Retreat to the New World — August 7-23, 2025

Join our small group of writers on a journey to Newfoundland, a remote and charming island off the East Coast of Canada

Summertime Update

This retreat is now SOLD OUT, but cancellations do happen, so contact us to be put on the waiting list.

Special note to Newfoundland writers: While we’re in St. John’s, Gerard will offer a workshop that’s open for public registration. Visit his website for information and to register!

August in Newfoundland, summer lingers like a pleasant dream you wish would never end. Fresh, salt air invigorates the soul. The music of George Street heats up and drifts through the alleyways while the cliffs and valleys ring with both history and optimism.

You’ll want to come and stay a while, see where the Vikings first settled almost 500 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue, hear the ancient voices that linger on the wind while the promise of the present steadies your breath. All around you is a world of wonder unlike anything else you’ll encounter on this vast continent, just waiting for you to write it down.

Over 17 days, we’ll take you from one wondrous place to another, where past meets present—you’ll be greeted by off-Broadway theatre, attend an intimate literary festival, explore a historic city that never grows old, and be spellbound by a true Viking settlement, where long-ago dreams of travel met the harsh reality of discovery. All that, plus a writing retreat in a place that’s renowned for genuine, grassroots support of brilliant artists.

In Newfoundland, story is king, and legend rises up from the ancient rocks and deceptively sleepy bays. Everyone from the taxi drivers to the innkeepers, the myriad writers and artists, fisherfolk, and even the politicians: they all have a story to tell, and they’ll certainly tell it to you if you’ve a moment to listen. Just be sure to write some of it down, because in the morning, it will all seem like a hazy dream.

Newfoundland’s independent streak

Newfoundland is neither here nor there: it is its own thing, with its own distinct music, literature, and art. And let’s not forget that famous Newfoundland dialect, which is, in itself, made up of dozens of different dialects depending on where you go in the province. It’s not unusual to sit in a pub in St. John’s or a restaurant in Ferryland and think you’ve landed somewhere in Ireland.

There remains in Newfoundland a fierce autonomous streak, derived, in large part, from living on a rock in the middle of the Atlantic. If Newfoundland is known for its harsh weather, its people are known for resilience. Newfoundland was officially known as a Dominion until 1934, essentially meaning it was an independent country with its own prime minister and monetary system. Newfoundland coins and bills can still be found in museums, old houses, curio shops, and, if you’re lucky, during a walk in the Battery or some hidden alley of one of the oldest cities in North America.

In 1949, Newfoundland joined Canada as the tenth—and youngest—province. The vote was 51% to 49%, and many suspect the vote was rigged by Great Britain, which was protectorate of Newfoundland because of perceived financial difficulties stemming from the Great Depression and the severe losses incurred by the first World War. Britain saw Newfoundland as a burden they wished to unload with a clear conscience, and, to keep her out of American hands (as union with the U.S. was also on the ballot), rumours still abound that Great Britain colluded with Canada to ensure the vote went the Canadian way. Thus, Newfoundland seemingly surrendered its independence by an extremely close—and some would say questionable—vote.

Men, hurrah for our own native Isle, Newfoundland,
Not a stranger shall hold one inch of her strand;
Her face turns to Britain, her Back to the Gulf,
Come near at your peril, Canadian Wolf!

~ “The Anti-Confederation Song,” taken from Gerald S. Doyle’s Old-Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland

Regardless of the truth about 1949, which largely split the province between urban, who tended to be for self-government, and rural, many who leaned toward confederation, Newfoundlanders today pretty much accept and embrace their status as Canada’s youngest province. They are proud Canadians, though many would consider themselves Newfoundlanders first, particularly if their parents and/or grandparents were born before 1949.

After an amendment to the Canadian constitution in 2001, Newfoundland changed its name to “Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.” Labrador, which is adjoined to the mainland and is much larger than the island of Newfoundland, is sparsely populated but rich in natural resources, and its ownership has long been contested by the province of Quebec, which might explain why the NL government felt a need to lay claim to it in this way.

