Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 4, 1 April 2019 — Writers retreat at Camp Mokulē'ia [ARTICLE]

Writers retreat at Camp Mokulē'ia

The Mokulē'ia Writers Retreat is an annual gathering that brings three dozen writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, and memoir to the North Shore of O'ahu for a week of intimate workshops and coaching. The retreat is high-level and professional — but also is tuned in to the beauty of the surroundings. With a diversity between islanders and mainlanders, published writers and budding writers, Native Hawaiian artistry and mainland publishing- the retreat fosters a sense of connectivity among participants. Writers will be coached in producing pieces worthy of publication through guided workshops, one-on-one meetings, and sessions under the guidance of nationally known writers, editors, and agents. Attendees are encouraged to draw from nature and tap their own creative wellsprings. This dovetails with one of the missions of the nonprofit Camp Mokulē'ia: to raise ecologieal awareness and bridge Native Hawaiian and Western ideas of sustainability. The retreat is led by North Shore native Constance Hale, the author of five books, the editor of more than two dozen, and a journalist whose stories about Hawai'i appear on CD liner notes, as well as in publications like The Los Angeles Times and Smithsonian magazine. (One recent book, The Natives Are Restless, is about the hula.) The retreat faculty includes a mix of writers and editors from both the islands and the mainland, all of whom have deep experience in publishing. We provide a limited number of scholarships to emerging island writers, who are often cut off from resources available on the mainland. For more information please eontact our reservations department at (808) 637-6241 or send an email. ■