A MEMOIR WRITING RETREAT for WOMEN
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with
8 - 20 September, 2026 (13 days/12 nights)
This writing retreat is preceded by an optional add-on SOUL OF PORTUGAL -
3 days in Lisbon exploring the essence
of Portuguese art, music & literature
with Anna and specialists. MORE
5 - 8 September (4 days/3 nights)
combing both means 15 days/14 nights
Please join us for this unique memoir writing retreat in Portugal where we will work with the material of our lives – no matter how shattering or modest – and weave them into a memoir that makes sense of a life fully inhabited.
We will take the shambles and shards of our experiences and work out: what did it all mean?
What is the sum of it all, this great, rollicking, thrilling exhausting business called ‘my life’.
This retreat is for all women who yearn for self-definition after the confinements and belittlements of stagnant relationships, outgrown roles, stultifying routines, past failures and mistakes. It is for those of us who have outworn ourrent responsibilities, graduated from our histories and outgrown the version of ourselves we’ve spent so long chasing. It is a call to anyone who wonders, not just a little, what life has been suppressed within to get us to where we are now.
We have two lives. And the second one begins when you realise you only have one.
MARIO DE ANDRADE
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WHY PORTUGAL?
When Portugal’s King Joao set his sights on wresting the lucrative spice trade from the Venetians’ monopoly,
he needed, first, to learn the secrets of the Indian Ocean, whose currents and had long been mastered by Arab sailors. Along its treacherous, watery perimeters, merchants from ‘the east’ had traded for centuries, bringing all manner of exotica to Cairo, from whence it made its way, prices increasing with each transaction, to satisfy the cravings of medieval and early Renaissance Europe.
The man whom history remembers as the first to discover a sea route from Europe to India, dwelt, not on a rocky cliff overlooking the Atlantic, but deep in the heart of Portugal’s Alentejo region; it was from here, Evora, that Vasco da Gama rode to nearby Estramoz, to personally accept from King Joao, his instructions to lead the fleet which would initiate Portugal’s spectacular naval dominance and the birth of global trade.
Just 130 km east of Lisbon, Evora is so precious that the entire town has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With its uniquely rich history during which Neolithic man, Phoenicians, Romans and Moors have all played their part, this walled city will be celebrated as the European City of Culture in 2027.
In 2026 you are invited to join Joanne Fedler and Anna Kwiecinska here on a journey of self discovery.
What We Will Cover In The Workshops
In addition to covering the basics of memoir writing (narrative arc, selection of key scenes, themes, timeline, throughlines, structure and symbolism) we will also explore:
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The seismic changes of midlife and what it means to ‘come to elderhood;’ Liminality, transitions and thresholds of this time of life;
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The search for true belonging as we turn inwards, individuate into maturity and claim self-authorship;
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Hearkening ancestral voices – being the bridge between the living and the dead;
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Embodiment of the ageing self: how do we work with desire and pain; Eros and Thanatos?
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The courage of a broken heart – the roles of fear and longing in our writing;
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imbuing them with new meaning; remembering of life stories and The Heroine’s Journey – the
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Myths, stories and dreams: unfolding our personal myth and creating the mytho-poetic identity;
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Guardianship and stewardship: responsibility for future generations; When the whole soul speaks – the shape of shadows and the beauty of dragons.
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No matter where you are in your writing journey – a beginner or a veteran, this retreat will meet you exactly where you are, and dance you through the myriad possibilities for whatever project is pushing against your heart to be expressed.
If you have always wanted to write a book about your life and leave a legacy … this is an invitation to you to come join us in Portugal for a
life-enhancing writing experience.
JOANNE FEDLER
I am an internationally bestselling author of fifteen books, and retreat leader. I have written fiction, non-fiction, memoir and poetry and have been published by Penguin, Hay House, Allen & Unwin and other international publishers.
My books have sold over 750 000 copies worldwide. I am a mother, open water ocean swimmer and writing mentor.
My fourth memoir about losing my mother to ovarian cancer during Covid will be published in 2026 by Ginninderra Press).
For anyone with a desire to write… to be on retreat with Joanne is to be in the presence of a true master of her craft.
I feel excited, inspired and confident to pursue my own writing.
Michele H. Sydney,
on Writing by the Sea in Bali Retreat with Joanne Fedler 2025
THE FULL PORTUGAL ITINERARY starts with an optional pre-writing retreat tour with Anna 'Soul of Portugal' (3 days), followed by this Coming to Age Memoir Writing Retreat with Joanne and Anna
(11 days).