All of this, and more, suggests why Newfoundland has always maintained a sense of independence. It’s hard to get here, and it even has its own time zone (“half an hour later in Newfoundland” being a common refrain of CBC television scheduling). More importantly, it has its own unique sense of humour, which is as twinkling dark as that of any Irish person, and for very good reason.

What is it about Newfoundland and the arts?

One question we often hear is, “Why does Newfoundland produce so many great artists and writers?” The answer probably lies in its rebellious streak. With a long history as an outpost and underdog, despite its wealth of natural resources from cod stocks to oil and gas, Newfoundland was the butt of jokes. At times, with ill-considered government “giveaway” bad deals and resettlement plans that might easily be taken for cultural genocide, it seemed Newfoundland was relegated to the losing side of history.

But in the mid-1960s, following the purge of the outports in a harsh relocation scheme and accompanied by the popularity of American and Canadian media content, some Newfoundlanders began to find their voice. In a grassroots movement led mostly by singers, stage actors, playwrights, and archivists — with the solid foundation of a folklore department at Memorial University of Newfoundland — something seismic happened.

In short order, the past began to feed the present and the province generated its own literature, led by writers like Michael Crummey, Lisa Moore, Michael Winter, and our own Gerard Collins’ pioneering contributions to the Newfoundland Gothic genre. Newfoundland bands and musicians, like Figgy Duff — with Pamela Morgan along with singer Anita Best — and especially the comedy troupe Codco began mining both past and present with the purpose of showing Newfoundlanders to themselves through home-grown entertainment. The distinctive Newfoundland music and comedy flourished, with groups like The Wonderful Grand Band featuring Ron Hynes and members of Codco spawning The Irish Descendants, Great Big Sea, even This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and much more.

Eventually, outsiders began to discover the distinctive Newfoundland culture, and it became “cool” to be a Newfoundlander. It still is. Newfoundland is a place that has learned to tell its stories, to unbury secrets, to tell the dark truths, to own its dark humour, and to sing as loud as you liked. A people who had been told to “burn your boats” and “don’t make a show of yourself” was suddenly singing old folks songs and writing new tales built on a foundation of repression, sadness, and a craving for something greater.

Join us for a summertime writing adventure: Retreat to the New World, August 7-23, 2025.

Costs start at $7,395 CAD (approx. $5,334 USD) for double occupancy. Details below. Contact us to register or if you have questions.

About Gerard and Janie

Go and Write! with Dr. Gerard Collins and Janie Simpson

Cast Off — Our Retreat to the New World Begins

On August 7, we’ll check into Sinbad’s Hotel in Gander and gather for an early supper before attending a performance of the blockbuster Broadway musical Come From Away, inspired by the events of 9-11.

Stranded far from home, American passengers were invited into the homes of local people in Gander where they were well cared for, no questions asked, unless it was “How are you doing?” Faced with one of history’s great tragedies, an entire small town responded with warmth and kindness that lasted well beyond those several heartbreaking days in September 2001. The rest is subject for both history and theatre.

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“It means the world to be bringing a homegrown production of our show back to Gander, in the Arts and Culture Centre where we first listened to interviews in 2011. So when we sing ‘You are here,’ this will be the only production of ‘Come From Away’ in the world where it will be true.”

~ Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Creators of Come From Away

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Newfoundlanders are known for their kindness, so it’s fitting to begin our retreat with the Come From Away story. After years on Broadway and touring the continent, the Tony award-winning production has found a new home where it all began: Gander itself, the small town with the big heart and wide-open arms, and a tiny international airport.

You’ll want to plan to arrive in Gander in good time on that first day as we’ll share an early group supper before making our way to the theatre, where we’ve purchased prime tickets for this musical produced by Michael Rubinoff and directed by Newfoundland’s own Jillian Keiley. When the cast sings “Welcome to the Rock!” on the very first evening we gather together in Newfoundland, they’ll be singing it to you, and you’ll feel a warm introduction to this special part of the world.

