Calendar of Events
2025 Mother Tree Residency Applications
We are thrilled to introduce The Mother Tree Residency! In 2025, we're innovating with an eye toward sustainability and this is a new option for women-identified writers to experience Hedgebrook. These partially subsidized residencies are a conscious act of radical reciprocity - the gift of time on the land for yourself and your creative practice works to sustain our historic free-to-writers residency program and allows us to continue to support women who are authoring change. This program is an opportunity for new residents and returning alumnae to plan a residency that fits their schedule, foregoing our anonymous adjudication process.
Radical Craft Retreat with Deborah Harkness
This November, Deborah Harkness will lead:
EDIT—the Art & Craft of Revision
November 7-11, 2024
Deborah Harkness is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who draws on her expertise as an historian of science, medicine, and the history of the book to create rich narratives steeped in magical realism, historical curiosity, and deeply human questions about what it is that makes us who we are.
You will face your fears and put together an editing toolkit while enjoying insightful workshops, a one-on-one session, a beautifully handcrafted cottage, and delicious meals in community with fellow writers.
Applications are closed and this retreat is full.
Speculative Fiction Convening with Clarion West
This Speculative Fiction Convening is in partnership with Clarion West in honor of Octavia Butler.
So Be It! See To It!
An Intensive Convening for Intermediate Speculative Fiction Writers
Join us for this 4-day virtual retreat led by Tara Campbell, Fonda Lee,
Minal Hajratwala, and Nisi Shawl!
November 22-25, 2024
Each day you will enjoy:
✨A Check-in + Intention Setting✨
✨An Instructor-led Group Workshop✨
✨Structured group activities✨
✨Open Mic Space/Community Space✨
Participants will gather virtually for this retreat, learn with our illustrious alumnae instructors, enjoy an intimate cohort of writers, receive a writers package, and more.
More details and registration here!
This event is sponsored by the Breneman Jaech Foundation.
Hedgebrook Playwrights Showcase
Join us for this partnered event to amplify and delight in the work of our alumnae playwrights.
December 8th | Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA)
December 9th | Seattle Repertory Theatre
Partners: Island Shakespeare Festival, Play Club, Seattle Repertory Theater, WICA.
More details and tickets to come.
AMPLIFY: Hedgebrook's Book Club with Janine Kovac
Join us for this alumnae-led virtual book club! We will read an alumnae book each month and then meet with the author to discuss the book, their process, and more.
We look forward to being in conversation with you, uplifting the work of our alumnae, and learning together.
On December 14th, alumna (and AMPLIFY facilitator!) Janine Kovac will be in conversation with Naomi Williams about her new book, The Nutcracker Chronicles: A Fairytale Memoir.
Naomi will take great care of you throughout the month by sending out weekly emails to registrants to keep pace, engage, and even provide some writing prompts!
ASL interpretation provided by a generous donor.
Click here to register today and read along with us.
AMPLIFY: Hedgebrook's Book Club with Sara Nović
Join us for this alumnae-led virtual book club! We will read an alumnae book each month and then meet with the author to discuss the book, their process, and more. Alumna, author, and Hedgebrook instructor Janine Kovac will be facilitating the discussions and the meetings are open to all.
We look forward to being in conversation with you, uplifting the work of our alumnae, and learning together.
On January 26th, alumnae Sara Nović + Janine Kovac will discuss Sara's writing process and book, True Biz.
Janine will take great care of you throughout the month by sending out weekly emails to registrants to keep pace, engage, and even provide some writing prompts!
ASL interpretation provided by a generous donor.
Click here to register today and read along with us.
AMPLIFY: Hedgebrook's Book Club with Xochitl-Julisa Burmejo
Join us for this alumnae-led virtual book club! We will read an alumnae book each month and then meet with the author to discuss the book, their process, and more.
We look forward to being in conversation with you, uplifting the work of our alumnae, and learning together.
On February 22nd, alumnae Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo and Noami Williams will discuss Xochitl-Julisa's writing process and book, Incantation: Love Poems for Battlefields.
Naomi will take great care of you throughout the month by sending out weekly emails to registrants to keep pace, engage, and even provide some writing prompts!
ASL interpretation provided by a generous donor.
Click here to register today and read along with us.
VorTEXT Intensive Retreat with Sherri L. Smith
Sherri L. Smith will lead The Octavia Notebooks: A Workshop on Change and Hope on Saturday, November 2, 2024.
Learn more and register here.
AMPLIFY Book Club - New Cohort Launch!
