2023 Writing Retreat & Literary Week in Singapore
Sunday, June 25 — Sunday, July 2, 2023
with authors • Robin Hemley • Alvin Pang • Madeleine Thien • Xu Xi
6 days at The Arts House in Singapore
Join us this summer for six days of workshops, salons, panels and readings. Our writing retreat and literary week will feature international and Singaporean authors as well as a session on international publishing. We are delighted to partner with The Arts House, a distinguished cultural venue and Singaporean treasure that is housed in an historical and architecturally stunning building that was the country’s first parliament.
Retreat program fee options
Full retreat includes the welcome reception and closing dinner, a 5-session manuscript workshop, attendance at all salons, readings, panels + full attendance at the Saturday public sessions (see below), plus the opportunity to connect informally with all the authors and guest speakers: US$1,300 (current and former AAL clients receive a 10% discount: US $1,170). Participants must make their own travel and hotel arrangements.
Literary week only includes the welcome reception plus attendance from Tuesday to Friday at all salons and full attendance at the Saturday public sessions: US$300. Online pre-registration required.
Special rate offer from Park Regis Hotel, 23 Merchant Road, Singapore for participants at our retreat or literary week. S$250++ per night (approx. US $186) inclusive of 1 buffet breakfast and WIFI. The Park Regis is walking distance to The Arts House and has great facilities.
Salons
Monday Work-in-progress salon led by Xu Xi & Robin Hemley– AAL participants are encouraged to share short readings of 4 to 5 minutes from any work in progress they have for a response from the group
Tuesday Fiction salon with Madeleine Thien
Wednesday Poetry salon with Alvin Pang
Thursday Publishing salon with Jee Leong Koh, Singaporean author & founder of Singapore Unbound & Gaudy Boy Press, New York (poetry & writing from Asia).
Friday Publishing salon with Lisa Lucas, Sr. VP & Publisher of Pantheon Schocken Books, Penguin Random House, USA.
Workshops
Full retreat registrants may select from one of the three workshop from the list below. We limit workshops to no more than 10 writers. Each participant must submit a manuscript for review by the group in advance of the retreat.
Robin Hemley & Xu Xi (co-led): Fiction / Nonfiction
Madeleine Thien: Novel
Alvin Pang: Poetry
Prose workshop manuscripts are a maximum of 5,000 words; the poetry workshop manuscript is a maximum of six pages of A4 or US letter size 12-point type with no more than one poem (or part of a poem) per page.
How to register for the retreat & literary week
REGISTRATION FOR THE RETREAT IS NOW CLOSED
Public Pre-registration
For those who wish to attend only part of our scheduled literary week, we offer the option to pre-register for individual salon sessions and the public sessions. (all registration is now closed)
Individual salons Tuesday to Friday
note: each salon will only accept a maximum of five additional participants and requires pre-registration. US$75 per salon. Priority will be given to full literary week registrants.
Public sessions on Saturday July 1
NOW only US $70 (approx. S$95)
2 PM Readings & panel with Singapore authors Noelle de Jesus, Inez Tan and Daryl Qilin Yam moderated by Xu Xi
3:15 PM International publisher presentation by Lisa Lucas Sr VP & Publisher of Pantheon Schocken Books at Penguin Random House. Session moderated by Robin Hemley.
5PM Short readings by AAL retreat participants
