New York Writers Workshop
Returns to Sardinia
August 13-20, 2026
This August, New York Writers Workshop returns to Sardinia to initiate a partnership with the Deledda Master in Creative Writing & Translation, a dynamic new low-residency program based in Oristano and featuring a stellar international faculty. We're deeply honored by this partnership.
Going forward, New York Writers Workshop will hold annual summer sessions at the Deledda Instituto, home of the Deledda Master in Creative Writing & Translation.
As home base for the summer sessions, Sardinia provides the nucleus for an intersection of Mediterranean and European languages, literary traditions, and creative practices with the English-speaking world.
Summer Immersion in Sardinia
This August, New York Writers Workshop returns to Sardinia to initiate a partnership with the Deledda Master in Creative Writing & Translation, a dynamic new low-residency program based in Oristano and featuring a stellar international faculty. We're deeply honored by this partnership. New York Writers Workshop has always been committed to low-cost, high-value literary instruction and mentoring, and to working with international communities of writers. A summer home base with the Deledda Master enables us to expand on and formalize our international endeavors, and offers students a new place to develop literary communities.
NYWW Summer Sessions in Sardinia
Going forward, New York Writers Workshop will hold annual summer sessions at the Deledda Instituto, home of the Deledda Master in Creative Writing & Translation. These sessions will:
be open to Italian and international students
take place in Sardinia, within a unique cultural and natural setting
combine intensive writing workshops, seminars, public readings, and networking opportunities
be led by NYWW faculty members and affiliated writers
As home base for the summer sessions, Sardinia provides the nucleus for an intersection of Mediterranean and European languages, literary traditions, and creative practices with the English-speaking world.
August 2026 Literary Immersion Program - Oristano, Sardinia
We have two accommodation options for participants, and we want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the right choice for you.
Option 1: The Convent (Deledda Instituto) — $1,850
At the convent where the program is based, we have seven single rooms, five bathrooms (no ensuite). There will be some sharing of showers and toilets. The convent rooms have been fully renovated. Italian breakfast (pastries, muesli, fresh fruit, coffee, and juices) is included each morning. Linens and towels provided, common areas cleaned regularly. And because we'll be holding our workshop sessions here as well, you'll be steps away from the heart of the program.
write newyorkwritersworkshop@gmail.com for details
Please note: because space is limited, convent spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Option 2: Local B&B — $1,050
If you prefer an ensuite bathroom and a bit more privacy, Oristano has numerous charming local B&Bs very close by, and we're happy to point you toward some options. Should you select this option, we ask that you pay for your lodging directly so that you have full control over your accommodation experience, as we can't take responsibility for individual bookings.
write newyorkwritersworkshop@gmail.com for details
**Limited spots remaining. Reserve your spot now**
August 2026 Literary Immersion Program - Master Class Faculty
Tim Tomlinson
Author, Poet, Professor
Tim Tomlinson is the author, most recently, of Listening to Fish: Meditations from the Wet World, a hybrid collection of poetry, prose, and photography concerned with the splendors of, and the perils facing, the world's coral reefs. His other books include This Is Not Happening to You (fiction), Requiem for the Tree Fort I Set on Fire (poetry), and the chapbook Yolanda: An Oral History in Verse. He is the founder and director of New York Writers Workshop, and editor/co-author of its popular text, The Portable MFA in Creative Writing, which has been used in graduate and undergraduate writing programs from Australia to Iceland, as well as in India, the Philippines, the EU, and the US.
Ravi Shankar
Author, Poet, Translator, Professor
Pushcart-prize winning poet, author, editor, translator, and professor, Ravi Shankar, PhD is the author and editor of 18 books and chapbooks of poetry, including W.W. Norton's Language for a New Century and the Memoir Magazine book prize finalist Correctional. He currently teaches creative writing at Tufts University and helps direct immersive international writing retreats for the New York Writers Workshop.
f you prefer an ensuite bathroom and a bit more privacy, Oristano has numerous charming local B&Bs very close by, and we're happy to point you toward some options. Should you select this option, we ask that you pay for your lodging directly so that you have full control over your accommodation experience, as we can't take responsibility for individual bookings.
We will also have a reception and dinner arranged by NYWW. Given how intimate and focused this program is, space is very limited, and we want to make sure everyone who's committed has a place.
To pay, use this link: NYWW in Oristano
You can pay with credit card, Venmo, or Paypal. If you use Paypal, you'll need to add the Paypal fee. If Option 1, total = $1850. If Option 2, total = $1050.
We're looking forward to a remarkable week of writing together in Sardinia. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.
A Reminder of Program Details
The dates are: Aug 13 - Aug 20.
· August 13, welcome reception.
· August 14-18, daily workshops (generative and analytical).
· August 17, one-on-one consultations.
· August 19, final consultations: evening farewell dinner, reading, music.
· August 20, departure.
We recommend that you book flights now. Fluctuations in the market are causing airfares to increase, and summer travel to Sardinia gets tight. The closest airport to Oristano is Cagliari (CAG). You can connect to CAG via Rome (and other airports). Olbia (OLB) is also viable, if farther away.
