Each year the Rowland Writers Retreat invites and funds ten residencies for women prose writers with at least one published book to spend ten days in February in a luxurious private room at Rowland House, part of the Inns of Aurora collection, located on the shores of Lake Cayuga in New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes region.
ABOUT
The residency is the brainchild of Connie Biewald, Brooks Whitney Phillips, Laura Catherine Brown, and Samantha Schoech, who met during their residency at Vermont Studio Center in 2001 and became fast friends. They have been meeting annually since; to write, critique each other’s work, talk, laugh and enjoy spontaneous dance parties when the work is done. In 2011, they discovered Aurora, and it has become their meeting place of choice since, providing long creative hours in a bucolic, inspirational setting. The RWR was established in 2019.
““There are not many residencies like this one in the world—luxurious rooms overlooking a scenic lake in a historic college town. Gourmet meals prepared by an executive chef. I was able to fully focus on my work without any stresses whatsoever. By the end of my time there, I had not only revitalized my manuscript, but also my mind and spirit.””
LIFE AT ROWLAND WRITERS RETREAT
Time at the retreat is your own, although there are opportunities for informal salons in the Rowland House common areas. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Rowland House dining room at your leisure, and dinners will be enjoyed as a group. The Inn also offers access to beautiful lakefront walks, yoga classes, a small spa and gym, and the historic Aurora public library.
““The residency was wonderful on so many levels. Great company and care, lots of laughs, and, most importantly, an opportunity to put my writing at the front of the line on the demands for my attention. It hadn’t been there for a while; I’m grateful to the retreat for insisting on that.”
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Funding
These ten fellowships have been funded by Pleasant Rowland and the Rowland Reading Foundation. Pleasant Rowland is a noted educator, author of early childhood literacy programs, and founder of American Girl. She has restored more than ten historic properties in Aurora, many of which comprise the Inns of Aurora.
All costs associated with room and board are covered by the residency, but each writer is responsible for their own transportation to Aurora, New York.
““What I didn’t know didn’t stop me. I simply knew I had a good idea.”
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Rowland House at the Inns of Aurora
Constructed on the shore of Cayuga Lake by Alonzo Morgan Zabriskie in 1903, and completely restored in 2014, Rowland House is encompassed by ancient trees, an historic Grecian temple, and a spectacular two-story boathouse.
Rowland House offers ten chic guestrooms, each with a private marble bath, vibrant color schemes, original modern art, stunning views, and luxurious linens.
““Every morning I awoke with a genuinely giddy feeling, like I couldn’t quite believe it was real. The solitude, the gorgeous and comfortable surroundings, the fabulous food, and the company of smart, funny, generous writers was almost too much to handle—ALMOST!””