The Historic Town of Trinity, part of the Bonavista Peninsula

After breakfast the next morning, August 8, we’ll board our private coach for Trinity, a historic town that traces its roots to the 16th and 17th centuries, first as a migratory and then permanent fishing station. Here, we’ll have exclusive use of The Rosewood and The Crows Nest, our combined homes for five nights. There are kitchenettes / full kitchens in all rooms, and private bathrooms. Once we land, we’ll settle in and do some solid writing in one of the most beautiful outport communities on the East Coast.

For this early leg of our writing retreat, you’ll have a good stretch of time to unwind and truly immerse yourself in Trinity’s peaceful surroundings. We’ll meet for a group writing session and evening readings, and you’ll also have your first one-on-one chat with award-winning Newfoundland author Dr. Gerard Collins, an opportunity to discuss your writing, exclusively. Trinity is well-known for its natural wonders, including its friendly people and dedication to the arts, and is one of the most walkable towns in Newfoundland.

Wake up each morning to sunshine on the cove or fog in the hills, one of the gentlest awakenings you can imagine anywhere. There’s plenty to do in Trinity — visit the Museum, tour the Green Family Forge, one of the few operational forges still in existence on the island, take a whale-watching excursion, such as those offered by Trinity Eco Tours, see a play or go for a stroll, grab a bite to eat or have a drink — spend the days writing and feeding your soul, right in the heart of Trinity.

Once we’re nestled into our home base in Trinity, we’ll board our private coach and travel down the road a pace for our first day trip: the delightful Winterset in Summer literary festival in Eastport. Writers from across Canada, including respected local authors, will regale us with stories, conversation, and readings from their published works. The organizers have already set aside our tickets for the sessions that Saturday, which is traditionally the best day of the festival. Winterset is an intimate literary extravaganza of storytelling that holds you in thrall while you sit in the darkened theatre and peer onto the stage at whichever famous or emerging author is being interviewed.

We’ll return to Trinity that night, replete with memories and stories of all we’ve seen and heard — and really, it’s only just beginning. After we’ve relaxed and had a chance to get into some solid writing over our six days in Trinity, we’ll board our private coach for the capital city of St. John’s, known as the “City of Legends,” but, oh, there’s so much more to St. John’s than the past, and there’s also a stopover before we get there…

A pleasant excursion around the bay…

This morning, August 13, we’ll say a fond farewell to our Trinity home-base as we make our way to St. John’s, the capital city of Newfoundland. But along the way, we’ll have our second day trip: a detour into Gerard’s hometown of Placentia, the fishing village that inspired the town of Darwin, the setting for his award-winning, beloved novel, Finton Moon.

Also known as Plaisance, the old French capital of Newfoundland, Placentia was founded in 1662 and is one of the most beautiful towns in all of Canada. With a history going back hundreds of years, this ancient site of many naval battles between France and England was built at sea level, surrounded by ocean and hills, connected to the rest of the island by the only lift bridge in the province.

Exploring Placentia (or “Plaisance,” en français)…

On the morning we arrive in Placentia, we’ll venture to Castle Hill National Historic Site where we’ll explore the remnants of a 17th century fort and see where the English and French vied for control of the lucrative cod fishery.

On our writing retreats, we do our best to incorporate events and opportunities that support the local arts and artists, all while providing participants with authentic cultural experiences. After exploring Castle Hill, we’ll have some lunch and enjoy some arts and culture programming from the Placentia Theatre Festival.

A Finton Moon tour, guided by the author

Following our lunch, we’ll take a brief “Finton Moon Tour,” where you’ll get a glimpse of Gerard’s home town and gain rare, firsthand insight into the author by seeing the landscape that shaped his writing, settings, and characters.

Nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, the Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage and History Award, and winner of the Percy Janes First Novel Award, Finton Moon features a magical young boy who comes of age in a place very much like Placentia.

Finton fell in love, fell out of love (and trees), reluctantly attended school, got into trouble, walked the roads of the fictional town of Darwin, and read books in “the foxhole” while living in his parents’ small bungalow at the edge of the forest, all beneath the broad Newfoundland sky. Our brief Finton Moon tour, guided by the author himself, will touch on many aspects of the novel and you’ll see with your own eyes what, perhaps, you’ve only previously imagined, if you’ve read the book. Darwin is also the setting for Gerard’s short story collection, Moonlight Sketches, which won the 2012 NL Book Award.

