HOME | PELE'S FIRE WRITING RETREAT

"Pele’s Fire healed me in ways I didn’t know I needed healing and pushed my writing in ways I didn’t know I needed to be pushed." - Grace Burns

Leave behind a world of distractions for a week devoted to your own writing in an ecologically-conscious setting at Pele’s Fire—a writers’ retreat held in a secluded jungle on the Big Island of Hawaii. Now in its third year.

What makes our all-inclusive writing retreat unique? You can have it all: your own quiet writing time; small-group workshops with both of our teachers; generative inspiration and exercises; guided conversations on a variety of writing-related topics; your own one-on-one conference for manuscript feedback; group readings; and optional free time to explore the island. Volcano National Park, Lava Tree Forest, Kaimu black sand beach and volcanically-heated warm pools are all nearby. We will be integrating our surroundings into our writing, and using our bodies as well as our brains. We will be announcing a special virtual guest to guide the morning writing prompt, so check back for updates on that!

The home-base for the Pele’s Fire writing retreat is Kalani—a nonprofit educational retreat center and eco-community that honors Hawaii's heritage, and a living model for implementing best practices in permaculture, sustainability, and community development. Your registration fee includes six nights in a beautiful, spacious cottage (double occupancy), and all meals. Kalani also has a full schedule of yoga and movement classes you can attend, and many different wellness and healing offerings, including massage, reiki, etc. for additional fees. A pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and 120 acres of seaside rain forest beauty await.

Write and move. Retreat and explore. Find quiet and community. Generate new work and get feedback on your manuscript. Work in groups and one-on-one. Work with both of our teachers.

Join us.

INTERESTED? CONTACT US NOW.

Follow us on instagram: @pelesfireretreat

Upon the completion of Pele’s Fire writer’s retreat on the Island of Hawaii, our group hiked to Kaimu beach in Kalapana, the youngest beach in the Hawaiian Islands where I found a small cave where I could sit… Read More

Catherine

Shedding my skin. That is the best way for me to describe my experience at Pele’s Fire: Write to the Core. I was held by the land and the community in such a deep way that the intentions I… Read More

Heather

I will remember Pele’s Fire as a magical and transformative week in my writing life: The warmth of the sun on my skin, the soothing evening rain outside screened bamboo, the luscious morning pineapple, the inspiring circle… Read More

Rose

This retreat was unbelievable. Beyond my expectations. From the other writers there to the three leaders, to Kalani, to the different activities we did, to the dancing. It was perfect. I would definitely do it again and recommend it… Read More

Chelsea

I went to Pele’s Fire with a manuscript that needed shaping. Through a multi-layered approach – workshops on structure, form, language, mapping, and generation– coupled with NIA classes that allowed me to integrate what I was learning into my… Read More

Sarah

I arrived at Pele’s Fire with the first full draft of a manuscript in much need of tightening. I entered the space unsure of where to begin–completely overwhelmed by the hundreds of pages, thousands of words. I… Read More

Loba Wakinyan Azul

Thank you so much again! The week was everything I had hoped for. The way the jungle broke down all the shoulds, musts and scheduling rigor that usually comes with organized retreats – and the way the teachers went… Read More

Cathy

I’ve been accompanied by such a glow of gratitude for the gift of this week — the place and time and program and feedback and support — impossible to name all you gave us (even that great little… Read More

Catharine

Reiko, I have so much gratitude for you and for giving me the opportunity to go to Pele’s Fire. I’m now, finally, able to create time to settle in to what you, Bhanu, and Elena taught me… Read More

Susan

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Watch this space for thoughts and news

4 Dec 2017

Celebrate With Us

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This year, 2018, marks three significant occasions: It is the FINAL Pele's Fire retreat, and both Elena and Reiko are bring books into the world. Elena's story collection, The Immigrant's Refrigerator, will be published in February, and Reiko's novel, Shadow Child is coming out on May 8th. Here is... Read More

28 Nov 2017

Dear Writers

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Dear Writers, I have been thinking a lot about community lately: what it means to be a community of writers. To hear each other, to hold each other up, to stand in each others’ darkness unafraid, to turn up the volume on each other’s voices. This year, perhaps because... Read More

8 Nov 2017

Join us in 2018

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Enjoy this video of our 2017 memories and imagine yourself escaping to Hawaii in the cold! 2018 dates are February 28-March 6th. Flights are discounted for the offseason, so the time to act is now! We invite you to poke around on the website and apply. Deadline December 4,... Read More

18 Oct 2017

Awakening! Tarot for Writers

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Do you need help grounding your writing? Want to know why you can’t focus, or what you should be focusing on? Maybe you want to know how to go forward. What’s next? Or, if you have come to a fork in the road, how do you choose? When I... Read More