A writing retreat with Jennifer Margulis
Write the story you came here to tell
OCTOBER 10–16, 2026 · ITALY
Writing under the Tuscan sun
October 10–16, 2026 · 11 Coveted spots · Lucca, Italy
Mornings are for writing. Enjoy the interactive, hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves approach used by Jennifer Margulis, a New York Times published journalist and award-winning bestselling author. Our workshops at the villa will give us the inspiration and motivation we need to overcome roadblocks, dig deep, and find the kind of courage it takes to put our stories on the page.
Afternoons are for Lucca. A short walk from the villa, one of Italy's most perfectly preserved medieval cities is waiting: its walls, its culture, its cathedrals, its piazzas, its restaurants. We walk. We eat. We sit on park benches and write.
“Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow.”
~Kurt Vonnegut
Meet your mentor
Meet your guide
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YOUR WRITING COACH
Bestselling, award-winning author, professional writer, editor, and photojournalist. Jennifer Margulis has worked with eight major New York publishing companies and consults with a small number of highly motivated writers and aspiring authors. Her workshops cover craft, voice, scene, deep revision, and the nuts and bolts of how to get the attention of an agent and a publisher in today’s world.
YOUR HOST AND CO-TEACHER
Creative director, clinical aromatherapist, retreat host, and house mama, Anna Bazarnaya has 20 years of experience building brands and helping people find their voice. A designer in Moscow, Anna moved to the United States to study graphic design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, opened an aromatherapy business and plant distillery in Costa Rica called Maitri Verde, and has led tourist groups and done design work in Tuscany.
OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Literary Agent & Founder: Ayesha Pande Literary
Ayesha Pande grew up on three different continents and is especially drawn to voices that cross borders—cultural, emotional, and political. After a successful career in publishing, including as a senior editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux, she launched her own agency in 2007.
Her list includes literary fiction and narrative nonfiction—ranging across history, cultural criticism, memoir, and biography—with the occasional young adult novel. She’s particularly interested in distinctive voices, original perspectives, and writing that lingers.
Books by Ayesha’s clients have reached #1 on The New York Times bestseller lists and won numerous honors, including the National Book Award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the PEN/Bellwether Prize, and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize.
When not immersed in the next great literary voice, she can be found working in her garden or walking in the woods.
Currently closed to general submissions, Ayesha is open to pitches from our writers. She will present to us about what writers need to get noticed by an agent or a publisher and do speed dating with each participant.
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OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Serena Bellinello
Serena Bellinello is an editor at Aboca Edizioni, an independent Italian publishing house known for books exploring the connections between nature, science, health, and culture. Aboca edizioni publishes both Italian and international authors, bringing works from around the world to Italian readers through translation while sharing ideas that encourage a deeper understanding of our relationship with the natural world.
After graduating in Philosophy, Serena studied Publishing at the Scuola Superiore di Studi Umanistici in Bologna and began her publishing career with the Mondadori Group. At Aboca edizioni, she works with authors to develop books that bring together knowledge, culture, and storytelling. She is also interested in discovering Italian authors whose work has the potential to reach international readers.
What's included during our writing week in Tuscany:
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Writing workshops with Jennifer Margulis every day
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Exclusive, individualized 30-minute 1-on-1 sessions with Jennifer Margulis
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Exclusive access to an American literary agent open to your pitches and ready to give constructive feedback
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Curated author headshots and the right to use them across your media platforms
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In real time social media training, platform-building, and brand management with Anna Bazarnaya
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Exclusive presentation and Q&A with an Italian publisher
What else will you experience?