We had such a great time with our first AMPLIFY cohort over the summer that we are doing it again!
If you missed our kickoff live streamed event to introduce our next cohort and discuss the books, you can watch it here.
Click here to register for the book club.
Scheduled book club meetings:
November
Saturday, November 9th, 10 am PT
Book: Go Back and Get It by Dionne Ford
December
Saturday, December 14, 10 am PT
Book: The Nutcracker Chronicles: A Fairytale Memoir by Janine Kovac
in conversation with Naomi Williams
January
Sunday, January 26, 5 pm PT
Book: True Biz by Sara Nović
February
Saturday, February 22, 2025 10am PT
Book: Incantation: Love Poems for Battlefields by Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo
in conversation with Naomi Williams
Thanks to a generous donor, ASL interpretation will be available for this reunion and all book club meetings.
SOLD OUT! 2024 Writers Conference
We are coming together again for an in-person conference in Seattle!
We will kick off the 2024 conference with an evening event on Thursday, September 19th followed by 3 days of learning with our illustrious alumnae and writing in community.
This event is sold out and registration is closed.
2024 Great Minds Event
Hedgebrook presents Great Minds: On Ghosts, Ancestors, and the Nostalgia Machine in partnership with Bushwick BookClub Seattle, Hugo House and Seattle Arts & Lectures.
Join us and enjoy an evening full of:
✨Performances✨
by Bushwick artists & SAL's Youth Poet Fellow, Janae Lu
✨A conversation✨
with our illustrious alumnae, moderated by Hedgebrook's Executive Director,
✨An interactive (and fun!) reception✨
Thursday, September 19
6-9 pm
Hugo House | Seattle
6:00 pm | Doors open
6:30 pm | Program Begins
8:00 pm | Reception
We will be hosting an interactive reception following the program. Please get your tickets early so we are well-prepared to host you! Purchase your tickets here.
September AMPLIFY Book Club with Putsata Reang
Join us for our alumnae-led virtual gathering and book club! We will read an alumnae book each month and then meet with the author to discuss the book, their process, and more. Alumna, author, and Hedgebrook instructor Janine Kovac will be reaching out via email throughout each month and facilitating the discussions.
September will feature Putsata Reang and her book Ma and Me.
Saturday, September 14, 10 am PT
As a queer Cambodian-American, Putsata Reang straddles worlds and translates between cultures. Inspired by her essay for The New York Times’ Modern Love column, Ma and Me is a memoir of reclamation and reconciliation tenderly written around the literary concept of the existential wound. Perfect for readers and writers of memoir.
Register here. Please note that the book is not included and can be purchased here.
ASL interpretation will be available for all book club meetings.
August AMPLIFY Book Club with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
Join us for our alumnae-led virtual gathering and book club! We will read an alumnae book each month and then meet with the author to discuss the book, their process, and more. Alumna, author, and Hedgebrook instructor Janine Kovac will be reaching out via email throughout each month and facilitating the discussions.
August will feature Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and her book The Sex Lives of African Women: Self Discovery, Freedom, and Healing.
Saturday, August 10, 10 am PT
The Sex Lives of African Women, listed by The Economist as a “Best Book of the Year”, is a collection of personal stories that pair bravery with vulnerability and gives readers insight into their own sexuality as well. If you collect oral histories, creating a safe environment for your interview subjects is a must. Join us in August when Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah will discuss her book, her writing, and her interview process.
Register here. Please note that the book is not included and can be purchased here.
ASL interpretation will be available for all book club meetings.
July AMPLIFY Book Club with Anu Taranath
Join us for our alumnae-led virtual gathering and book club! We will read an alumnae book each month and then meet with the author to discuss the book, their process, and more. Alumna, author, and Hedgebrook instructor Janine Kovac will be reaching out via email throughout each month and facilitating the discussions.
July will feature Anu Taranath and her book Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World.
Saturday, July 13, 10 am PT
Dr. Anu Taranath is a professor at the University of Washington and is a racial equity consultant. Summer travelers will benefit from Beyond Guilt Trips as a thoughtful companion on their journeys. If you are a writer looking to integrate social justice missives without sounding preachy, this month’s book club pick is for you.
Register here. Please note that the book is not included and can be purchased here.
ASL interpretation will be available for all book club meetings.
2024 Hedgebrook Open House
Hedgebrook invites you to save the date of Sunday, June 30th for our annual Open House event! We look forward to this opportunity to reconnect with friends and neighbors—and share our one-of-a-kind retreat with you.
