The Olive Grove Writers’ Retreat 2025

Want to join us in May or October? Send me a quick note!

A Writing Journey on Lesvos Island, Greece

Nestled within the beautiful embrace of Lesvos’s famous olive groves, The Olive Grove Writers’ Retreat offers a sanctuary for those seeking inspiration, instruction and the power of creative flow. Learn exquisite lessons of craft and editing as well as powerful land and neuroscience-based tools to tackle writing impediments.

Let some of the oldest stories in the world remind you of the mythic work and play of language.

Let the olive tree roots beneath you connect you, literally, to a history and a community of illumination, peace, and power: the Olive Grove. You will create and write, talk and listen in the Grove and in your sea-side sanctuary.

This rare place has inspired writers, philosophers and scientists from antiquity all the way through time . . . to you and me. To us, together.

Together we’ll invite the energy and power of the grove and the Greek land-sea-and skyscapes to help us open up to and accept the power of this place. Greek island have been formative and transformative for millenia of artists, including myself. Countless others have also loved this dazzling island in particular.

The creative inspiration on Lesvos is REAL, believe me.

The great lyric poet Sappho was born in Eresos seven centuries before Christ—not far from where we will meet in the Grove. Aristotle himself visited and loved Eresos. Theophrastus, philosopher, botanist, one of the most famous nature writers of all time, was also born in Eresos. The local grade school is named after him.

Imagine plugging in this kind of energy and receiving expert instruction and coaching to help you channel it directly into your creative work.

That is what we will be doing for this week—and for two whole weeks if possible!— among olive trees approaching harvest-time . . . Your words will be part of the harvest this year.

You’ll be accompanied by a few like-minded humans . . . and these thirty beautiful trees near the village of Eresos on the Aegean Sea. You’ll stay in a lovely small hotel right on the water in Skala Eresos.

I’ve designed The Olive Grove Writers’ Retreat to nurture the creative brain-body-spirit—the whole being—because when we write well, it’s through and with all our parts of self—the whole shebang! So, yes, you’ll be writing, refining, editing, learning more about your own work. And you’ll be opening up to an experience of transformative connection—to self and other, to the earth, to mythic power.

Each of our days will begin with a walk into the grove, to your own chosen tree. Each participant has a table, a chair, and a place to lie down under her own tree.

When you walk up into the grove, where will you be?

And which tree is yours? Every one is the tree of life.

What might this invitation hold and unfold for you? Come and join me on the island of Lesvos to find out.

Group is limited to eight participants. We have 4 spaces left.

What to Expect

Pleasure, fun, writing time and instruction, mythic and practical inspiration.
Your Own Olive Tree for the duration of the Retreat—your own spot in the Grove to write, talk, meditate, play and wrestle with the page.

Holistic Writing Instruction, Brain-Body-Spirit: In daily master-classes, learn a mixture of craft-based theory and creative approaches, as well as innovative practices such as self-hypnosis; OEI brain-body work & a variety of mindfulness and creative visualizations.
25 pages of your work thoughtfully edited, with commentary, by Karen Connelly. Your 25 pages must be submitted by September 1, 2025.
A one-on-one meeting during the Retreat Week (one hour) to discuss your writing and writing ‘impediments’ or problems.
Peace and Dream-Time beneath the timeless olive branches, by the sea, on the country tracks.
Nourishing Cuisine: Savor gourmet meals crafted by Yeremiah, a young chef trained in Berlin—and down the road on the farm where he grew up. He’ll be using organic, locally-sourced ingredients inspired by the Mediterranean diet.
Cultural Enrichment: Participate in short trips in the countryside near Eresos.
Creative Rituals: Experience ancient creative healing rituals using the olive grove as our sacred site.
A day-long trip to Sigri, the Petrified “Forest” and the Panayeia Cave Church
The Olive Grove Retreat Includes
A profoundly unique experience of the Greek island of Lesvos: land, sea and body-based, olive grove-inspired. (Lots of olive oil to eat, too—cultivated by us from the very Grove you’ll be playing in . . .) Learning and seminars take place daily from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (This includes our communal lunch hour).
Transfers to and from Mytilene airport (the Odysseus Elytis Airport). Eresos is 1.5 hours away from the airport. We’ll pick you up and deliver you back when you leave.
Logistical support with your travel questions and plans.
Necessary, itinerary-related transportation by car or van to various places around Eresos, including Skala Eresos (the lower village by the sea) as well as the upper village, the Olive Grove, the ‘far’ end of the beach, and our day trip to Sigri and nearby sites.
At the beginning of the Retreat, guests are welcome to a complimentary dinner in Skala, excluding orders of alcohol or high-cost fish. A generous farm-to-table lunch (with local cheeses and homemade dips) will be catered and served daily in the Olive Grove. Healthy snacks, beverages, and occasional local pastries will be provided during all Grove activities. Clean-up duties after lunch will be shared by host and participants.
Aside from the welcome dinner and the extravagant lunches, meal costs are participants’ responsibility. Breakfast is available at the hotel, payable at the end of your stay. The hotel breakfast is nice, but not obligatory (you can order once or twice, as well, rather than daily.) Each room has a fridge and a kettle; you may buy breakfast items for your daily consumption from the nearby (wonderful) bakery and grocery stores, or go out for breakfast at a variety of restaurants and cafes in Skala. Because the retreat is in October, some Skala restaurants may be closed for the season, but we’ll direct you to the best still-open tavernas and cafes.
For Two Week participants, three simple lunches in the Grove are provided, as well as a closing dinner (excluding orders of alcohol or high-cost fish).
NOTE: Your air-travel costs internationally and nationally, as well as your travel and health insurance are NOT covered by the amounts below. All participants must have health insurance for this trip.

Two Week Retreat Experiences

These longer retreats provide a less structured, more integrated learning experience after the first week, offered at a significantly lower cost. We will also have a group meeting to discuss progress, as well as writing and editing goals.

Three simple, non-catered Olive Grove lunches are provided. A delicious closing dinner in the is also provided.

Two organized visits to the grove are structured, with master-classes or practices requested by participants; one other visit to the grove is optional and ‘free’ (9:30 to 2:00 pm) for writing and/or spiritual practice. This extra time is an integration week, in which participants are encouraged to set a particular goal for new pages and/or editing. I and a helper will be on site the entire time. We will also pick you up for time in the Grove and drop you back at your hotel daily. Afternoon time is dedicated to writing / editing / swimming / walking / musing.