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DAY A - SEPTEMBER 5 - arrival day if you are on the pre-writing retreat arts tour
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DAY B - SEPTEMBER 6 - arts tour
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DAY C - SEPTEMBER 7 - arts tour
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DAY D - SEPTEMBER 8 - arts tour
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DAY 1 - SEPTEMBER 8 - participants for WRITING RETREAT ONLY ARRIVAL DAY
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DAY 2- SEPTEMBER 9 - Writing retreat starts with a full day tour of Historical Overview for Lisbon with a unique Welcome Dinner at an iconic restaurant - the epitome of elegance and glamor of fine dining in Lisbon. with an enchanting view of the city and the Tejo River, as a backdrop to excellent gastronomy - you'll love this timeless classic!
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DAY 3 - SEPTEMBER 10 - private bus transfer to EVORA with sightseeing en route.
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DAYS 4- 8 SEPTEMBER 11 -15 (inc)- 6 nights in Evora - A UNESCO World Heritage city - writing workshops for 5 half days
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with a museum card for you to visit your choice of monuments durng the week, along with Anna's guided walks
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DAY 9 - SEPTEMBER 16 - private bus transfer to C.17th monastery in Alentejo region with a welcome dinner
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DAY 10 & DAY 11 - SEPTEMBER 17 and 18 - private writing and relaxation ; a guided wine tasting with the sommelier; a workshop with Anna to design and bind your own book and a private one-on-one session with Joanne for your writing.
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DAY 12 - SEPTEMBER 19 - private bus transfer to Lisbon
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DAY 13 - SEPTEMBER 20- Retreat ends
Following a full day of exploring Lisbon with Anna and staying in the picturesque district of Alfama, you’ll travel to Evora, where for 5 days, you’ll explore the art of memoir with Joanne. Each morning, after a breakfast of Portuguese delicacies, you’ll adjourn to the salon of the gracious 18th Century nobleman’s home in which we all stay, (we will be the only guests if the retreat group is filled), to work on your writing with Joanne.
Later, discover squares beyond its whitewashed walls as you follow alleys to find an astonishing range of restaurants, patisseries and cafes. Alentejo’s cuisine is rooted in its past – since Roman times the region has produced some of the finest olive oil and today produces 90% of all Portugal’s olives, and 50% of its wines. Traditional restaurants take superb local ingredients and with simple cooking techniques, create regional cuisine based on rich and robust flavours – aromatic herbs, tangy cheeses, smoked meats, and Atlantic fish.
Next, we travel farther towards the Spanish border, to immerse ourselves in the contemplative beauty of a magnificent 17th century rural monastery nestled amongst cool pine forests. With exquisite cuisine taken in the frescoed refectory and the opportunity for a guided wine tasting, you can relax by its two swimming pools, walk its forested tracks, sink deeply into comfy armchairs in hidden nooks, and marvel at the 54,000 hand-painted azuelos tiles that line the hundreds of meters of its elegant corridors.
Take this quiet time to write, Joanne will be on hand to support and chat to those who need it during these two days, and we will have nightly sharing of our work in a supportive environment
With Anna, you’ll learn how to bind your own book and decorate it with designs you create yourself.
Return to Lisbon for the night before your retreat ends.
All transfers are by private coach.
Our unique retreat in the early days of Autumn, will reveal a softer side of Portugal, with an average temperatures of Celcius 28 day / C.17 night, when the local people relax after summer’s heat.
Your retreat is fully supported by Anna Kwiecinska and Joanne Fedler, two women who together presented in 2025, “Birthing Your Book In Bali”.
'Birthing your Book in Bali' with Joanne Fedler at Anna' Kwiecinska's Villa Nilaya near Candi Dasa. Morning sessions with Joanne for 3 hours before lunch over 5 days
Villa Nilaya as the sun rises and brightens Villa Nilaya where Writing by The Sea retreats are held.
It's hard to describe the level of care, detail, kindness and beauty that Anna provides in her extraordinary retreat in Bali.
It's rare and precious to be treated, fed, and held with such tenderness. It had been a deeply healing experience and
I'm very grateful
Donna J.S.. Bali Writing Retreat with Joanne Fedler 2025
ABOUT ANNA
With a background as an art historian and gallerist, Anna's collaboration with artists and writers continues to be a fascinating career which evolved into specialist art retreats designed to combine seriously good tuition with authentic cultural experiences.