Summer Immersion, 2026
Option 1: The Convent (Deledda Instituto)— At the convent where the program is based, we have seven single rooms, five bathrooms (no ensuite). There will be some sharing of showers and toilets. The convent rooms have been fully renovated. Italian breakfast (pastries, muesli, fresh fruit, coffee, and juices) is included each morning. Linens and towels provided, common areas cleaned regularly. And because we'll be holding our workshop sessions here as well, you'll be steps away from the heart of the program.
Option 2: If you prefer an ensuite bathroom and a bit more privacy, Oristano has numerous charming local B&Bs very close by, and we're happy to point you toward some options. Should you select this option, we ask that you pay for your lodging directly so that you have full control over your accommodation experience, as we can't take responsibility for individual bookings.
Meet our Master Class Faculty
Summer in Sardinia 2026
Tim Tomlinson is the author, most recently, of Listening to Fish: Meditations from the Wet World, a hybrid collection of poetry, prose, and photography concerned with the splendors of, and the perils facing, the world's coral reefs. His other books include This Is Not Happening to You (fiction), Requiem for the Tree Fort I Set on Fire (poetry), and the chapbook Yolanda: An Oral History in Verse. He is the founder and director of New York Writers Workshop, and editor/co-author of its popular text, The Portable MFA in Creative Writing, which has been used in graduate and undergraduate writing programs from Australia to Iceland, as well as in India, the Philippines, the EU, and the US.
Poet, Author, Professor
Pushcart-prize winning poet, author, editor, translator, and professor, Ravi Shankar, PhD is the author and editor of 18 books and chapbooks of poetry, including W.W. Norton's Language for a New Century and the Memoir Magazine book prize finalist Correctional. He currently teaches creative writing at Tufts University and helps direct immersive international writing retreats for the New York Writers Workshop.
Emma Claire Sweeney co-directs the Ruppin Agency, offering literary mentorships, and reading and writing retreats in the Little Goat Barn in North Wales. Emma’s novel, Owl Song at Dawn (Legend, 2016) won a Nudge Book of the Year prize. Her non-fiction debut, A Secret Sisterhood: The hidden friendships of Austen, Brontë, Eliot and Woolf (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017), was co-written with Emily Midorikawa, and Margaret Atwood supplied the foreword, describing it as a great ‘service to literary history’. Emma is also lead editor of A Creative Writing Handbook: Developing dramatic technique, individual style and voice (Bloomsbury, 2025).
Author, Poet, Professor
Peter Zilahy’s award-winning books have been adapted into theater shows, radio plays, and a wealth of other media. They’ve inspired songs, and even flash mobs during the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, where The Last Window-Giraffe was named Book of the Year in 2003. Zilahy is a versatile artist whose work has been shown at The Kitchen in New York City, the Ludwig Museum, the Berliner Ensemble, the Volksbühne, and the New Tretyakov Gallery, among others. He has performed on Broadway, lectured all over the world, was a Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress, and was handpicked by Nobel laureate Herta Müller to be a fellow of the Akademie Schloss Solitude. Zilahy joined Anthony Bourdain in Budapest for an episode of CNN’s Parts Unknown.
Novelist, Biographer, ProfessorNovelist
Frequently Asked Questions
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NYWW is a nonprofit literary organization based in NYC, founded in 2001, offering workshops, conferences, consultations, mentorships, and guidance for writers at all levels, from anywhere. NYWW has hosted four highly successful international conferences: NYWW-Sardinia, 2020, and NYWW-Athens, 2022, NYWW—Kathmandu, 2024, and a second NYWW-Athens, 2025. This August 2026 immersion in Oristano, with our conference partner, the Deledda Master Program in Creative Writing, Ciriaco Offedu, Director, is a return visit to Sardinia, and marks the beginning of a partnership between the Deledda Master and New York Writers Workshop, featuring annual summer immersions at the Deledda Instituto in Oristano.
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The August session begin with an orientation session on Thursday, August 13. The following morning, the work begins: five days of master classes led by Ravi Shankar and Tim Tomlinson. Each day will feature panel discussions, craft workshops, and free (writing and/or exploration) time. One-on-one manuscript consultations begin on day four, through day five. Participants will join a cohort of accomplished writers, including many who have published work in prose, poetry, and/or translation, from around the globe. All workshops and activities are optional. Any and all are included in the price of the tuition.
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Tuition covers all workshop and planned cultural activities; welcome reception on evening of arrival; farewell dinner and reading/musical event hosted by the Director of the Deledda Master. The Option #1 plan for those staying in the Convent/Deledda Instituto, tuition covers accommodations. Tuition does not include travel. Participants on Option #2 plan cover their own accommodations.
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Full refund until June 15, 50% until July 15. After July 15, no refunds will be issued. All registration subject to $50 registration fee.
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You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email: newyorkwritersworkshop@gmail.com