Leslie is a gifted writing teacher… She has a particular gift for creating a safe and supportive learning environment. She intuitively understood the challenges of being a new writer, encouraging us all to try new things and to feel comfortable sharing our work.
Write in Iceland
Writing Workshop With Bestselling and
Award-Winning Author Leslie Schwartz
Leslie is everything I want in a writing teacher: dedicated to craft and a passionate artist who truly enjoys guiding and nurturing new writers. Her classes are the perfect balance of creativity and discipline, and her infinite excitement for the skillfully written word is invigorating.
List og Land EHF, Artists and Writers Residency in the Westfjords of Iceland is pleased to announce the dates for our writers’ workshop in the spring of 2025.
May 4 to May 10, 2025
Arrive Sunday May 4—Depart Saturday May 10, 2025
This is a multi-genre workshop for writers working in the disciplines of memoir/personal essay and fiction.
There will be four days of class instruction (May 5-May 8) which will include critical feedback on writing submissions sent ahead of the workshop to be discussed at your one-on-one private conference with the instructor. Daily classes will include craft of writing lectures and discussions and in-class writing. Sessions are two times a day, from 10 am to Noon and 1pm to 3 pm (13:00-15:00).
Free time can be spent resting in your beautiful accommodations or exploring the 4200-acre property on the shores of Arnarfjörður, location of the List og Land Artists and Writers Residency. A geothermal hot tub and wood-burning sauna are also available for the writers.
The day before your flight home, there will be an optional sightseeing tour to Reykjarfjörður hot pool and the A House in Fossfjorður and more. This tour is included in the total price. For details of the sightseeing area please click here: https://www.westfjords.is/en/place/reykjafjordur-in-arnarfjordur.
Costs and Other Information
Tuition is $3,495.00 and includes the following:
- Lodging at Laugaból Farm for 6 nights (May 4-May 9, 2025)
- 11% Icelandic VAT (Value Added Tax)
- A welcome dinner
- 4-day writing workshops in a small group of no more than 10 writers, led by bestselling and award-winning author Leslie Schwartz, MFA
- Critical feedback on writing submissions submitted no later than two months before workshop
- Daily craft of writing/In-class writing in two sessions—morning and afternoon
- One-on-one conference with faculty during which time your submission critique and any other questions you have will be discussed.
- Sightseeing tour to Reykjarfjörður hot pool and the A House in Fossfjorður plus more!
- Please Note: Meals, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, are not included in the price of tuition. Because Laugaból Farm is somewhat remote, (1 hour from nearest town) there are no restaurants nearby. You will be responsible for purchasing groceries and cooking your own meals in our large, fully equipped kitchen. We will provide transportation to and from the grocery store in Isafjorðdur.
- Transfer from Isafjordur airport to Laugaból Farm $150 USD roundtrip. (A taxi will cost $350 USD one way)
Accommodations
You will be staying at the beautiful Guesthouse at Laugaból Farm, 20 minutes from one of Iceland’s largest waterfalls, Dynjandi Falls, considered the Jewell of the Westfjords.
The farm is owned by List og Land Artists and Writers Residency ehf and comprises over 4200 acres of land on the shores of the remote and pristine Arnarfjorður. There are hiking trails, waterfalls, rivers and shorelines to explore between classes. Wildlife includes many varieties of birds, (including two returning swan family) foxes, seals and sometimes whales.
The Guesthouse and studio bedrooms in the Stable can accommodate a total of 10 writers. There are single rooms and three rooms that can accommodate two writers each if requested.
For friends or couples requesting a double room, you will each be charged the tuition less 10%. These double rooms fill fast and are granted on a first come first serve bases. Please request this room preference if you are applying with a friend or partner who is also a writer.
All writers are welcome to apply. The class is for beginner and intermediate writers who should be able to submit up to 20 pages (see manuscript guidelines) of work with their applications.
With Leslie’s guidance you will discover the power of storytelling and find the confidence to tell your own
Applications
Please included the following information:
First and Last Name
Phone number with area code
Email address
Send a statement of purpose which can include anything you think is important to your process of writing, goals and aspirations for the workshop, as well as personal wishes for the workshop that are pertinent to your writing.
Applications must also include a submission of your work of up to 20 pages. Formatting must conform the following specifications: double spaced, 12 point font (Times New Roman preferred) with one inch margins and numbered pages.
Send your application this email address:
Please note, we do request your submission with the application, but revisions of your submissions are permitted up to two months before the start of the workshop. These submissions will receive a professional developmental edit and will be discussed during the one-on-one faculty conference.
Your Instructor
Leslie Schwartz
Leslie Schwartz is the author of two bestselling novels and one memoir. Her books have been translated into over 12 languages and her second novel, Angels Crest, was adapted for the screen as a major motion picture. She has taught writing at various universities and writers intuitions including the Iowa Writers Summer Festival, UCLA extension, and the Los Angeles Municipal Public Library. She is the winner of the James Jones first novel prize and the Kalliope Woman Writer of the Year award. She has been a fellow at various writers’ residencies including Ucross, Millay Colony for the Arts and Hedgebrook to name a few. Schwartz has won three artist-in-residence grants from the L.A. Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as the West Hollywood/Algonquin Award for Public Service in the Arts, and a California Council for the Humanities Fellowship. Her essays and articles have most recently appeared in Salon, LitHub, The Rumpus, Brevity, The Washington Post, Great Weather for Media, Pithead Chapel, Narratively Speaking and Dark Matter Women Witnessing. She has taught writing at various universities and creative institutions, and currently offers private mentoring and editing services through her company L&L Writing, Developmental Editing and Coaching Services. She is co-founder, with her partner, of the List og Land Artists and Writers Residency in the Westfjords of Iceland.
Leslie is my secret weapon. My books wouldn’t be the same without her input.