We’ll take a drive around the town and show you the woods, the sites of the old Bond’s Path school and a 17^th-century church, as well as  the old courthouse and other sites where Gerard grew up and where young Finton’s eyes widened to the world around him.

And then we’re bound for old St. John’s!

Writing as we go…

On a Go and Write! retreat, you’ll travel in the company of like-minded souls, some of whom have written only a little and others who have published extensively. Our participants include emerging and published writers of all genres — poets, dramatists, children’s authors, memoirists, and more — as well as their friends, family and spouses.

We recommend that you bring a writing journal everywhere to capture once-in-a-lifetime moments on the spot. There will be many opportunities to sketch with words on this retreat, and the immediacy encourages nuance and detail in your writing. There are some moments and characters that can only be captured vividly on the coach, enjoying a coffee in a quiet café, or watching the sunrise above the Atlantic Ocean.

Go and Write! retreat-goers, including non-writing folk, often have a tough time choosing their favourite part of our retreats, but the lasting friendships and memorable moments that could only happen when a bunch of writers go traveling together top most lists.

Bound for Old St. John’s

After six days in the small town of Trinity and a jaunt to Placentia, our private coach will take us onward to spirited St. John’s, the provincial capital of Newfoundland. Here, any night of the week, you’ll find traditional music in the pubs and on the streets of a city renowned for its variety of musical offerings.

Newfoundland is as close to Ireland as you’ll get without crossing over to the Old World. On Janie’s first visit to St. John’s, she was shocked at how familiar it felt — echoes of Dublin, Galway, and Ennis rolled into one — and yet, St. John’s is very much its own thing. Like Ireland, Newfoundland has its own storytelling tradition, its own literature and its own brand of music, all of which have come down from the Irish ways.

We’ll check into our St. John’s venue, the beautiful new JAG Hotel, located on George Street West. We stayed there on our last visit and found it to be ideal: close enough to the world-famous George Street bar district, with as much great food, drink, and music as you’ll possibly need, but a bit removed from the hustle and bustle.

If you’re in the mood for some inspiration, just up the hill you’ll find the newly renovated Majestic Theatre, with its soft-seat venue and the more casual Theatre Hill Bar and Café, a hub for creatives. Then there’s the storied LSPU Hall — formerly the Longshoremen’s Protective Union — with a proud history of supporting the creative arts in Newfoundland.

You can also wander up to Duckworth Street — maybe check out The Duke of Duckworth pub (made famous in the Republic of Doyle TV series), where you’re likely to encounter local actors, writers, and musicians enjoying great food and drinks, including what is possibly the best fish ‘n chips on the island. Up the street a-ways, you’ll find yourself at The Ship Pub, where favourite Newfoundland son Ron Hynes regularly held court and sang his thousand songs. See how many of these iconic spots you can glimpse in the video below, featuring Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea fame singing one of Ron Hynes’ most beloved songs, the “St. John’s Waltz.”

We’ve had our share of history;
We’ve seen nations come and go,
We’ve seen battles raged
Over land and stage,
Five hundred years or more.

~ “St. John’s Waltz,” Ron Hynes

Hynes, known as the “godfather of Newfoundland culture,” was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020 and is revered in the province and across the country. And, we’ve been happy to discover, he’s well known in Ireland, where his most popular song “Sonny’s Dream” has been performed by such Irish trad legends as Christy Moore, Mary Black, and Liam Clancy.

These days, you’ll still encounter great musicians and the occasional literary open mic in the city. There’s Broderick’s Pub, too, owned by D’Arcy Broderick, co-founder of The Irish Descendants and The Fables. Broderick’s Pub serves up hearty pub food and live music nearly every night, sometimes twice! We were so fortunate to catch D’Arcy himself when we visited St. John’s recently.

