The Muse of the Magyar Page — Lanterns in the Trees

In this seven-day writer’s retreat in the heart of Budapest, we will explore how contemplative and creative practices can nourish and deepen our written work. Inspired by courses we have developed together at Stanford University, the retreat will offer participants a range of exercises to support their creative process and sharpen their writing craft. Through these exercises, group discussion, feedback, and daily periods devoted to writing, the retreat will give participants a chance to make significant progress on their own writing projects. We will also explore how the city’s culture, architecture and artistic traditions inform our writing.

Throughout the retreat, mornings will be devoted to working on our own writing projects. In the afternoons, we will meet as a group for creative and contemplative practices, and discussion of our work and craft. In the late afternoons and evenings, participants will be free to explore the city. Participants will receive oral feedback on their submitted writing from the group at the start of the retreat, and also meet one-on-one with each of us during the week. On our last day, participants will have the opportunity to read aloud from their evolving works.

To support our creative work together, we will occupy the whole of Brody House, a beautiful and historic boutique hotel in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter. Originally built as a private residence in 1896, Brody House opened as a small hotel in 2009, and features an eclectic and artistic range of rooms and communal spaces ideally suited to a creative retreat.

LOCATION & ACCOMMODATION

All participants will stay at the Brody House in downtown Budapest. For more information, see their brochure. Participants may request single or double occupancy accommodation. Please note that we are limited to six single occupancy and two double occupancy rooms.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE

The retreat will begin with an opening dinner on the evening of Sunday, September 1st, and participants may check in to the Brody House that afternoon. We will conclude with a farewell dinner on September 7th, and check out on Sunday, September 8th. Participants may wish to reserve their own lodging for any stay in or near Budapest before or after the retreat.

MEALS

All breakfasts and two out of seven dinners will be included. Participants will be responsible for lunch each day, five dinners and any alcohol.

WHAT TO BRING

Budapest averages in the 70s during the day in early September, but can reach as high as the 90s. Please bring whatever clothing you feel will be comfortable. In addition to a laptop or tablet, we recommend that you bring a journal or writer’s notebook and a number of your favorite pens.

COST & REGISTRATION

The total cost of the retreat is $4,500 per person, based on double-occupancy, or $5,200 for single occupancy. This includes lodging at Brody House, two dinners, all breakfasts, and instruction. Not included are lunches, five dinners, and local transportation.

This will be an intimate retreat and space will be quite limited. Therefore, registration is based on a short written application. To apply, please follow this link: https://forms.gle/ptq2iGRa9BSk16Xh7.

If your application is accepted, a deposit of $2,500 is required. Refunds may only be made only if the program is sold out and we are able to arrange a replacement, in which case a $1,000-per-person cancellation fee will apply.

THE INSTRUCTORS

Andrew Todhunter is an award-winning writer and lecturer at Stanford University, where he teaches writing, interdisciplinary creativity and contemplative practice. He is the co-founder and co-director of two programs at Stanford—The Senior Reflection, and the LifeWorks Program for Integrative Learning. His book A Meal Observed won the PEN USA Literary Award for Creative Nonfiction. He is also the author of Dangerous Games and the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller Fall of the Phantom Lord. A longtime practitioner of meditation and Aikido, he often integrates these practices and wilderness experience into his courses at Stanford.

Jonah Willihnganz is the Bruce Braden Lecturer of Narrative Studies at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Storytelling Project, an arts program that explores how narrative craft and practices can deepen natural human capacities such as courage, empathy, and gratitude. He has published fiction, essays, and literary criticism, and has taught literature and creative writing for more than 25 years. As co-director of the LifeWorks Program for Integrative Learning, he co-teaches courses that bring together psychology, contemplative science, and wisdom traditions to help students meet suffering and experience deeper meaning.