Pens, Pads and Pontelandolfo

2026 Writers’ Refuge in the Sannio Hills

Have you wondered where I’ve been? I’ve wondered too. But I’ve been thinking of you, the Sannio Hills and our sweet village, Pontelandolfo. My silence has been time for percolating and looked what popped out of the pot – a writer’s retreat. Read on. Grab your passport and join us.

June 1 to June 11, 2026. 

Limited to 8 writers 

Writers’ Refuge in the Sannio Hills takes its name from the rifugi, mountain huts that provided a haven for shepherds in Italy. Like those rifugi, the Writers’ Refugeoffers a sanctuary where writers of all genres can shepherd in your latest creative writing project. Whether you are a first-time writer or have had many publications, the 10 days you’ll spend amidst the gorgeous Sannio Hills in the lovely Italian village of Pontelandolfo will surely inspire and nurture your creative output.
Here, your time is your own. Write all day everyday if you like, read all those books you’ve wanted to read, spend time sharing your work with the other writers, or wander through town enjoying the new view. While all these nurtures your work, we also offer one-on-one creativity coaching sessions, daily writing prompts, nightly salons, and other creativity boosting activities brought to you by award-winning poet and small press editor Maria Williams 

Together with playwright and event facilitator, Midge Guerrera, the time together is sure to be fun and inspirational   

$2200 All Inclusive Fee Includes:

• Participants will share large, double rooms with ensuite bathrooms in La Locanda della Presuntuosa, a unique villa built into a mountain on acres of land. The villa includes a swimming pool, tennis court, washing machine, and park-like grounds that are minutes from Pontelandolfo village life. (A price for a single room at a local apartment will be available upon request.)
• Three meals a day cooked by an Italian chef using local ingredients. Vegetarians and those with allergies can be accommodated
• Roundtrip Transportation from the Benevento Train Station
• Welcoming “Bar Crawl”–drinks and local snacks included–where you can discover off-site places to write while absorbing local Italian culture.
• Daily shuttles will bring you (and your computer) to the village center – Piazza Roma.
• All workshops, one-on-one sessions, and salons
• A morning of writing in neighboring Morcone’s Storico Bar and lunch at Biancamela
• An unforgettable locally sourced Italian lunch at Agriturismo Borgo Cerquelle
• Opportunity to meet and talk to Italian authors
• Wine and artesian food tasting at a local vintner
• Writing excursion to the Altilia Saepinum archeological site
• Excursion to Traditions of Historical Pontelandolfo – Dance, Cheese Rolling, Crests
• English-speaking translator for all Italian-centered events.

Add-ons

• Optional sharing a meal with a local family in their home. (Additional fee of €30). 
• Optional Excursion to Reggia di Caserta tickets are currently €15

Application fee is $150 to secure your spot. Deadline: April 5, 2026

As part of your registration please send no more than 10 pages of your work plus a paragraph or two describing your goals for the 10 days.

Your hosts
Maria Williams, is the author of White Doe, winner of the Verse Daily Prize (2023), and the chapbook A Love Letter To Say There Is No Love (FutureCycle Press, 2011). She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and has been awarded residencies and fellowships from Jentel, PEN America, the Vermont Studio Center, A Room of Ones Own, and the Summer Literary Seminars, among others. Her poems have been published in numerous journals, including Bellevue Literary Review, Pank,Quarterly West, Allium, and Bateau. Maria has provided consultation to writers of all genres for over ten years. Visit her website.

So, my creative friends, what do you think? Are you staring at your keyboard and thinking – hmmm, it is portable. Pack that bag and join us in Pontelandolfo.

For more information and registration materials contact info@midgeguerrera.com