Carmen Maria Machado
Machado is the author of the bestselling memoir In the Dream House and the award-winning short story collection Her Body and Other Parties. She has been a finalist for the National Book Award and the winner of the Bard Fiction Prize, the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Nonfiction, the Brooklyn Public Library Literature Prize, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize. In 2018, The New York Times listed Her Body and Other Parties as a member of "The New Vanguard," one of "15 remarkable books by women that are shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century."
Space, time, & collegial support for academic writing
Have you been waiting all school year to make serious progress on your book manuscript, article, or grant application? Jumpstart your summer writing project at the Obermann End-of-Year Writing Retreat May 11–14, 2026!
Fifteen participants will enjoy a week of quiet productivity apart from the distractions of campus at the beautiful North Ridge Pavilion in Coralville. Daily catered lunches will provide an opportunity for exchange and discussion with other writers across campus. Each day will include structured blocks for writing, breaks, small-group check-ins, and activities crafted to spark creativity and foster well-being. The retreat will also feature an engaging conversation with bestselling author Carmen Maria Machado.
Organizers: Luis Martín-Estudillo, Director of the Obermann Center, and Lauren Cox, Associate Director of the Obermann Center.
This program is funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research's P3 Writing for the Public Good initiative.
Eligibility & application
- The retreat is open to University of Iowa artists, scholars, and researchers working on any kind of writing project (e.g., academic articles/essays, fellowship or grant applications, book projects, edited volumes, nonfiction).
- Writers who participated in last year's writing retreat are ineligible to apply for this one.
- 15 participants will be accepted by competitive application.
- Participants must commit to attending the retreat from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. from Monday, May 11 to Thursday, May 14.
- UI faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, and staff working on writing projects are welcome to apply.
Apply on InfoReady by march 13, 2026
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The venue
North Ridge Pavilion is a 1,700 square-foot, all-season event venue at 2250 Holiday Road in Coralville, Iowa (map), featuring a large great room, fireplace, kitchen, accessible restrooms, free wifi, and a veranda overlooking a park and fishing pond. Free parking is available at the pavilion.