Just up over the hill you’ll find The Rooms, which hosts internationally and locally famous artworks and boasts a café with great food and the best view of St. John’s Harbour in the whole city. On any given day in this multidisciplinary research facility — now home to the Newfoundland Museum — you’ll find world-class art exhibitions and workshops, musical performances, and literary readings and conversations with local authors. And that’s just the beginning.

Around St. John’s

Once you’ve gotten your sea legs, we’ll take you on our third day trip: a magical, mystical tour that includes the legendary Cape Spear, which features a great old lighthouse and the roaring, rolling sea at the foot of gigantic cliffs that will remind you of Ireland.

Cape Spear is the most easterly point of North America, which made the region ideal for pilots Alcock and Brown to launch the first successful, non-stop, trans-Atlantic flight in 1919, landing in the town of Clifden — which happens to be one of our favourite retreat locations in Ireland!

On this day tour, we’ll also visit Cabot Tower on Signal Hill, which you can actually see from Cape Spear on a clear day. In fact, it was here in St. John’s that Italian native Guglielmo Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic wireless transmission.

Signal Hill is possibly the most famous landmark in Newfoundland, and it’s a touchstone of sorts for those who live in St. John’s, where they look each day to be reminded of how special this place is and how far back the history goes. For centuries, it’s been the first sight seen by sailors as they enter the harbour from the North Atlantic.

Newfoundland has its own time zone (its far-east location means it greets the sunrise half an hour earlier than anywhere else on the continent), and Signal Hill is where St. John’s residents go to welcome the New Year, a half hour before anybody else. Newfoundland has seen its share of sea and land disasters, hardships, and triumphs; every day, there’s a sense of having survived together. To be part of that feeling, that daily life, has inspired the songs and stories that Newfoundlanders have kept close to home and carried with them to far-off lands.

We’ll wrap up our day tour with a visit to picture-perfect Quidi Vidi, a colourful, quaint fishing village within the city itself,  which just happens to be one of the oldest fishing villages in North America, dating back to the 1600s. The village stands not far from Quidi Vidi Lake where the annual Royal St. John’s Regatta has run practically nonstop for more than 200 years on the first Wednesday of every August. You can stroll around and get a bite to eat at one of the great restaurants or Quidi Vidi Brewery. Stray up the road for a meal at Mallard’s Cottage for some Merasheen Oysters, cod tongues, or Placentia Mussels. If you want to return there after our tour, the lake, of course, is reachable by foot from our downtown location; you just go down Forest Road (yes, the same street where Gerard’s neo-Gothic novel The Hush Sisters  is set) and past Quidi Vidi Lake.

You won’t run out of things to do in St. John’s, especially in summertime, and that includes a Haunted Hike through the downtown, where the ghosts of history come to life, or a visit to the Newman Wine Vaults, where many achievements have been celebrated and where Gerard and his publisher launched Finton Moon; a stroll through the Battery, or along the harbour, or a writing session at The Bagel Café, Coffee Matters, or any number of pubs, cafés, and restaurants.

As if that’s not enough, we’re thrilled to share that St. John’s is hosting the 2025 Canada Summer Games while we’re there! The city will be filled with some of the most elite, world class athletes our country has to offer, and if you need a break from your writing, you can check out the schedule to see what competitions you might be able to catch live.

A note from a recent retreat participant

“It is not an exaggeration to say this retreat changed my life! I have been struggling for years to finish a personal memoir draft. Just a few days on our retreat, and my writing and I turned a corner. I had the breakthrough that had eluded me for years. The combination of Gerard’s insightful guidance, the support of the other writers who became instant soulmates, and the Irish tradition of storytelling in an 18th century castle proved to be life-changing.

“I am close to finishing my memoir draft, and I give all credit to Go and Write! for providing the environment that enabled me to write and organize my thoughts. I have opened myself up to the possibilities ahead, and I’m feeling better about my writing than I have in years.

“My deepest thanks to Gerard and Jane…”

~ Gloria R.B., Go and Write! alumnus

To see more kind notes from our Go and Write! Alumni, visit our Testimonials page.

