Delaware Division of the Arts Accepting Applications for 2026 Writers Retreat

Four-day retreat at Biden Environmental Center in Cape Henlopen State Park open to Delaware writers working in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry

Statewide, Del. (May 6, 2026) – The Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) is now accepting applications for the 2026 Delaware Writers Retreat, a four-day residential experience for creative writers taking place November 5–8, 2026, at the Biden Environmental Center in Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes, Delaware. Applications are due on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

The Retreat gives writers an opportunity to step away from everyday life and focus on their craft in a relaxed coastal setting. Writers will have dedicated time to write, connect with peers, work alongside established authors, and give and receive feedback in small-group workshops. Craft talks, generative writing sessions, and author readings are also part of the program.

“The Delaware Division of the Arts serves Delaware’s artists, and the Writers Retreat is one of the clearest expressions of what that service looks like in practice,” says Division of the Arts Director Jessica Ball. “Since 2002, we have provided writers across the state with something genuinely rare: uninterrupted time to focus on their craft, in the company of accomplished peers and facilitators, in a setting that makes creative work possible. What writers carry home from Cape Henlopen (new pages, new relationships, new confidence in their voice) is exactly what this program is designed to produce, and it is why we have sustained it for more than twenty years.”

Applications are accepted from writers working in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Plays, scripts, essays, flash fiction, and children’s literature will not be considered due to their specialized craft demands.

To apply or learn more, visit https://arts.delaware.gov/programs-events/writers-retreat/.

Competitive Selection Process

The application process is competitive. Work samples will be reviewed in an anonymous jurying process by two jurors – one for prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and one for poetry. Up to 18 participants will be accepted: 9 for poetry and 9 for prose.

Writers at all levels of experience are encouraged to apply. Writers who are new to the retreat may be given special consideration. Previous participants in DDOA Writers Retreats are welcome to reapply.

To be eligible, applicants must be Delaware residents for at least one year, at least 18 years of age, and not enrolled in a degree- or certificate-granting educational program. Proof of residency may be required.

Applicants must choose between poetry and prose and submit only one application. A ten-page work sample is required. Applications must be submitted via the Division’s online grant portal, smARTDE.

If selected, the fee for the Retreat is $325, which includes a private room with twin beds, most meals, and a vehicle pass for the duration of the Retreat. Applicants will be notified by the end of August.

The Retreat Experience

Participants are organized into two cohorts of nine writers each, one for prose and one for poetry. The schedule combines structured workshops and group activities with unscheduled time for writing or recharging. Before the Retreat, participants will read the work of others in their cohort and prepare constructive comments to share in workshops. Facilitators will provide guidance on workshop preparation and maintain a safe, engaging, and productive environment throughout.

“I walked away from the Retreat feeling inspired and motivated. It took me out of my comfort zone which I think will really elevate my craft. The reception and critiques of my work left me confident and validated that I have a voice and story worthy of reading.”

— 2024 Retreat participant

“I’ve been to several writing conferences, but I really didn’t know what to expect from this one. I was really impressed with the quality of both the instructors and participants.”

— 2024 Retreat participant

“The Retreat really gave me a lot of creative inspiration and allowed me to connect with many amazing people.”

— 2024 Retreat participant

2026 Workshop Facilitators

Hannah Grieco | Prose Facilitator

Hannah Grieco is the author of “First Kicking, Then Not,” out now from Stanchion Books. She writes a literary column for Washington City Paper, edits prose at a variety of small presses and literary journals, and teaches literature at Marymount University. She also works 1:1 with writers as an editor and book coach, helping with manuscript development, agent and publishing house searches, essay and short story placement, and more. Read her work in The Washington Post, The Independent, Al Jazeera, Huffington Post, Brevity, Craft Literary, Poet Lore, Shenandoah, Fairy Tale Review, Wigleaf, and more. Find her online at hgrieco.com. and on most social media @writesloud.

DaMaris B. Hill | Poetry Facilitator

DaMaris B. Hill is a poet and creative scholar. Hill’s first poetry collection, A Bound Woman Is a Dangerous Thing, is a powerful narrative-in-verse that bears witness to Black women burdened by incarceration. It was an Amazon #1 Best Seller in African American Poetry, a Publishers Weekly Top 10 History Title, and 2020 NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Literary Work in Poetry. Hill’s other books include Breath Better Spent: Living Black Girlhood, The Fluid Boundaries of Suffrage and Jim Crow: Staking Claims in the American Heartland, and\Vi-zə-bəl\   \Teks-chərs\ (Visible Textures).  Her digital work, “Shut Up In My Bones”, is a twenty-first century poem that uses remix/pastiche/intertextuality to honor a specific cultural past, while working to construct visions of a better future. Hill is Chair and Professor of Creative Writing and English Literature, at her alma mater, Morgan State University.

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About the Delaware Division of the Arts

The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

Contact: Andrew Truscott, Program Officer, Marketing and Communications, 302-577-8280, andrew.truscott@delaware.gov