Experience the magic of Literary Paris while honing your craft at the Writing Workshops Paris in July 2025.

Are you an aspiring or established writer looking to elevate your fiction, nonfiction, or poetry?

Join us in the heart of Paris from July 15th to 20th, 2025, for an intensive week-long writing retreat hosted by WritingWorkshops.com in partnership with Side Door Travel. Applications are now open and close on November 10th, 2024.

Learn more and apply!

About the Writing Workshops Paris 2025

Set against the backdrop of Literary Paris—a city rich with history and inspiration—this immersive retreat brings together writers from around the world. Our program is intentionally small and inclusive, offering personalized attention in workshops limited to 10 participants per genre.

Dates and Location

- Workshop Dates: July 15th - 20th, 2025
- Accommodation: Hôtel Trianon Rive Gauche
- Application Deadline: November 10th, 2024

Meet the Esteemed Faculty

Learn from and interact with some of the most influential voices in contemporary writing.

Fiction Workshop with Marie-Helene Bertino

Award-winning author Marie-Helene Bertino will lead the fiction workshop. Participants will submit two manuscripts prior to arrival:

- Group Workshop Manuscript: Receive in-depth critiques from Marie-Helene and your peers.
- One-on-One Manuscript: Engage in a personalized conference to discuss your work.

Fiction Workshop Instructor Marie-Helene Bertino is the author of the novels BEAUTYLAND, PARAKEET (New York Times Editors’ Choice) and 2 A.M. AT THE CAT’S PAJAMAS (NPR Best Books 2014), and the story collection SAFE AS HOUSES (Iowa Short Fiction Award). Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Electric Literature, Tin House, McSweeneys, Granta, BOMB, Guernica, and many others. Honors include The Frank O’Connor International Short Story Fellowship in Cork, Ireland, The O. Henry Prize, The Pushcart Prize, fellowships from MacDowell, Hedgebrook Writers Colony, The Center For Fiction NYC, and Sewanee Writers Conference. Her work has been anthologized in Best American Short Stories, Pen/ O. Henry Prize Stories, and Mississippi Review 30, and has twice been featured on NPR’s “Selected Shorts” program. She taught for many years in the Creative Writing programs of NYU, The New School, and Institute for American Indian Arts. She is currently the Ritvo-Slifka Writer-in-Residence at Yale University. This will be Marie's third time leading our Paris workshop, and she is excited to work with you!

Nonfiction Workshop with Halimah Marcus

Join Halimah Marcus, celebrated editor and writer, in the nonfiction workshop. Similar to the fiction track, you'll submit:

- Group Workshop Manuscript
- One-on-One Manuscript

Nonfiction Workshop Instructor Halimah Marcus has been an editor since 2012, when she co-founded Electric Literature’s weekly fiction series, Recommended Reading. Over the last decade, she has edited hundreds of writers, including AM Homes, Weike Wang, Sheila Heti, Helen DeWitt, James Hannaham, Laura Van Berg, Jim Shepard, Charles Yu, Etgar Keret, Ben Marcus, Nathan Harris, Clare Sestanovich, Emma Eisenberg, and Catherine Lacey, as well as many other established and emerging writers. Stories she has edited have gone on to be included in Best American Short Stories, Best American Mysteries and Suspense, Best Australian Stories, the O. Henry Prize Anthology, and the Pushcart Prize Anthology. Halimah is also the editor of Horse Girls (Harper Perennial, 2021), an essay anthology that reclaims and recasts the horse girl stereotype, which was a New York Times “New and Noteworthy” pick, featuring T Kira Madden, Jane Smiley, Courtney Maum, Maggie Shipstead, and Carmen Maria Machado. Her own writing has been supported by Yaddo, and her short stories and essays have appeared in Bomb, Gulf Coast, Indiana Review, One Story, Oprah Daily, The Literary Review and elsewhere. Andrew Sean Greer selected her short story, “The Party Goers,” from the The Southampton Review as a distinguished story in Best American Short Stories 2022. Halimah has an MFA from Brooklyn College, and lives in Kingston, New York. Halimah is a publishing and craft expert eager to meet you in Paris.

Generative Workshop with Ramona Ausubel (Open to All Genres)

For writers looking to generate new material, Ramona Ausubel offers a unique generative workshop. Explore Paris through daily writing field trips, capturing inspiration from the city's vibrant streets and historical sites.

Generative Writing Workshop (For All Genres) Instructor Ramona Ausubel's fifth book, The Last Animal, a novel, was published in April, 2023 from Riverhead Books. Her previous books are Awayland: stories, Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty, A Guide to Being Born and No One is Here Except All of Us. She is the recipient of the PEN/USA Fiction Award, the Cabell First Novelist Award and has been a finalists for both the California and Colorado Book Awards and the New York Public Library Young Lions Award. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Paris Review daily, One Story, Tin House, The Oxford American, Ploughshares and elsewhere. She is a professor at Colorado State University, on faculty at the Bennington Writing Seminars and has taught at Tin House, Writing by Writers, the Community of Writers, Breadloaf Environmental Conference and elsewhere. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her family. Ramona can't wait to meet and work with you in Paris this summer (her third summer with us!)!

Enhance your Parisian experience with two unforgettable day trips:

Sunday: The Chateau of Versailles

- Visit a bustling open-air farmers market
- Explore the grand gardens and iconic fountains
- Picnic by the Grand Canal
- Tour the historic chateau and learn about Marie Antoinette

Monday: Claude Monet's Gardens in Giverny

- Lunch at a charming local café
- Visit Monet's grave and the Église Sainte-Radegonde de Giverny
- Tour Monet's residence and the famous water lily pond

Both excursions are led by experienced tour guide Mike Franz, who has been sharing these wonders since 2003.

Accommodation: Hôtel Trianon Rive Gauche

Stay in comfort at the 4-star Hôtel Trianon Rive Gauche, located in the heart of literary Paris. Surrounded by booksellers and publishing houses, and just a short walk from the Jardin du Luxembourg, it's the perfect setting for creativity and relaxation. Free Wi-Fi is included to keep you connected.

Why Choose Writing Workshops Paris 2025?

- Intimate Class Sizes: Only 10 participants per genre ensure personalized feedback.
- Expert Faculty: Learn from accomplished writers and industry professionals.
- Comprehensive Experience: Includes workshops, craft seminars, and discussions on the craft and business of writing.
- Community Building: Forge lasting relationships with fellow writers.
- Cultural Immersion: Optional tours enrich your understanding of French history and art.

How to Apply

Don't miss this opportunity to advance your writing career in one of the world's most inspiring cities.

- Application Deadline: November 10th, 2024
- Apply Here: [Writing Workshops Paris 2025 Application](link-to-application-page)

Join Us in the Heart of Literary Paris

Our mission is to bring your writing out of the wilderness and into a supportive community. For one unforgettable week in July 2025, immerse yourself in the craft of writing amidst the enchanting streets of Paris, France.

Secure your spot today and take the next step in your writing journey!