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Continental breakfast served daily at the villa
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One communal dinner made with fresh, local, organic ingredients prepared for us by a private chef at the villa
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Guided walks along the medieval wall and a tour of Lucca's most beautiful landmarks
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Optional Nottolini Aqueduct hike
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Incredible boutique shopping: Lucca is a fashion center, hub for handmade leather goods, silver jewelry, olivewood kitchenware and furniture, and more
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The best restaurants in Tuscany, grocery stores where you can buy healthy organic locally grown food, and open-air markets
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Visits to Pisa, Florence, the quarry where Michelangelo mined his marble (for an additional fee)
But, wait, there’s more:
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Community building with other writers that will continue long after the retreat
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Personalized trip planning and concierge service from Anna
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Access to the villa for those choosing to make their own accommodations, including the pool, the garden, tea, coffee, and healthy snacks throughout the day
Invest in your writing dreams
Stay at the villa: $5,954 (sold out)
Book your own accommodations: $4,954 (2 spots left)
What people are saying about our retreats
"In March 2026, I had the pleasure and a great deal of fun attending a writers retreat in Lucca, Italy hosted by Jennifer Margulis and logistically supported by Anna Bazarnaya. Jennifer is a talented writer and great public speaker. She presented her craft with the upmost skill, intelligence and wit. She privately reviewed our work and gave great advice. She constantly provided learning experiences from which we all flourished.
Anna, also a writer, took care of all of our logistical needs with a great deal of patience and reliability. Lucca is a delightful small town with a friendly atmosphere, nature walks, fun restaurants and great wine. It is close to the mountains and coast. It is a true relaxing retreat away from the large city vibe.”
Saundra Davis
metaphysical memoirist
Our writer’s getaway
Villa Buonamici (which means “villa of good friends” in Italian) is our writer’s sanctuary: a perfect teaching hub and a place to relax and get inspired just a short walk from Lucca’s medieval walls.
The villa has plenty of space for us to gather–from the several sitting rooms to the spacious kitchen to the outdoor terrace and garden.
Bring your bathing suit, if you dare to enjoy a cold plunge or swim some laps in the villa’s private (but unheated!) pool.
There’s a piano downstairs, a chess board and billiards table in the game room, and a bright and comfortable living room where you can work on your manuscript, read a book, enjoy a lively conversation with a fellow writer, or have some down time.
Sit outside to write or eat or talk. Our terrace boasts a large table and chairs, as well as comfortable outdoor furniture.
In a residential district of Lucca, just in front of the medieval walls, there are plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes within walking distance of our villa, including a Bavarian Brewery just around the corner, a famous local pizzeria, a home-made pasta shop, groceries, and the renowned Giulio in Pelleria, one of Lucca’s most popular traditional restaurants.
This retreat is designed for motivated writers who are working on book-length manuscripts (or want to be) and are eager to move their work forward and hold their writing to a higher standard of excellence.
We have space for only 11 writers: 5 will stay at the villa and 6 will enjoy nearby accommodations.
Unless you have already spoken with or been invited by Jennifer Margulis or Anna Bazarnaya, you need to contact us and complete the intake questionnaire to be considered for one of these coveted spots.
Our team will review your application and get back to you within 2 business days. Our retreat director, Anna Bazarnaya, is available via phone, email, or WhatsApp to help guide you and answer any questions.
If I’m accepted, what happens next?
A non-refundable deposit of $1,500 is due within two days of being accepted.
All writing classes will be held at the villa, which is also our rendez-vous spot for afternoon excursions and evenings out on the town. Five (5) rooms at the villa have king or double beds and private baths. There is one (1) room with a shared bathroom available at a discount. Anna will help find accomodations for participants who prefer to stay inside the wall.
5 retreat spots at Villa Buonamici (sold out)
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Jane Austen Suite (Reserved)
$5,945
King bed · Private ensuite bathroom · Second floor
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Grazia Deledda Suite (Reserved)
$5,945
Double bed · Private ensuite bathroom · Second floor
Virginia Woolf Suite (Reserved)
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$5,945
Double bed · Private ensuite bathroom · Second floor
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Françoise Sagan Suite (Reserved)
$5,945
Double bed · Private ensuite bathroom · Second floor
The Colette Room (Reserved)
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$5,445
Double bed · Shared Bathroom with 1 room · Ground floor
6 retreat spots: choose your accommodation
Join us at the villa for the group time and choose your own accommodations nearby that suit your taste and budget. Luxury city apartment? Classic hotel or modest bed-and breakfast? Lucca has it all.
Off-site retreat spot (2 spots left)
$4,954
All workshops, sessions, optional excursions, and chef dinner included. Book your own nearby accommodation. Or ask Anna to provide a curated list of hotels and apartments within walking distance.
Before you pack your bags
© 2026 Jennifer Margulis · Anna Bazarnaya · All rights reserved