Black Women Writers: A Retreat In Gratitude

August 4 - 7, 2024

re·treat

/rəˈtrēt/

a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax

A message from your hosts: Edi Campbell, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, and Renée Watson

It is our great honor to invite you to the Highlights Foundation campus for our inaugural Black Women Writers’ Retreat August 4-7, 2024. This invitation-based, in-community retreat has been thoughtfully shaped to honor Black women who have worked hard for decades to inspire children and lift up fellow creatives in this industry. It will amplify our voices, honor our contributions, and offer dedicated space and time for us to rest and refuel.

In the true sense of the word, this is a retreat.

Your time is your own, with opportunities to participate in causal, evening fireside conversations, writing sessions, artmaking activities, and yoga. It is our way of saying, Thank you for the work you have done, are doing. It is our way of saying, We see you, we respect you. It is our way of saying, Keep going, keep going.

The Black Women Writers’ Retreat was first dreamed up by Renée Watson after the closing of I, Too Arts Collective, which was housed in the Harlem brownstone of Langston Hughes. “One of our dreams was to host a retreat in partnership with Highlights for Black women writers to gather, rest, and be in community with each other without having to “be on” but instead commune with peers and take a moment to fill our wells so we can go back out and keep creating,” said Watson. “It means so much that even after the closing of I, Too Arts, we are still able to collaborate with Highlights and offer this to the community. I am especially grateful for Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich and Edi Campbell for working alongside me as think-partners to plan and organize the retreat.”

This retreat provides full tuition and travel to ensure you can attend the retreat at no cost of your own. Once you accept this invitation, we ask that you fill out the registration field. Upon completing the registration form, you will receive details about booking your travel through the Highlights Foundation’s travel agency or by submitting your mileage to the Highlights Foundation for reimbursement.

Resources for More Information

All in-person Highlights Foundation workshops and retreats (including this one) are held at our Retreat Center: The Barn at Boyds Mills. This site was the home of the original founders of Highlights for Children Garry and Caroline Myers, and is located in the Poconos Mountains of Pennsylvania on the traditional lands of the Lenape Nation.

The Highlights Foundation strives for a safe and inclusive environment. You will have access to our Community Standards prior to the retreat where we ask for your respectful engagement with fellow creatives, including our faculty and staff.

With any questions or concerns, please reach out to support@highlightsfoundation.zendesk.com.