Writing Workshops &
Cultural Tours in Iceland

Registration for the 2023 Iceland Writers Retreat & Iceland Readers Retreat in Reykjavík, Iceland is now open. It will be held April 26-30, 2023.

SPECIAL EARLY BIRD OFFER: Sign up by July 1, 2023, and you’ll get ISK 40,000 (about US$300) off the final fee.

Click here for further information.

Join us for a series of workshops and panels led by an esteemed team of international writers.

Between intimate workshops and lectures we’ll offer the chance to tour the spectacular Golden Circle, sit in the cozy cafes of Reykjavik, soak in geothermal hot springs, listen to new Icelandic music, meet contemporary Icelandic writers, and learn about the country’s rich literary tradition.

The Iceland Readers Retreat will run concurrently to the IWR. Featuring New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik (in 2022; our 2023 faculty is yet to be announced), the IRR is an event for avid readers to delve into the oeuvre of an internationally recognized author, as well as the extensive literary traditions and heritage of Iceland.

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"Absolutely superb in every way."

Rozalind Dineen, Features Editor at the Times Literary Supplement (TLS)
"Quite possibly the world's most special creative writing course."

Travel writer Rory Maclean, 2018 faculty
"If you have a chance to attend the Iceland Writers Retreat, leap at it roaring."

Lauren Groff, National Book Award nominee and 2018 faculty
"It was life changing ... an incredible experience"

Kevin Larimer, Editor in Chief, Poets & Writers
"One of the world's best writers' retreats"

The Sydney Morning Herald
"Gets better and better every year."

Laurie, US, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 participant
"For a writer, it doesn't get much better than this"

Huffington Post
"One of the most thoughtfully planned, helpful, and inspirational events ever."

Carol, 2015, 2016, 2017 participant
"The perfect place to discover literary inspiration"

The Daily Beast

Workshops & Panels

Our workshops are led by acclaimed fiction and non-fiction writers from around the world.

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Touring

Participants can choose between three exclusive full-day outings into the Icelandic countryside. All day tours are led by and feature contemporary Icelandic writers. (All participants can attend one all-day tour.)

Tour Options

Time to Write

Dedicated blocks of time throughout the retreat allow participants to focus on their writing. Extend your visit with the “Relax, Read & Write” option that includes two group dinners, an open mike night, and the option of an additional two nights’ accommodation.

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Music, Food, & More

Hit the streets of Reykjavik to see live music, listen to readings by local writers, dine at some of Reykjavik’s best eateries. and mingle with faculty and other participants at our Cocktail Receptions.

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