Where the Old World Meets the New: The Great Northern Peninsula

Just when you think your heart and mind can hold no more wonder, on the morning of August 17, we’ll bring you to the St. John’s International Airport and take off — as part of our special arrangement with Provincial Airlines — to the very northern tip of the island, St. Anthony. Most people have to drive from St. John’s to St. Anthony, and it can easily take a couple of days, but we’re getting there as quickly as possible so you can use more of your soul’s energy to enjoy the surroundings and to write about your experiences.

From the airport, our private coach will whisk us off along the Viking Trail to Tuckamore Lodge in Main Brook, where we’ll settle in for five nights — an entire, encapsulated retreat in itself — and take another deep dive into writing and immersion into Newfoundland culture and history.

We’ll have our third group writing session here, led by Gerard, and you’ll have your second one-on-one chat with him as well — this is an ideal opportunity to reconnect with your writing and get refocused on your project.

When you’re not writing, there’s plenty to do at Tuckamore Lodge, including some great walks. The venue is nestled beside a pond in a forested wilderness area, and Main Brook is the number one salmon and trout fishing destination in Newfoundland. Our hosts can help you find a fishing guide, organize a whale watching excursion, or set up a clam bake on the beach.

Along the Viking Trail to L’Anse aux Meadows

We’ve chosen to fly the group to the tippy top of Newfoundland to not only show you one of the most breathtaking regions in North America, but so we can also take you on our fourth day trip: an excursion to L’Anse aux Meadows,  a UNESCO World Heritage Site perched at the northernmost point of the province.

The only authenticated Norse site in North America, L’Anse aux Meadows was located by archeologists in the 1960s using material from the Vinland Sagas, a document written in the 13th century from 300 years of oral history passed down through generations.

With reddened cheeks and windswept hair, we’ll explore L’Anse aux Meadows and the Norstead Viking Village before making our way to a place neither Leif Eriksson nor Freydis Eriksdottir ever dreamed of — an excellent, unassuming restaurant named The Norseman, where you’ll find great food and great company. After we’ve had a bite to eat, we’ll venture back to Norstead for a storytelling session before we head back to Tuckamore Lodge, regaling ourselves with tales of all we’ve seen, with a sense that we’ve done something extraordinary: landed in a place where Vikings once stood and called home, where the Old World first met the New World. As the “Ode to Newfoundland” proclaims, “Where once they stood, we stand.”

The very fact that we’re flying north to visit Norstead, the first Viking settlement in North America, makes this retreat unique. No other writing retreat or excursion will get you there this fast AND allow you five nights to settle into a resort where we can drink deep of the unspoiled water, air, and land of Newfoundland. In fact, from one point on the land, you can look across and see the near coast of Labrador — a sight you’ll never forget.

This is a chance to unwind and unplug in one of the most rare and remote parts of North America — just beware that this isolation also can come with limited limited Wi-Fi and, at times, no cell service while we’re in the northern part of Newfoundland.

Back home for a rest

On August 22, we fly back to St. John’s, where we’ve arranged for one more night at the JAG Hotel, for your convenience. The next morning, we’ll say our final goodbyes and part ways, for now, after 17 days on one of the friendliest islands in North America, if not the world.

Our hope is that you’ll get loads of writing done; our greater hope is that you’ll take the songs and stories of Newfoundland back home with you to nurture your soul and your imagination for years to come.

Join us as we Retreat to the New World this summer

We’ll take you places where you can look out to the Atlantic Ocean and envision the Vikings, fishers, pirates, and warriors who have entered the harbours and invaded the coves. Newfoundland is the unofficial arts and culture capital of Canada, a place that time has barely touched, and yet where the modern world meets the ancient.

This 17-day retreat is designed to satisfy both your desire for adventure and your need to find time to write, along with the thoughtful and respectful guidance of award-winning authors. Some of our travellers aren’t writers at all, though they often travel with writers. The vast majority, though, are writers of various genres, including novelists and playwrights, screenwriters, memoirists, and poets, and are at various stages of their writing life. We get as many new or emerging writers as we get established writers who simply need time away from the daily grind to refresh their souls and kickstart their writing.

