Taos Writers Retreat
Hosted by Casa Urraca Press
August 28-31, 2025
Join us for an extended holiday weekend dedicated to your writing.
Generative workshops. Craft talks. 1:1 support.
Above all, an intimate gathering of your writing peers at a peaceful getaway in northern New Mexico.
The Taos Writers Retreat is your chance to change your scenery and thrive in a collaborative setting.
Over four days, you’ll explore your craft with authors Jonatha Kottler and Zach Hively at Casa Gallina, an artisan inn with fresh food and gorgeous casitas.
Writers in all genres and from all backgrounds are welcome here. We ask only that you be serious about your work and enthusiastic about engaging with your fellow writers.
Early bird pricing for our first registrants—save $250 and register by April 30. Spots are limited!
What to expect
Your participation includes:
Accommodations
Four days/three nights at Casa Gallina, an artisan inn with a quiet, lush, pastoral setting
A welcome reception with hors d’oeuvres and drinks
Shared dinners from Taos restaurants
Kitchen stocked with breakfast supplies
Snacks and treats to fuel your writing
Mentorship and support
A 1:1 support session with one of your teachers and ten pages of a work-in progress
Generative workshop sessions
Writing prompts to un-stick your creativity
Craft talks
Protected writing time
Inspiring experiences
A public reading opportunity at SOMOS, Taos’s famous bookstore and literary arts center—register by June 30 to have your name included in promotional materials!
Ready access to Taos’s cultural and natural wonders, including Taos Pueblo, the Gorge Bridge, Taos Plaza, area hiking trails, shopping, and world-class dining.
Participants are expected to arrange for their own transportation to & from Taos, which has its own small airport. It is also an easy 1.5-hour drive from the Santa Fe airport, and 2.5-hour drive from the Albuquerque airport.
“The way you taught was so great for me!
It took away overthinking and judgement, I could just write.”
— Kim D.
Your teachers
Zach Hively
Poetry, humor, essays
Jonatha Kottler
Creative nonfiction, screenwriting, fiction
Jonatha Kottler’s creative work explores the ways in which literature and culture impact and support us in our lives, and how they have done so throughout history. She is a fierce advocate for body acceptance and mental health.
Her work has been featured nationally and internationally in NY Magazine’s The Cut, The Guardian, Longreads, and Audible. She has written creative nonfiction, comic books, and short and feature films, and she is currently finishing a novel.
Jonatha is a Lecturer in the UNM Honors College. She holds an MFA in Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts and graduated from the Book Project at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop. She also serves on the board of directors of the New Mexico Humanities Council.
Zach Hively has published three poetry collections so far, including the Reading the West Book Award-winning Desert Apocrypha. He has also written a humor column for more than a decade and claimed four Top of the Rockies awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. Kickstarter designated his book of humorous essays, Call Me Zach Hively Because That Is My Name, as a Project We Love.
He is the founder and editor of Casa Urraca Press, a small traditional press that emphasizes New Mexican and Southwestern authors of poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, and genre-bending works. He leads writing workshops throughout the region and is a special guest instructor at Jimmy Santiago Baca’s 2025 Writers Retreat.
Zach earned his MPhil in Creative Writing from Trinity College Dublin. He publishes new work weekly through Zach Hively and Other Mishaps.
Casa Gallina—an oasis in the high desert.
This artisan inn, run by the kindest gentleman you can imagine, is nestled in a quiet farmland setting, mere minutes from the historic Taos Plaza.
As part of the writers retreat, you’ll stay in one of three adobe casitas featuring:
Private bedrooms with queen-sized beds
Options for a full private casita, ensuites with shared kitchen, and shared baths
Colorful and artful quarters, appointed with hand-crafted furnishings, local art, antiques, and textiles
Fully equipped kitchen
Wireless high-speed internet
Access to wander the grounds, including outdoor seating and hammocks
Fresh eggs and vegetables from the organic bounty at Casa Gallina
Learn more about Casa Gallina here.
How do I register?
Easy! Registration is now open through the Casa Urraca Press bookstore.
Early bird pricing is available through April 30—register now to ensure $250 off your registration!
Spaces are limited, and room options are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Refund policy:
We recognize that life always has unforeseen circumstances and plans change. In order to keep prices manageable for attendees, we have the following refund policy:
Booking charges are non-refundable.
Bookings can be transferred to another individual.
Cancelled bookings can be reserved as credit toward a future Casa Urraca Press workshop (in full if cancelled at least 30 days before the start of the workshop, at 50% if cancelled fewer than 30 days in advance).
Cancelled bookings can also be applied as credit in the Casa Urraca Press bookstore (in full if cancelled at least 30 days before the start of the workshop, at 50% if cancelled fewer than 30 days in advance).
If circumstances change on our end, we will do our best to modify the retreat with comparable offerings. If we are unable to do so and must cancel the retreat at any time, your booking will be returned in full.
Questions?
Drop us a note and we’ll answer your questions about this writers retreat as soon as possible.