Over the last 14 years, hundreds of people over dozens of retreats have experienced the depth of wellbeing that being creative can foster. Creative Living Retreats are a source of focus for creative inspiration, with our intuitive teachers guiding you to Live Creatively.
Anna lived in Portugal, where she taught English. The arc of this writing journey combines some of her most beloved locations, where art, literature, history, gastronomy and the enduring beauty of Portugal's southern region, the Alentejo are highlighted along with memorable boutique hotels of exceptional historical significance.
The photographs on this site are hers.
WHERE DOES THE RETREAT TAKE PLACE?
Anna has carefully selected these hotels with all the criteria of comfort and convenience in Lisbon, privacy, excellence of facilities and historical beauty in Evora, and in the Alentejo, an important religious building whose history makes it an artform in itself - the cuisine is something else too...
LISBON - a 4-star hotel In the heart of downtown Lisbon, ideal placed to stay and discover the city of the seven hills. with plenty of shopping and dining options, and within easy walking distance the sights of the Baixa, Alfama, the waterfront and museums.
EVORA - a 4-star hotel In the heart of downtown Lisbon, ideal placed to stay and discover the city of the seven hills. with plenty of shopping and dining options, and within easy walking distance the sights of the Baixa, Alfama, the waterfront and museums.
ALENTEJO CONVENTO - a contemplative hillside sanctuary over-looking the vast Alentejo plans towards Evora, with suites and 'best rooms' . This unique venue features a sommelier and excellent Alentejo cuisine, forest walks, two swimming pools, spacious rooms to relax, sunny terraces, hidden nooks - and 54,000 hand-painted azuelos tiles. adorning its walls.
WHAT DOES YOUR RETREAT INCLUDE?
see all the inclusions >
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3 nights own-room or twin accommodation at a boutique hotel in Lisbon
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6 nights own room or twin accommodation at a boutique hotel in Evora
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3 nights own room accommodation in a boutique historical convent
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Breakfast 12 days
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Welcome Dinner Lisbon
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Arrival Night Dinner in the monastery with a guided wine tasting
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5 days writing tuition with Joanne Fedler
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personal session with Joanne
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Lisbon tour with Anna and our specialist guide
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2 afternoon tours in Evora
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Book-binding workshop with Anna
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Writing support materials
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Museum pass to Evora museums
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Retreat bag with arty and writing goodies
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fully supported by Anna with pre-departure information and throughout the week
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pre-retreat Reading Suggestions List
What's Not Included
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airfares
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Lisbon airport transfers
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hotel porterage
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your personal insurance
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all food and beverages not mentioned in the list of inclusions
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any entrance tickets to places not described in the itinerary supplied on this site
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all personal expenses laundry, telephone etc
… Over the course of several days together, we learnt the ribs, bones and joints of writing. Joanne spilled forth her legions of learnings our way … she is a seasoned and compassionate
writing mentor who ceremoniously gathered a small cluster of mature women, for the most part unknown to each other, to express soulful stories through their foray into writing.
I’m thrilled to have received the exquisitely distilled gifts of her in-person tutelage.
I spent a week alongside extraordinary women with whom deep communion was achieved and friendships born. We leave … nourished, supported, and invigorated.
I hold dear these precious gentle, and joy filled days writing by the warm and salty sea.
Nathalie R. Canada
Writing by the Sea in Bali Retreat 2025
COST of THE WRITING RETREAT
All of our Creative Living Retreats are designed to offer you maximum comfort and relaxation and personal space - so you have your own bedroom unless you choose one of the twins
ROOM PACKAGES ARE MADE UP OF THESE COMBINATIONS OF ROOMS -
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COSY - single occupancy 'standard' (14 m2) room in Lisbon and Evora and in the convento
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SUPERIOR - single occupancy 'standard' room in Lisbon; single occupancy 'superior' rooms in Evora and the Convento
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DELUXE - single occupancy 'superior' rooms in Lisbon ( 23m2 ) and Evora; deluxe suite in Convento
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TWIN - twin share rooms in Lisbon and Evora; superior twin rooms in Convento in the Convento
Please note that this retreat is especially for women.
EARLY BIRD PRICE - BOOK BEFORE SEPTEMBER 30, 2025
Each room category is limited. To secure your place a DEPOSIT of Euro 1000 is required, with balance payment due 3 months prior to the retreat beginning. Room categories will be allocated according to your request on a first-come first-served basis.
Please check the Terms and Conditions and if you have any queries please contact Anna
Check out the Soul of Portugal pre-retreat arts tour of Lisbon - SAVE Euro 150 when you book both