A Go and Write! retreat is not your average trip to Newfoundland (or anywhere else) or even your average writing retreat. As writers ourselves, we have designed every aspect of this adventure with creative souls in mind, combining the stimulation that can only come from travel and company with other writers with the quiet and solitude that’s an absolute must for writing.

Go!

• • 1 night at Sinbad’s in Gander
    • Group supper
    • Prime tickets for Come From Away
    • Breakfast
  • 5 nights at Rosewood Suites and The Crow’s Nest in Trinity
    • Private coach to Eastport
    • Tickets for Saturday’s programming at the Winterset Literary Festival
    • Continental breakfast on our last morning
  • Private tour of Placentia, guided by Dr. Gerard Collins
    • Tickets for entry to Castle Hill National Historic Site
    • Lunch and performance hosted by the Placentia Theatre Festival
  • 5 nights at the JAG Hotel in St. John’s
    • Private, guided tour of St. John’s
    • Entry to Signal Hill and Cape Spear
    • Group supper at the JAG
  • 5 nights at Tuckamore Lodge in Main Brook on the Northern Peninsula
    • All breakfasts
    • 4 lunches
    • 4 suppers
    • Flights between St. John’s and St. Anthony
    • Private coach and guided tour of L’Anse aux Meadows UNESCO Heritage Site
    • Entry and storytelling session at the Norstead Viking settlement

Write!

• • Three group writing sessions
  • Two one-on-one chats with Dr. Gerard Collins
  • Professional, honest, and thoughtful commentary on your pre-submitted writing sample from an award-winning author and university educator — helpful regardless of your writing level
  • A chance to hear from and network with Newfoundland authors at the Winterset Literary Festival
  • The company of other writers
  • Group readings and conversation on several evenings
  • Non-writing participants are welcome to take part in as few or as many of the elements of the retreat as they wish
  • Ample time and opportunity for writing, idea-gathering, and solitude

A major difference between Go and Write! and most travel companies or writing retreats is the personalized aspect of our tours. We ensure there’s both social time and alone time built into the itinerary, as well as plenty of time for wandering and gathering thoughts in a solitary fashion. We encourage writers to give each other space, although social time is also guaranteed, if that’s what you’d like. Note, also, that we don’t compel strangers to share a room as most writers prefer solitude or, at most, the company of a friend or family member of their own choosing.

In all, we pride ourselves on being open and inclusive and, being writers ourselves first and foremost, we imagine the best writing retreat possible and try our best to deliver on that ideal.

Kind words from one of our 2022 retreat participants:

“I am beginning to reflect on the joy the trip has brought me… The tenderness and care you showed us was so evident in the choices of lodging, the comfortable bus rides, and the knowledgeable guides. It was your day-to-day presence, while checking on all of us, that was especially meaningful. I am not certain I can explain the impact, but I feel it has awakened a longing in me and an understanding of something deeper that was not previously there.”
~ Ann K., Go and Write! alumnus

Cost

Double occupancy, per person, sharing room: $6,430.43 +HST (15%) = $7,395 CAD including tax (approx. $5,334 USD)
Single occupancy: $7,647.83 +HST (15%) = $8,795 CAD including tax (approx. $6,345 USD)

See below for the payment schedule and specific cancellation policy associated with this retreat.

Please note that there is NOT a surcharge for single travellers. The true cost of the retreat is based on the single price, but if you bring someone else, you share the room costs, which lowers the price per person. We do not pair strangers on our retreats, and numbers will be limited to approximately 14 registrants to allow for a more intimate, connected, and focused experience. 

Listed price is in Canadian dollars and includes tax and applicable tourism levies; gratuities are at participants’ discretion, with the exception of our supper at the JAG Hotel, which has a gratuity of 18% built into their meal fee. We have estimated the price in US dollars for our American participants’ convenience, based on the rate of exchange at the time; the actual cost in American dollars will depend on the conversion rate at time of payment.

