Storyknife Writers Retreat is a literary nonprofit in Homer, Alaska, founded in 2014 by author Dana Stabenow. It hosts woman-identified writers for individual residencies overlooking Cook Inlet and the Aleutian Range, giving them time and space to work on their craft without distraction. Residents from Alaska, the wider United States, and abroad stay in private cabins, share communal dinners prepared by an on-site chef, and write on their own schedule.
Benefits & funding
- Private cabin plus all food and lodging for the length of the stay.
- Meals prepared by an on-site chef, with residents dining together.
- Two-week or four-week sessions between April and October.
- Travel to Homer is the resident’s own cost; a limited number of travel stipends can be requested for 2027.
Eligibility
- Open to woman-identified writers aged 21 or older.
- Individual applicants only; no collaborative teams.
- International applicants are welcome alongside U.S.-based writers.
- Anyone who has already completed a two-week (or longer) residency must wait five years before reapplying.
Can you apply?
Worth a closer look
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Gender requirement
Female
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Age requirement
≥ 21 yrs
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We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Apply through Submittable during the open window (July 1–August 31 for the following year’s residencies).
- 2Upload a single anonymised PDF writing sample of up to 10 pages, completed within the past two years.
- 3Answer four short questions (300 words each) on your writing background, publishing, planned project, and what the residency would offer you.
- 4Pay the US$45 application fee.
Program timeline
July 1, 2026
Applications open for 2027 residencies.
Application deadline.
August 31, 2026 (midnight AKDT)
Residency sessions (two or four weeks) take place.
April–October 2027