Where: Hedgebrook
When: Sunday, June 30th, 1 PM - 4 PM
Wear: Outdoor-appropriate shoes and attire.
Parking: Look for signs directing you to the entrance of our field along Millman Rd.
Expect: Cottage tours, a word from our Executive Director, cocktails, live music, freshly prepared bites from our chefs, and more—all with a dash of our signature radical hospitality!
Note: Families are warmly welcome, but please leave pets at home.
Radical Craft Retreat with Claire Dederer
Join us for a 5-day summer retreat at Hedgebrook with award-winning author and alumna, Claire Dederer.
Adventures in Overwhelm: A Creative Non-Fiction Workshop
June 22-26, 2024
This retreat is full and applications are closed.
Free kickoff event for our new alumnae-led book club!
Wednesday, June 5th 10 am PT
In 2016 Janine Kovac, Anu Taranath, Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, and Putsata Reang were in residency together at Hedgebrook. The books they were working on at the time–The Nutcracker Chronicles, Beyond Guilt Trips, The Sex Lives of African Women, and Ma and Me were in their infancy. But the magic of the land was in full force and in the intervening years, all four books found their way into the world.
Join us for a very special reunion as the residents discuss how their books and their processes were nurtured by their time at Hedgebrook and how you can participate in our new monthly, alumnae-led book club!
This reunion will stream live on our YouTube channel, Facebook, and Instagram. There is no cost to attend, but if you would like to join the book club, you can register here.
ASL interpretation will be available for this reunion and all book club meetings.
2025 Writer in Residence Applications Open
Applications for our 2025 Residencies are now open!
Our core Writer in Residence (WiR) applications are available in the following genres:
✨Prose—Non-fiction
✨Prose—Fiction
✨Poetry
This will be our ONLY application cycle for 2025 and the deadline is June 12th.
These residencies will take place from January to early November 2025.
While we will not have applications open for all genres this cycle, we are working on some exciting offerings for songwriters, screenwriters, and playwrights. More to come!
Read our FAQs and more about our residencies here.
Social Justice Convening for BIPOC Writers
A Radical Craft Retreat for BIPOC Writers Authoring New Works on Rest & Resistance
Join us for this 4-day virtual retreat January 26-29th, 2024
Each day you will enjoy:
✨A Check-in + Intention Setting
✨An Instructor-led Group Workshop
✨Facilitated Circle & Resource Share
✨Facilitated Out-of-the-Box Creative Time
✨Open Mic Space/Community Space
More details and registration here.
Hedgebrook Songwriters Showcase
Join us as we showcase our alumnae songwriters and delight in their work!
Our featured alumnae artists include Sera Cahoone, Mary Lambert, Grace Love, Jamila Woods, and Hollis Wong-Wear.
The details:
The Forum at Town Hall Seattle
December 1, 2023
5:30 pm Doors open
6:00 pm Program begins
Support Hedgebrook and our alumnae by purchasing your tickets here. See you there!
Virtual VorTEXT Intensive Retreat with Magogodi Makhene
Alumna and author, Magogodi Makhene, will lead Speaking in Tongues: English as Liberation Language on Saturday, November 4th.
More details and registration here.
Radical Craft Retreat in Tuscany with Natalie Baszile
Compelling Storytelling: Activating Your Work
with Natalie Baszile
October 21-28, 2023
This retreat will be in Tuscany!
More details and applications here.
Great Minds: On the Unreliable Narrator, the Necessity of Joy, and What Doesn't Make the Cut
Join us for an evening of celebration as we uplift and delight in the work of our conference instructors! Sonora Jha, Ijeoma Oluo, and Idrissa Simmonds-Nastili will come together for a performance of their work by The Bushwick Bookclub Seattle followed by a moderated conversation about creativity and joy.
Before the show, join us for some joy and radical hospitality as we feature treats from the land, books by our alumnae, and more.
6:30 pm Reception
7:30 pm Show begins
Tickets are available here.
Can’t make it in person? We will be streaming live and there are virtual tickets available so you won’t miss a thing!
2023 Hedgebrook Writers Conference
Join us for 3 days of workshop intensives, industry talks, work groups, an evening performance, and more!
More details and registration here.
Hedgebrook Open House
Come join us on the land on September 10th!
Hedgebrook is delighted to announce the return of its Open House! Experience the Radical Hospitality we provide our Writers in Residence and learn more about our organization and why we believe it's essential for women to be empowered to author change. You'll be treated to a cottage and land tour, live music by Whidbey Island String Trio, plus signature cocktails and a preview sample of Fulla Farm—a food truck offering wood-fired pizzas made by one of our talented chefs, Sam Leingang. Save the date and kindly R.S.V.P. at events@hedgebrook.org; we hope to see you there!