Rates shown do not include credit card processing fees. For those paying by credit card, we will have to add 2.4% and the fee is non-refundable. For Canadians, we’re able to offer an e-transfer option to save you processing fees. For other registrants, we also accept international bank transfers; please research the processing fees charged by your bank as you’re responsible to pay those fees. Contact us for more information.

Some people choose to pay by credit card if it has an associated trip insurance policy. It is your responsibility to research and understand details around any insurance coverage associated with your credit card. Visit our Expectations, Rules, and Refunds page for more information about the importance of trip insurance.

For more information, or to register, please contact us.

Payment schedule

We will be happy to set up a payment schedule with you!

See additional notes about missed payments, cancellations, and refunds below.

A few additional notes

Amenities

We are staying in some venues with no elevator; participants may be required to climb stairs to get to their bedrooms. At some points during our retreat, there may be limited Wi-Fi and no cell service, as well as no air conditioning in our accommodations. Rooms are assigned on a first-come, first served basis, with input from the venues and with some exceptions, and not all rooms are the same.

Upgrades

Some upgrades are possible depending on availability.

Logistics

The retreat begins in Gander on August 7 at 4:00 p.m. and ends in St. John’s on the morning of August 23. Both of these regions have international airports — Gander’s IATA code is YQX; St. John’s is YYT. Please be careful not to confuse St. John’s, Newfoundland with Saint John, New Brunswick!

There are also ferries that travel regularly between the provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

When planning your arrival time on the first day, please bear in mind that we will gather for an early supper (approximately 4:30 p.m.) on the first afternoon of the retreat, August 7, to allow us sufficient time before we attend the theatre performance. We recommend arriving at the Sinbad Hotel in Gander between 3:00 — 4:00 p.m.

Insurance

Please arrange for trip insurance, including cancellation insurance! Life can throw curveballs at us: we HIGHLY recommend that all participants get travel insurance, including cancellation, interruption, and health insurance, as soon as they register for a Go and Write! retreat.

We have seen situations where participants who have NOT arranged for insurance lose all of their investment when they’ve had to cancel, and we’ve seen participants who HAVE arranged for insurance recoup 100% of their investment.

Participants are responsible to research and make arrangements for their own insurance.

Participants are responsible to research the implications of travel restrictions at home and abroad before and at the time of travel. Ensure you have everything you need so you aren’t turned away from establishments or airports.

Missed payments, cancellation, and refunds — please note this policy and these dates are specific to this retreat.

We strongly encourage you to purchase the appropriate trip insurance, and to do so at the appropriate time.

• • Payment deadlines must be met or you risk forfeiting your space and the cancellation and refunds policy and dates specific to this retreat apply. If you run into difficulties meeting the payment schedule, you must contact us immediately to see if alternate arrangements can be made.
  • Due to the timing of this retreat and the fact that we’ve now passed the regular retreat payment schedule, there can be no refunds.
  • If you need to cancel your participation in the retreat, you must notify us, in writing.

While we present our information in good faith, sometimes things happen that are beyond our control and circumstances may force us to change certain aspects of the retreat.

• • If the retreat or any aspect of the retreat needs to be postponed or adjusted, we will make every attempt to reschedule or offer an alternative.
  • We can only offer refunds if our providers also refund monies to us.
  • Prices are subject to change due to provider and supplier changes and availability, unforeseen travel conditions, cancellations, and culpability.

Due to contractual obligations with our suppliers, we cannot make exceptions to the cancellation policy, regardless of the reason.

All participants (and travel companions, if applicable) are required to review our Expectations, Rules and Refunds page and acknowledge agreement with the contents before registering for a Go and Write! retreat.

Check out our 2025 retreat lineup!

Return to Kingsbrae: St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada, May 18-25, 2025

Return to Kingsbrae: St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada, June 4-11, 2025

Retreat to the New World: Newfoundland, Canada, August 7-23, 2025

Return to Kingsbrae: St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada, September 17-24, 2025

A Grand Writing Tour of Ireland: October 4-26, 2025

Mountains, Lochs, and Lore: Scotland, November 23-December 5

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire: Cotswolds, England, December 9-17