The Word -to-Action writing retreat is a one (1) weeklong poetry experience where poets, writers and students have the opportunity to workshop together new or existing work centered around the theme, climate action. All poets are experienced and may support young writers. Days will be flexible enough to accommodate plenty of hiking (right out the front door), swimming, or contemplating in quiet alpine surroundings. Cathy Wittmeyer will be your host for the week.
When: May 18 – 25, 2025
Where: on Eschenerberg, in Eschen, Liechtenstein in spacious guest quarters.
Tuition: because this is an event to promote individual climate action, poets need only provide their own transportation: poets will stay overnight, and local poets will arrive daily. Includes daily workshop, scheduled readings, 3 meals per day for lodgers and lunch and dinner for locals. Poets are expected to support each other in workshop and to perform at a spoken word event on the final evening, open to the public.
Lodging: 6 poets will share three private rooms with full bath in each and amazing view. All rooms share a private kitchen and living space. Individual desk space will be provided. WiFi is available as well as a printer.
Meals: meals will follow a holistic seasonal and local plan that is vegetarian with specific preferences accommodated as much as possible.
Travel: participants should arrange their travel to Buchs, CH via Feldkirch, Austria or Zurich, Switzerland. Travel to the house from there will be organized by the host. Public transport is encouraged and highly recommended.
Format: Part workshop, part residency and part adventure, the Word-to-Action retreat provides a relaxed atmosphere to prepare for an exceptional performance on the final day.
If you would like to join the 2025 Word-to-Action retreat, please apply. Look out for our announcements on Instagram about Zoom and Live readings.
Application: we are almost full but please send an email to wordtoaction@gmail.com with your name, address, years writing poetry, a statement about your poetry experience thus far (i.e. mentors and poets you look up to, and how you think you can make a difference in climate behavior through poetry). Also, please let us also know what role you play best in a poetry workshop.
Photos from the 2023 Retreat:
Photos of the view:
Quotes from participants:
“SUCH wonderful and needed energy!” (Kelli Russell Agodon, 2020 Zoom participant)
“Thank you very much for providing me and other young poets with opportunities to express ourselves in a friendly and non-judgemental environment. Your workshops were always a safe space for me and for that I am deeply grateful.” (Oleksandra Hnatiuk, 2023)
“What I find compelling in your approach to climate issues is a sense of hopefulness and encouragement for people to be active and do something even if it feels small.” (Melissa Thomas – Van Gundy, 2023)
“I stumbled over this quote by Seamus Heaney a few days ago: ‘I can’t think of a case where poems changed the world, but what they do is they change people’s understanding of what’s going on in the world.’ I believe WtoA does that in spades: it changes people’s understanding of the world around them. And I think that those of us who have been changed by poetry are quietly doing our diligent work of spreading the good word. All we ask is that people listen.” (Romana Iorga, 2020, 2023)
“WtA is inspiring in so far as it asks us to slow down, pay attention, and remember that what we do as writers can make a difference, particularly if we see ourselves as part of a community that’s engaging both word and world. The work WtA does with kids so they can have a voice in response to the environmental tragedies is incredible.” (Gerry LaFemina, 2023)
“In a world of destruction and negativity, where it’s easy to feel powerless, Word-to-Action reminds us that hope, community, mindfulness, and creativity are some of the most powerful tools for change the world has ever known.” (Doug Van Gundy, 2023)