spots will remain available, so we encourage you to apply at your earliest convenience. With only 10 spaces available in each cohort, our process is selective, and we’re looking for motivated and talented writers who are ready to harness the opportunity that this experience provides. We look forward to receiving your application.
Early bird tuition: €3995
Standard tuition: €4995