Writers in the Round

The Writers in the Round Retreat comes at the end season, where the staff is thinner and the island is quieter. We share the island with a Chamber Orchestra, a women's group that practices yoga, meditation, and art projects, and the Star Island Historical Society. There are always interesting conversations to have with other conferees, who share an appreciation for the rare combination of isolation and community that Star Island offers.

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.

Typically, we allow plenty of time for instruction, independent creative time, social events, downtime and meals.
Click here for SAMPLE RETREAT AGENDA from 2022.


Ellen Taylor chaired the Writers in the Round retreat with her dear friend, Craig Werth, from 2012 - 2021, and now continues with help from her WITR friends. She grew up on the coast of NH, sailing to Star Island on the family home-crafted catboat, The Flying Clod. Ellen is a practicing poet, with three collections of poems, most recently, Homelands (2023). She teaches writing and literature at the University of Maine at Augusta, as well as in the Maine prison education program. Ellen lives with her family in Appleton, ME.		Jocelyn Mackenzie, is a Brooklyn-based "hyper-creative" according to Broadway World; she's a singer, songwriter, songwriting coach, theater maker, fiber artist, art director, performance artist, stylist, music video producer, intuitive, empath, and psychic medium. Her diverse yet integrated skills inherently inform one another and are inextricably intermingled in her creative process. In all facets of her creativity, Jocelyn Mackenzie integrates media and meaning to offer work that is sensual and personal, creating new worlds that beg to be explored.		Guy Capecelatro is a prolific prolific, pop storyteller from Portsmouth, NH. With the strong motivation to produce, Guy participated in the RPM Challenge, a contest where songwriters are challenged to complete an album in one month. Citing influences that include authors as well as musicians, Guy views his writing as fiction or stories that "end up being bull-dogged into songs." Since he moved to the Portsmouth scene in 1987, he's played in several bands. He currently runs his own record label, Two Ton Santa and already started recording the basic tracks to 27 songs.		Sarah Anderson is the author of We Hold On To What We Can. She holds an MFA in poetry from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers. When she's not teaching high school English at Berwick Academy, she helps her husband operate The Word Barn in Exeter, NH, a gathering space for literary and musical events, where she runs a reading series. She has also led writing workshops at the Twin Farms Writing Workshop and the NH Institute of Art. Her poems have appeared in various journals, including December Magazine, Raleigh Review, and North American Review.

Awaken every morning to the song of seagulls and a fresh Atlantic breeze and retire every evening to a cozy oasis. Every room comes with an ocean view and guaranteed stunning sunrises or sunsets. At registration, choose from a either a single or double private room with private bath or a shared room with shared bath. All rooms are located in historic out buildings scattered throughout the island. All linens and towels will be provided. Please bring your personal toiletries and hairdryers.

All meals are served in the island's main communal dining room before our scheduled sessions. There is a special emphasis on sourcing local ingredients from nearby farms to support the local economy and to lower our carbon foodprint. In addition, all meals are catered with vegetarian and vegan options to make sure everyone's tastes are accommodated.

Since 2011, we have taken a more proactive approach to conservation and respecting the environment with the Green Gosport Initiative — a program designed to educate our island and mainland communities about sustainability, and to serve as a model for others. From solar array panels to recycling to composting, we do many things on the island to reduce our impact locally while thinking globally.

The FREE Ferry leaves for Star Island on September 8th at 2:20pm and departs on September 11th at 11:45am, arriving at 1:15pm to Portsmouth.

Local Visitors: Catch the FREE ferry from Isle of Shoals Steamship Company at 2:20pm on September 8th. Park at the ferry landing for $5.00.

Regional Visitors: Click for driving directions to Portsmouth's Isle of Shoals Steamship
Company. Since the ferry leaves at 2:20pm on September 8th, you can also stay the night before in Portsmouth, park at the ferry landing for $5.00 and then catch the FREE ferry! (Alternatively, catch the bus to Portsmouth and take a taxi/Uber ($10.00) to the ferry landing).

International Visitors: Fly into Boston Logan International Airport, take a 1-hour bus ($26.00) to Portsmouth, NH.
Depending on when you arrive, (the FREE ferry leaves for Star Island at 2:20pm on Friday, September 8th) take a taxi/Uber ($10.00) from the Portsmouth bus depot to your hotel or to the ferry landing and then catch the FREE ferry!

The allure of Star Island is that it is super remote. No cell service here - hallelujiah!

If you're staying in Portsmouth on September 7th in order to catch the ferry the next day September 8th, or after the retreat on the eve of September 11th, the city has plenty of accommodations, restaurants and activities to offer! Many of the hotels are within walking distance of the ferry landing, which should save you a taxi fare! See here for the official travel guide!

We enroll on a first-come-first-served basis. We also limit enrollment and seek a balance between songwriters and poets (of any level of skill and experience) to preserve the quality of the retreat for participants. Our conference enrollment tends to fill up fast.

Program Fee: $130/person

Room & Board: The rates below are per person for the full length of the conference.
Standard Shared: $528 | Standard Single: $698
Motel Shared: $642 | Motel Single: $923

Registration will remain open until our maximum enrollment of 24 is reached. We strive for a balance of 12 poetry-focused and 12 songwriting-focused participants. Once our registration is closed, you are welcome to email Ellen Taylor if you wish to be on a waiting list for potential openings due to cancellation.

FINANCIAL AID from the Star Island organization may be available. Retreat attendees have made good use of financial aid in previous years. Full details are listed on the Star Island website.