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  The
Writers in the Round
Retreat, founded in 2005, is a multi-day creative retreat
for songwriters and poets (of any level of skill and experience)
in a natural setting, on beautiful, sustainable and historic Star
Island. Star Island is one of the nine Isles of Shoals in the Atlantic
Ocean, located 7 miles off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine.
Star
Island is within the waters of N’dakinna, the traditional lands
and waterways of the Abenaki, Pennacook and other related Wabanaki
Peoples past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude
the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout
the generations. We pride ourselves on our conservation and sustainability
initiatives.
Our
remote island retreat takes place over 3 days in September and is
a time for artistic growth in a safe environment. Participants are
fostered by instructors who are experts in their art, be it songwriting,
poetry, or spoken word, and who are whole-souled in their approach
to life.
The small group experience consists of classes for instruction,
workshops for creative expression, and evening programs, which support
a healthy group dynamic. We encourage participants to take risks
and push themselves to explore new aspects to the process of writing.
Honesty, compassion, and humor are qualities valued by retreat organizers
and participants. The development of a nurturing yet challenging
creative environment is a central goal.
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Morning and afternoon sessions are organized around generative activities
and workshops of poems and songs in progress. There is also time
for informal sharing, exploring, and meeting with other conferencees
on the island. Through immersion in structured and unstructured
activities, participants often embark upon new creative directions
and form new associations with others outside of their daily walk
in life. As such, the retreat fosters diversity and celebrates new
beginnings and new horizons. Exploring, and meeting with other conferencees
on the island. Through immersion in structured and unstructured
activities, participants often embark upon new creative directions
and form new associations with others outside of their daily walk
in life. As such, the retreat fosters diversity and celebrates new
beginnings and new horizons.
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DEIDRE
RANDALL
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“Writers
in the Round” was created by our dear friend, singer-songwiter/publicist,
Deidre Randall, in 2005. She led the retreat for several years
until she passed it on to Ellen and Craig in 2012. Deidre's publishing
company, founded by her father, Peter Randall, can be visited
here. Her beautiful music can be discovered here.
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ELLEN
TAYLOR &
CRAIG WERTH |
Long-time
friends, Maine poet, Ellen Taylor, and New Hampshire songwriter,
Craig Werth, co-chaired this conference from 2012 – 2019.
COVID19 closed the island for the first time in over 100 years
in 2020, but conferences resumed in 2021. Craig Werth has stepped
into work at the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine's, and Ellen Taylor
has continued the role of sole chair of this conference.
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