Come WRITE WITH US in Italy
7-Day Novel-Writing Intensive with Rufi Thorpe, Mary Adkins, and Kevin Wilson
WHEN: September 30-October 7, 2026
WHERE: A resort nestled in botanical gardens on the island of Ischia, which is across the bay from Naples in Italy
WHO: You! (plus ~20 other writers working on novels or are interested in writing a novel)
SPECIAL GUESTS: Kevin Wilson, bestselling author of Run For the Hills, Now Is Not the Time to Panic and Nothing to See Here, and Michelle Brower, Agent at Trellis Literary Management
YEP, YOU READ THAT RIGHT. In addition to incredible food, a stunning vista, new literary friendships, time to write, craft classes, and one-on-one sessions, we’ve invited new, expert guests to make the Writing Intensive even better.
Your Instructors:
-
Mary Adkins is the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick, “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping and Real Simple), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021,” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press) and the memoir You Might Feel a Little Pressure. Her books have been published in 13 countries, and her essays and reporting have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. A graduate of Yale Law School, she founded and runs The Book Incubator™, an 12-month MFA-alternative for novelists and memoirists.
-
Kevin Wilson is the author of two collections, Tunneling to the Center of the Earth(Ecco/Harper Perennial, 2009), which received an Alex Award from the American Library Association and the Shirley Jackson Award, and Baby You’re Gonna Be Mine (Ecco, 2018), and five novels, The Family Fang (Ecco, 2011), Perfect Little World (Ecco, 2017), Nothing to See Here (Ecco, 2019), a New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna book club selection, Now is Not the Time to Panic (Ecco, 2022) and Run for the Hills (Ecco, 2025). His fiction has appeared in Ploughshares, Southern Review, One Story, A Public Space, and elsewhere, and has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2020 and 2021, as well as The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2012. He has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the KHN Center for the Arts. He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his wife, the poet Leigh Anne Couch, and his sons, Griff and Patch, where he is an Associate Professor in the English & Creative Writing Department at the University of the South.
-
Rufi Thorpe is the author of four novels, most recently Margo’s Got Money Troubles (William Morrow, 2024) which was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, the Clark Prize and the Mark Twain Prize, a Book of the Month pick as well as winner of the Libby Award for Best Bookclub Pick, and is soon to be a series on Apple TV. The Knockout Queen (Knopf, 2020) was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner award and a Book of the Month pick. Dear Fang, With Love (Knopf, 2016) was critically well received, and her first novel The Girls from Corona del Mar (Knopf, 2014) was long-listed for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the First Novel Prize. All of her novels were IndieNext picks, and her work has been translated into 16 languages. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, MORE Magazine, The Huffington Post and more. She received her MFA from the University of Virginia and now teaches at The Book Incubator™ with Mary. She lives in California with her husband and two sons.
-
Michelle Brower has spent over fifteen years as an agent, first at Wendy Sherman Associates and most recently as a partner at Aevitas Creative Management. She co-founded Trellis Literary Management in 2021 in order to better serve and support her authors and create an agency with a lasting positive impact in the world of publishing. Her list spans the spectrum of literary and commercial fiction, from thought-provoking story collections to page-turning thrillers. She is primarily interested in work that focuses on storytelling and emotional connection, rather than formal experimentation, and believes that the best reading experience engages both the heart and the head. Michelle is honored to work with books that have received a variety of accolades, including NY Times Bestsellers, National Book Award finalists, and Read with Jenna, Target, and Barnes and Noble book club selections. Her authors have received recognition from the Whiting Awards, the Rona Jaffe Foundation, MacDowell, the Steinbeck Fellow Program, the Sewanee Writers Conference as well as from many other organizations. Michelle received her Masters degree in British and American Literature from New York University. Originally from New Jersey, she now lives in Seattle with her family.
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
7 nights lodging (in a private, air-conditioned room) at a resort in Ischia with a pool, extensive garden, and thermal baths. The location is close to shops, restaurants, and the beach (a short ride on public transit, a scooter-ride, or a 10-20 minute walk).
Breakfast every morning
5 group dinners
3 craft classes (one each taught by Kevin, Rufi, and Mary)
A 1:1 meeting with Kevin Wilson
A 1:1 meeting with Mary in which she will read up to 15 pages of your work-in-progress to discuss, AND
A 1:1 meeting with Rufi in which she will read up to 15 pages of your work-in-progress to discuss (yes, meetings with all 3 of us—you don’t need to choose one!)
A 1:1 meeting with Michelle during which she’ll review your query letter or brainstorm with you about querying
A Q&A with Michelle about her career in publishing and being an agent
Optional evening social activities
Ample writing time
Escorted transportation to and from the island from a meeting point in Naples (you can fly into Naples or take the train to Naples from Rome—it’s approx. 1 hour)