Workshops

“Apart from the enormously satisfying experience of attending a workshop with someone who is both a talented writer and a talented teacher, there is also the great joy of connecting with an energizing community of writers and writer supporters. But perhaps the most valuable gift I received from my experience at Sirenland was a voice in my head that says, “keep going, keep going, keep going.”

- Margaret Boyer (Sirenland 2016)

The centerpiece of each day at Sirenland is an intensive, small group workshop, focused on fiction or memoir and taught by experienced and inspiring instructors. After the workshops, students can explore the charming village of Positano, make day trips to nearby attractions such as Pompeii and Sorrento; or simply relax, write, think, swim in the lovely pool of Le Sirenuse, or enjoy its extraordinary world-class spa. Each workshop participant will also have a private conference with their workshop leader over the course of the conference. Evenings will be devoted to readings and discussions. There will be a talk about the business of publishing and an open conversation about living the literary life. Michael Maren, Sirenland co-founder and an accomplished screenwriter, will be available to talk about screenwriting, and all things Hollywood. We’ll also host generative writing sessions and reprise Sirenland’s “open mic” night, during which students will be given the opportunity to publicly read their work. The final evening, Antonio and Carla Sersale, owners of Le Sirenuse Hotel, will fete us with an extraordinary farewell dinner.

“Sirenland’s setting is delightfully grand, but what made the week special to me is that the workshops were kept small and the vibe was so immediately welcoming that there was time and encouragement to truly get to know the writers who gather there each glorious spring.”–Karen Gentry (Sirenland 2017)

“Sirenland has been a true gift to me at this stage of my life. I have made lifelong friends of all ages. It’s not just about writing. But the part that is just about the writing is a huge aspect of the Sirenland gift. As someone who craved to be a writer starting at age seven, but then was never in the position to attempt to make it a career or seriously study the craft in an academic setting, Sirenland has been my own private MFA program.” — Elizabeth Bradbury (Sirenland 2011)