Apply to be a Writer in Residence!
Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports writers from all over the world for residencies of two to four weeks. The cottage, all meals, and the entire residency experience at Hedgebrook are free to selected writers.
2024 Summer/Fall Residency Season:
Applications Open: Aug 15-Sept 11, 2023 - Notifications: Late January 2024
More details here.
2023 Hedgebrook Filmmakers Showcase
5/19 Friday: In-person at Northwest Film Forum
5/20 Saturday: In-person at Northwest Film Forum
5/20 Sunday: Virtual kick-off
May 20-June 2: VIRTUAL via Northwest Film Forum
6/3 Saturday: In person at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts
TICKETS AND MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!
Cottage Chat with Nicole Shawan Junior and Crystal Wilkinson
Join alumnae Nicole Shawan Junior and Crystal Wilkinson for our May Cottage Chat. They will be in conversation with Amber Flame talking about joy, their craft, and more!
More details here.
Virtual Radical Craft Retreat with Mira Jacob
Description
So, you’ve spent years writing this thing (is it a novel? Is it a memoir? Is it a love letter, poodle hair, and dreams?), and you just can’t get it to move forward. You know it goes wrong somewhere, you’re just not sure why, exactly. Welcome to a class tailor-made for you— where we will talk through some basics of plot, structure, conflict and character, see where you’re stuck, and come up with ways to get unstuck! Generative and curiosity-rich, this is a class for anyone who wants to make sure they’re making stories with a good, strong engine— the kind that can take us to unexpected places.
Details and application here.
GiveBIG 2023
GiveBIG to celebrate 35 years of women-identified writers who have emerged from Hedgebrook. What exists inside of you thanks to a woman’s book, film, play, or album that spoke to you? We want to raise $3,500 to commemorate 35 years of storytellers who have come before—and those who have yet to come too! Support Hedgebrook May 2nd and May 3rd here: https://www.wagives.org/organization/Hedgebrook
Radical Craft Retreat in Tuscany with Ellen Sussman
Write, Re-Vision, Revise with Ellen Sussman
April 29-May 6, 2023
This retreat will be in Tuscany!
More details and applications here.
Chenxing Han and Jane Wong in conversation
On Thursday, April 25th Hedgebrook and Elliott Bay Book Company will co-present an in-person conversation with alumnae Chenxing Han and Jane Wong.
Chenxing’s new book, One Long Listening: A Memoir of Grief, Friendship, and Spiritual Care comes out on April 11th.
More details here.
Cottage Chat with JP Howard and Cynthia Manick
Join JP Howard and Cynthia Manick for our April Cottage Chat. They will be in conversation with Amber Fmae talking about joy, their craft, and more!
More details here.
EQUIVOX '23 | Equal Voice
About the Event:
Join us for EQUIVOX '23 to celebrate 35 years of women coming together, growing together, and authoring change together at Hedgebrook. We’ll gather as a community on Sunday, March 19 to nourish each other’s dreams and voices through music, poetry, and conversation with fellow writers Kristen Millares Young, Casey Parks, and Putsata Reang. We’ll honor writers who came before us and sowed the seeds that now support us, continuing that growth for future generations of women.
How to join us at EQUIVOX '23 on Sunday, March 19:
Brunch Event: Purchase your ticket for a special EQUIVOX '23 brunch at Sodo Park. We’ll welcome you at 11:00 AM for social hour, mimosas, and champagne, followed by brunch and a powerful program. Afterward, we’ll have a live auction that’ll help continue making Hedgebrook’s retreats tuition-free.
Online Broadcast: Tune in online at 12:30 PM (PT) and say hello to our Sodo Park guests as we come together for a community-centered program. Invite friends and family to join—the online broadcast is free for everyone.
We gather to empower one another by uplifting our collective voices. You are our community. We hope you’ll join us in reverence of your dreams, and the dreams of women everywhere.
Transmutation Practice for Writers with Michelle Ruiz Keil
Join us for this live webinar with alumna, Michelle Ruiz Keil. Using techniques from depth psychology, alchemy, and various forms of divination, we will generate new work and provide tools for revivifying existing pieces.
More details and registration here.
Getting Into the Mind of Your Character: Delving into POV with Monica West
Join Monica West for a two-hour webinar exploring how to get into the mind of your character, regardless of the point of view that you've chosen.
More details and registration here.