AWCS Annual Writers Retreat
|
URSA Retreat Centre
May 29 - June 1, 2026 Stories can make and break systems. They can shape the way we move in the world and help us make sense of the chaos. Your stories matter, now more than ever.
Step away from the noise of expectations, pressures, and distractions. Join us at the URSA Retreat Centre this summer and give yourself the time and space to pen the stories you’re meant to tell. Whether you’re looking to write in community or in quiet reflection, the retreat offers you the space to follow your creative compass. We’ll also have guided sessions on writing and creativity. Plus, you'll spend time with our Author-in-Residence Bradley Somer throughout the weekend, through various activities which we'll announce soon. Bring a friend or come solo. Surround yourself with nature and fellow writers, who are on the same quest for literary support and serenity. Let your stories rise above the din. Lift your writer’s voice beyond the noise. |
|
Retreat Highlights
- Workshops & Group Activities: Participate in guided sessions led by our Author 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. Engaging activities and meaningful discussions are all part of the experience.
Cost
FULL WEEKEND:
- AWCS Members: $650
- Non-Members: $750
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.
Author in Residence
|
Bradley Somer is the author of four novels, as well as many works of short fiction, which have appeared in tens of literary journals over the years.
His most recent novel, We Are All of Us Left Behind (Freehand Books, 2025), is a queer coming of age story about the powers of truth and lies, of what a family really is, and the persistence of hope when there's nothing else left. His debut novel, Imperfections (Nightwood Editions, 2012) earned a starred review from Quill & Quire magazine and was one of the Canadian Bookseller’s Association Top Picks for 2012. His second novel, Fishbowl (St. Martin’s Press US & Ebury UK, 2015) has been published in over twelve countries, in more than five language translations, as well as being optioned for film and produced in audio format in several languages. Fishbowl was awarded the Georges Bugnet Award for fiction and was long listed for the Alberta Readers’ Choice Awards. The novel was well-reviewed in the Globe and Mail, The Wall Street Journal, The Toronto Star, Cosmopolitan UK, among many others. It was also selected as one of The San Diego Union Tribune’s Best Books of 2015. Bradley’s third novel, Extinction, was acquired by HarperCollins (Commonwealth, 2022) and Blackstone Publishing (North America, 2022). It was a pick of the month for best sci-fi/fantasy by The Guardian UK and has appeared on several similar lists since. Bradley also penned the screenplay for Extinction, which has been acquired jointly by two Los Angeles based production companies and is currently in development. Bradley has nearly 40 short stories published in various literary magazines and collections. He was a recipient of the 2016 Alberta Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Emerging Artist, and more recently was the writer in residence at: The Banff Centre for the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, and the W.O. Mitchell URSA Retreat Centre. He holds degrees in archaeology and anthropology, and has worked in the oil patch as a heritage resource manager, living in camps so remote they could be only reached by helicopter. He’s worked dark-night shifts at Pizza Hut, and in landscaping, and as a real estate agent, all the while writing and writing and writing some more. He’s been married to his husband for 18 years and they live a mostly happy life with friends and family around, having adventures and all the amazing things that come with sharing that amount of time together and sharing the realizations that these years are too short. |
