AWCS Annual Writers Retreat
URSA Retreat Centre
May 30 - June 2, 2025 Spend a weekend immersed in creativity and writing at the beautiful URSA Retreat Centre. This intimate retreat provides the perfect space for writers to connect, grow, and receive personalized feedback from experienced authors, all within a relaxed and supportive atmosphere.
This year, we’re thrilled to welcome best friends and celebrated Authors in Residence, Finnian Burnett and Andrew Buckley, who will share their insights and expertise throughout the weekend. With this year's theme, Between Friends, we celebrate connection and camaraderie. Bring a friend to share the experience, or come solo and make meaningful new friendships. |
retreat highlights
- One-on-One Manuscript Consultations: Receive personalized feedback during 50-minute consultations with our Authors in Residence. Please note: manuscript consultations are exclusively available to full weekend attendees.
- Workshops & Activities: Participate in dynamic and interactive sessions led by our Authors in Residence.
- Author Reading: Share your work with fellow participants in a supportive, intimate setting. Choose a piece you’ve worked on during the retreat or bring a piece you love.
- Creative Breaks and Relaxation: Self-directed creative breaks for relaxation, rejuvenation, and creative inspiration. Optional activities such as nature walks or reading.
- Self-directed writing time: Spend as much time as you need, writing on your own.
- Evening Fun: Join us for firepit chats, games, and other evening activities.
Retreat schedule
- Friday: Arrive by 2 PM for a welcome reception and an opportunity to meet other participants.
- Saturday & Sunday: Workshops in the morning, manuscript consultations in the afternoon, and a day of dedicated writing time. There will be plenty of space for writing and creativity.
- Monday: A final breakfast before departure at 11 AM.
The retreat is designed to provide a relaxed, inspiring environment focused on creativity, connection, writing, and relaxation. Personalized feedback, engaging activities, and meaningful discussions are all part of the experience.
Cost
FULL WEEKEND:
DAY OPTIONS:
Please note: the day options do not include manuscript consultations.
- AWCS Members: $650
- Non-Members: $750
DAY OPTIONS:
- Single Day (Saturday or Sunday): $125
- Both Days (Saturday & Sunday): $200
Please note: the day options do not include manuscript consultations.
accomModation
- Shared Rooms: 2-person, 4-person, and 8-person options available. Sorry, no single rooms.
- Roommate Requests: If you have someone you’d like to share with, let us know, and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
- Writing Spaces: Some rooms have desks, but we encourage writing in communal areas like the dining lounge, library, games room, patio, outdoors, or quiet hallway spots.
- Food Requests: Food restrictions can be accommodated—just let us know in advance.
manuscript consultations
Submit your work prior to the retreat to the Author in Residence of your choice. During the retreat, you will have a one-hour manuscript consultation. Reserve your consultation spot at the time of booking.
Manuscript Submission Details:
- Deadline: May 16, 2024.
- Details:
- The Author in Residence of your choice will review up to 2,500 words of your work in progress (fiction or creative non-fiction).
- Manuscripts must be submitted as a Word document (.doc or .docx).
- Use double-spacing and a 12-pt font (such as Times New Roman, Calibri, Courier, or Arial).
- Submit to [email protected] with the subject line: Annual Writers Retreat - 2025 Submission
authors in residence
Andrew Buckley is a film school-educated writer, which means he’s spent most of his life with no money and a strong opinion about bad movies. Around the turn of the century he attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program, graduating with excellence. Today, he’s a traditional and self-published novelist of rather silly, yet enjoyable speculative fiction for all ages, a comic book writer, screenwriter, podcaster, creator, and keynote speaker.
For over 20 years, he’s worked in the dreaded world of marketing as a content creator, copywriter, and strategist for large national and international brands. He actively develops curriculum and teaches marketing, social media, and communication theory at the post-secondary level. As a writer, Andrew favours playing in the fantasy and paranormal sandboxes and has a terrible habit of writing with a humorous and satirical slant despite being asked politely on numerous occasions to ‘please stop doing that’. Andrew speaks to thousands of people each year, all over the world, about storytelling and writing through the delivery of interactive and engaging keynotes, workshops, and presentations at schools, colleges, writing conferences, teacher conferences, and comic cons. At the time you’re reading this, he’s likely busy working on several new projects and attempting to bend time and space to allow for more hours in the day. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with a multitude of characters that dwell comfortably inside of his mind. |
Finnian Burnett’s work explores the intersections of the human body, mental health, and gender identity. They are a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts grant, a finalist in the 2023 CBC nonfiction prize, and a 2024 Pushcart nominee.
Their work appears in Blank Spaces Magazine, Reflex Press, The Daily Sci-Fi, CBC, and more. Their two novellas-in-flash, The Clothes Make the Man and The Price of Cookies, are available through Ad Ho9c Fiction and Off Topic Publishing respectively. When not writing or teaching, Finnian enjoys walking, Star Trek, and cat memes. Finn can be found at www.finnburnett.com |