The Cuttyhunk Island Writers' Residency is a seven-day workshop and residency for fourteen writers on Cuttyhunk Island, off the coast of Cape Cod. Five days are dedicated to workshop, two to free writing time.
In 2024: Workshop leader Lauren Wolk.
In 2023: Workshop leader Bill Roorbach.
In 2022: Workshop leader Chen Chen
In 2021: Workshop leader Karen Thompson Walker
In 2019: Workshop leaders Hernan Diaz (Spring Session), Chen Chen (Fall), and Cynthia Zarin (Fall)
In 2018: Workshop leaders were Ethan Canin and Julia Glass. In 2017: Margot Livesey (June) and Wells Tower (September). In 2016: Paul Harding.
Past Visiting Readers and Authors include, Geraldine Brooks, Tony Horowitz, Emma Cline, Eric Jay Dolin, Anna Noyes, Nathaniel Philbrick, Jim Shepard, Cynthia Zarin, Casey Walker, and others.
CIWR offers you time to work on your writing in a beautiful, remote setting. We invite serious writers from all stages in their careers to learn from one another and from the mentorship of an instructor -- who will run a workshop for five of the seven days, hold hours for one-on-one meetings, and give a reading. Workshop is optional. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a sample schedule.
Participants stay at the Avalon Inn (see "Accommodation").
Program cost options below (which include accommodation, meals, workshop fees, lecturing and visiting musicians support, and round-trip transportation on the ferry from New Bedford, MA.)
A: $2,500 single room
B: $1,850 shared room
All scholarship winners are assigned to a triple room. If you win a scholarship and would like a single or double room, that's fine -- we just ask that you make up the difference in cost. See the application form for further instructions.
There are SCHOLARSHIPS that cover the entire cost of residency. Please click on the APPLY tab for further instructions.
Thursday
8:30am: Meet at the Cuttyhunk Ferry dock in New Bedford, MA (9am ferry)
10:00 – Arrive to Cuttyhunk Island!
12:30 – Lunch
2:00 – Walking tour around Island (weather depending); afternoon writing time
5:30 – Cocktail hour
6:15 – Sit-down dinner
8:00 – Nightly Salon: attendees’ readings
10:30 – Quiet time
Friday
7:30 – Coffee and tea in the kitchen
8:30 - 9:30 – Buffet-style breakfast
10:00 –12:30 – Writing Time
12:30 – Buffet-style lunch
2:00 – 5:30 – Writing Time
5:30 – Cocktails
6:15 – Dinner
8:00 – Reading: Guest Reader
10:30 – Quiet time
Saturday
7:30 – Coffee and tea
8:30 - 9:30 – Buffet-style breakfast
10:00 – Writing and Craft Talk
12:30 – Lunch
2:00 - 5:30 – Workshop 1
5:30 – Cocktails
6:15 – Dinner
8:00 – Concert
10:30 – Quiet time
Sunday
7:30 - Coffee and tea
8:30 - 9:30 – Breakfast
10:00 - 12:30 – Workshop 2
12:30 – Lunch
2:00 – 5:30 – Workshop 3
5:30 – Cocktails
6:15 – Dinner
8:00 – Nightly Salon: attendees’ readings
10:30 – Quiet time
Monday
7:30 - Coffee and Tea
8:30 - 9:30 – Breakfast
10:30 - 12:30 – Workshop 4
12:30 – Lunch
3:00 - 5:30 – Workshop 5
5:30 – Cocktails
6:15 – Dinner
7:30 – Nightly Salon: attendees’ reading series
10:30 – Quiet time
Tuesday
7:30 - Coffee and Tea
8:30 - 9:30 – Breakfast
10:00 - 12:30 – Workshop 6 (If needed)
12:30 – Lunch
2:00 – 5:30 – Writing Time
5:30 – Cocktails
6:15 – Dinner
8:00 – Nightly Salon: attendees’ readings
10:30 – Quiet time
Wednesday
7:30 - Coffee and Tea
8:30 - 9:30 – Breakfast
10:00 – Water taxi for guests departing early (sign up)
12:30 – Lunch
3:00 – Ferry from Cuttyhunk to New Bedford. Farewell!
*Note: Ferry arrives in New Bedford at around 4:15pm.