Writing Retreat in Crete, Greece
Peitho’s Gift: A Writing Retreat in Crete, Greece
Friday, September 4th to Friday, September 11th, 2026
Plakias, Crete, Greece
“Throughout ancient Greece, Peitho was worshipped as a minor deity whose gift was pleasing words, persuasion, and seduction. Peitho’s gift was pleasure for words and bodies.”
from “Yearning for Peitho” by Patricia Fancher
Join us for a week-long writing retreat at a lovely hotel on a quiet beach in Plakias, on the southern coast of Crete, Greece. Away from the crowds, Peitho’s Gift offers writers a peaceful place close to nature and steeped in history to connect with their creative spirit and partake in the joys of an intentional creative community.
Your facilitators, Trish Fancher and Brian Gresko, will provide a structure designed to help you maximize your day’s productivity, with morning messages of encouragement to focus your creative intentions, followed by a lavish breakfast that includes delicious coffee, tea, pastries, and rich yogurt with honey, and evening salons with local wine and snacks featuring generative writing exercises and lively group discussion about writing, books, and the creative life. Most of the day will be free for each writer to write, read, and bask in the generative energy that comes from luxuriating in a beautiful seaside tucked away from the hustle and bustle of contemporary life. Additionally, each afternoon, Brian and Trish hold office hours at the beachfront taverna, where they are available for group discussions or private meetings if you want to to talk in-depth about your art and goals, and ensure that you make the most of your time on retreat.
Our retreat will close with a Writers’ Showcase that includes the option of a public reading from each writer, along with wine and delicious food.
We intend for this to be a non-hierarchical creative space and welcome writers of all genres and experience levels to share their creative gifts with the community. Think of it less as “no gods, no masters” and more like we are all masters of our own creative practices and have connections with our own inspired spirits. Together, we’ll share in the joys of creation and revel in the pristine beauty of an ancient island hideaway.
Peitho’s Gift Writing Retreat Fee:
$1,900 for a single room
$1,600 for a shared double
What You Will Receive
1 night hotel stay in Heraklion, Crete
6 nights hotel at Ammoudi Beach
Transportation to the retreat location
Breakfast each morning
Happy hour with snacks every evening at salon
Welcome dinner upon arrival
Closing night dinner at Showcase
An opportunity to lead a generative writing salon
An opportunity to perform at a public reading
A week of creative community
One-on-one meeting with facilitator Brian Gresko and/or Trish Fancher
What You Can Give
Care and support for the other writers
Attention and space for your own creative experience
Lead one writing exercise or creative activity during one of our evening happy hours
Individual Financial Responsibility
Flight to and from Heraklion airport (airport code HER)
Meals not covered by the event (there is taverna a few minutes walk from the hotel, and also a fridge in each room and there will be an option for trips to the grocery store)
Taxi from HER airport and to the hotel in Heraklion
Optional additional expenses for excursions
Room Options
This year, we are happy to offer two rooming options.
Single Room: For those who need a private place to write and the quiet of their own space, we have private rooms that include a large bed, desk, fridge, large closet, full bathroom, and balcony. $1900 retreat fee
Apartment: For folks who want to attend the event with a friend, partner, writing buddy, etc, we are offering apartments, which have two rooms, two beds, a large closet, one bathroom and kitchenette and a shared balcony. $1600 per person retreat fee
In order to attend, please complete this short, simple application.
(No writing sample required.)
The retreat takes place from September 4th to September 11th, 2026.
Application priority due May 1, 2026.
Rolling acceptance depending on availability after May 1, 2026.
If accepted, payments can be made all at once or in two installments.
A $500 deposit to secure your spot is due prior to May 15, 2026. The remainder of the fee is due by July 1, 2026.
Things To Do at the Retreat Location
Swimming
Snorkeling
Scuba diving
Horseback riding
Hiking
Several options for dining and bars
Live music
Sunbeds and umbrellas
Additional Excursion Options
Mediterranean Cooking lessons
Tour of vineyard
Tour of olive groves
Hiking gorge with waterfalls and river for swimming
Dancing in nearby town
Meet the Facilitators
Brian: I’m a writer, illustrator, teacher, and creative dynamo based in Brooklyn, NY. I recently published You Must Go On, a book of 30 inspirations on writing and creativity, and my profile of author T Kira Madden will appear in the March/April issue of Poets & Writers Magazine. A firm believer in the transformative and healing power of community, I curate Pete’s Reading Series, Brooklyn’s longest running literary venue, and designed the 100 Days of Creative Resistance program, which features an email a day from an iconoclastic writer during the first hundred days of the 47th president. I am the director and a co-founder of Writing Co-Lab.
Trish: I’m a teacher and writer of both creative nonfiction and scholarly research at the University of California Santa Barbara. I facilitate writing retreats and work as a writing coach for UCSB’s Write to Unite program, in support of junior faculty. My first book, Queer Techne is a scholarly monograph that digs into the archives to tell queer origin stories of emerging AI technologies. I’m now writing an essay collection about building family, both given and chosen family, based on my essay “How to be a Woman” published in The Sun. I have been spending time in Crete for years. I’m delighted to share this special place with others and support a creative environment for all.
If you have any questions about the retreat, the application, or travel plans, feel free to contact us at pfancher@ucsb.edu or briangresko@gmail.com
What Previous Participants Said about Peitho’s Gift, Creative Writing Retreat in Crete, Greece
Peitho’s Gift came during a time when my writing routine had stagnated and made it bloom again. There’s a marked difference between the droll, familiar work I produced while restricted by my everyday stresses, and the unencumbered, sensorial writing that I accomplished while in the company of writers from around the world, sharing meals and beach towels and stories and advice while taking in the Greek seaside and enjoying the immense hospitality of its locals. Brian and Trish were incredible, deeply supportive hosts who made sure that we had everything we needed to return to our writing refreshed and renewed. – author Monique Laban
This is the perfect retreat for someone who wants adventure, community and personal time to write. I had a blast swimming in the Mediterranean and writing with my peers just before sunset, and into the night. - Vianna, romantasy novelist in California
Peitho’s Gift granted me an incredible new writing community of all genres. The unstructured nature of the trip also ensured that each of us was able to take what we needed from the experience to enrich our projects. I can’t wait to return and explore new places! - Rachel, historical fiction writer from Canada