Creative Writing Retreat Itinerary
Oct 23: Day 1
We will welcome you at Dar-Al-Islam in Abiquiu, New Mexico after arriving with the group shuttle at 3pm (shuttle leaves airport promptly at 1pm).
You can check in and relax before dinner in the evening, with locally sourced halal ingredients.
Optional group prayer, welcoming remarks, and reflective intros to follow.
We'll end the evening early so you may rest before the weekend ahead.
Oct 24: Day 2
We'll start the day with morning prayers and breakfast before heading to a Generative Writing workshop lead by Guest Author, Sahar.
Afternoon group prayers will ensue along with lunch.
We'll regather for a Storytelling Through Images workshop and a somatic movement exercise led by host, Bayan. All exercises are optional.
Sunset will be upon us so you will have time to take a sunset stroll, have independent writing time, or participate in any of the additional onsite activities available like archery or board games.
We'll end the evening with dinner in the dining hall.
Oct 25: Day 3
Our morning will start with breakfast and a Craft Seminar led by Sahar.
Afternoon group prayers and lunch will be prepared for you in the dining room.
You will then have the option to choose between joining any of these sessions: 1. community reading and conversation 2. peer editing or 3. independent writing time.
After sunset and dinner, we will have some time for a campfire Write & Tell or stargazing, where both activities are subject to weather conditions.
You will have the opportunity to listen or recite any written pieces you'd like, before we end the night.
Oct 26: Day 4
We will have our final morning breakfast, and conclude with group photos and farewells.
Our airport shuttle will leave promptly at 11am.
What to expect:
Engage in New Thought
From craft seminars to group somatic exercises, our facilitators will guide you through sessions to help enrich your mind, body, and soul.
Connect with Women Writers
Meet a group of 13 women writers from all across the country. A space where you can not only deepen your writing skill but your connections in the writing community.
Write in Seclusion
Need time to focus on a specific body of work? We built time in for independent writing. Disappear into various nooks to write in seclusion.
Your Facilitators
Bayan Fares
A Palestinian writer and founder of Badan Collective. She is a Licensed Social Worker with a masters from the University of Chicago, with a focus on trauma-informed care and somatic practice. She is a published poet with a focus on the genres of poetry, prose, and short stories.
Retreat Host
Malak Silmi
A Palestinian writer and MFA graduate from the University of California. She runs Sour Oranges—a Substack newsletter, teaches fiction, was a journalist in Michigan and Texas, and is published in the Michigan Quarterly Review as well as in Apogee Journal.
Retreat Host
Sahar Mustafah
Sahar is an award-winning Palestinian American author of The Slightest Green, The Beauty of Your Face, and Code of the West. Her recent fiction is featured in Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction; The View from Gaza published in The Massachusetts Review; and Redline: Chicago Horror Stories.
Guest Instructor
Frequently asked questions
What airport do I fly into?
In order to join the airport shuttle, please fly into Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) (2200 Sunport Blvd, Albuquerque, NM).
Please note our lodging is TWO hours away from the airport. If flying in and joining our shuttle, please plan to land before 12:00pm to promptly catch the shuttle leaving at 1pm on Oct 23, and plan to fly out after 3pm on Oct 26. Refer to more shuttle information below.
What do I need to know about the airport shuttle?
A shuttle service is already included with your registration price, as the closest airport is two hours away from lodging. However, there is only one pick up and one drop off time available. The airport shuttle will leave promptly on Oct 23 at 1pm from ABQ to Dar Al Islam for check in. At check out, the group will leave together from Dar Al Islam to ABQ with the shuttle promptly at 11am on Oct 26.*
Once you land at ABQ, find the rest of the group standing together on the first platform outside of baggage claim near column 5. Our driver will pick you up and drive you straight to Dar Al Islam, where we will warmly welcome you.
*The shuttle will not wait. If a guest misses the shuttle, they are solely responsible for ground transport. Our retreat is not liable for any additional costs incurred due to a missed shuttle. This includes any unforeseen circumstances such as a delayed flight.
What do I pack?
Our lodging is simple in hosting, full in soul. Make sure to pack all items you'll need including:
- Toiletries and towels
- Hiking shoes and sunscreen
- Writing materials (notebooks, pens, laptops, etc)
- Additional food and snacks (we are in a remote area with limited access to cafes and grocery stores)
- Modest clothes (both for sun protection and because we are on grounds with a mosque). We’ll leave the definition of modesty up to you.
What costs are & are not included?
Costs included: - airport shuttle service - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - lodging for 4 days and 3 nights - sessions with facilitators - access to activities onsite
Costs not included: - airfare - transport to lodging should you miss the shuttle - extra snacks, meals, or personal items - extra offsite activities
What will meals look like?
We will be hosting a local caterer that sources local, in season halal meals. There will be dinner provided on the first day. On the second and third days, there will be breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided in the dining hall. On the final day, there will be a farewell breakfast.
If you are someone who is particular about meals, please plan to bring additional food or snacks with you as we are in a very remote area with limited access to cafes and stores.
If you are someone with food allergies, please email them to bayanafares@gmail.com
Where can I write?
We are at a writing retreat so we must write! For both group sessions and independent writing time, you will have access to the: Mosque prayer space. Library courtyard. Garden courtyard. Session and lecture halls. Your reserved room.
If you have any specific items you need for your writing space (laptop stand, blanket for outdoors, pens, paper, etc), we suggest you bring them with you to ensure you have the best writing environment.
What additional activities are there?
Outside of planned sessions, you will have access to optional and additional activities.
For onsite activities (subject to availability), you have acces to: archery, two volleyball courts, soccer and basketball fields, indoor board games and equipment including chess, backgammon, corn hole board, and walking around the property.
For offsite activities (subject to personal time, cost, and at your own risk), you can: hike in nearby areas, visit the historic village of Abiquiu (nested near the Chama River valley which has a long history), visit the Abiquiu Lake and Dam (which is 10 miles north of Abiquiu and has access to boating, water skiing, camping, fishing, picnicking. Toilets, showers, water faucets, grills, and picnic shelters are also accessible), visit Santa Rosa de Lima just south of Abiquiu off of US 84 (the ruins are the remnants of the original Spanish settlement, built in the 1730's), and visit the Ghost Ranch which is a unique combination of natural beauty, paleontology, geology, archaeology, history and art.
Do I have to be a Muslim woman?
Our space is built based on Islamic principles, and is for any adult woman who is seeking an alcohol-free, women only, faith-grounded retreat with locally sourced halal meals. All prayers are optional. Women from all walks of life are welcome to join.