Section Styles hero
This is what it feels like when your story finally starts to make sense.
You’re writing in Marrakesh, birdsong on the roof terrace, the scent of rose petals in the air. You’ve got your notebook open and, for once, you’re not rushing.
The thoughts you’ve been carrying around for months - on trains, while cooking, in between answering emails - the ones you never quite had time to catch are starting to land.
Half-finished drafts you abandoned begin to make sense. Fragments connect. And the shape of your book emerges.
Because your truest writing happens when you’re not forcing it, when you’ve stepped out of daily life, even briefly, rather than grabbing at ideas in between everything else, only to lose them again the moment real life picks back up.
And for the first time, you’re not wondering what your book is about, or whether you’ll ever finish it.
The Art of Storytelling is for writers — or would-be writers — who feel there’s a story in them, but aren’t sure how to shape it yet.
That’s what we’re creating in Marrakesh this October.
Your story is waiting to be told.
But you need to find the beating heart of it.
You can spend months trying to write your story, only to find that you never quite get started or you have pages around a theme - grief, motherhood, identity, etc - that never quite connect with the narrative.
A writing retreat like this is where you get the time and space to let your story come to life, you connect and share with other writers, and you get real-time feedback and guidance from a published memoir writer.
This creates a magic that collapses timelines. What might take a year of solitary writing - revising, editing, second-guessing - shift when you’re in the right environment.
Our days will unfold with quiet mornings writing and afternoons away from laptops and notebooks - our writing needs creative fuel, and we’ll explore the souks, have a hammam and talk about storytelling in different artistic mediums with moroccan artists.
You will leave knowing exactly where your memoir is going, and with pages you can continue shaping when you get home.
This is for you if…
You know there’s a story in you, but you haven’t started yet
It comes to you in flashes. On walks, in conversations, in moments you wish you could hold onto. But when you try to begin, it feels too big to shape. You don’t want to spend months writing something that doesn’t hold.
You’ve started — but keep circling the beginning
There are pages you care about. But something isn’t landing. The opening keeps shifting, the structure doesn’t quite hold, and you find yourself rewriting instead of moving forward.
You’ve written a lot, but it’s not yet a book
You’ve got plenty of material. Notes, drafts, fragments. Everything feels important, which makes it hard to see what the story actually is. You need clarity and a narrative structure.
You know you need the right conditions to do this properly
You’re trying to write in between everything else — at your desk, in the same space where your day happens. But you know your best thinking doesn’t come like that.
You write, but it doesn’t feel like your voice yet
The words are there, but you’re holding things back. It comes out too careful, too edited. You’re trying to get closer to the version of your story that feels more honest — and trust it when it shows up.
By the end of this retreat…
you will leave with a clear sense of your story, a stronger connection to your writing voice, and a deeper trust in yourself as a writer.
You’ll have a plan for how to write or finish your memoir - you’ll understand how to develop your story beyond the retreat, so the work doesn’t stop when you get home.
You’ll be overflowing with ideas and creative inspiration that will fuel your writing
You’ll have a body of writing you can keep working with, not just fragments, but something with direction.
You’ll feel more confident in your writing voice, and less inclined to second-guess it as you go.
You’ll have a writing practice you can return to — one that fits your life, and doesn’t get abandoned the moment things get busy.
what people are saying
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“It was transformative — I finished my memoir!”
“Priya helped me understand that my memoir needed focus. After working with her, I knew exactly what I needed to write about. If there is a story within you, she will help you tell it“ - Sue
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“From being stuck to getting the structure of my book.”
“My writing had stagnated for months. Priya’s memoir course rooted me in the narrative arc, how to bring in characters, how to structure the story — things I had no clue about. She helped me understand how to express myself fully.” — Tanya
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"For the first time in a long time, I had space to think and create.”
“What stood out most from the creative retreat was the spaciousness. For the first time in a long time, I had room to think and create without interruption. Priya was a warm and encouraging retreat host, and I left buzzing with ideas.” — Kat
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“I learned the foundations of memoir — and where to focus my energy.”
“Priya’s memoir course was immensely helpful in learning the foundations of memoir writing and where to best focus my energies as I began writing about my own past.” - Clara
Here’s how the retreat unfolds
Sample agenda
9.00am – Breakfast
A slow, spacious start to the day. Sumptous Moroccan breakfast of warm homemade bread, fruit, yoghurt, eggs and coffee/tea/orange juice.
10.00am – Morning Writing
Time on the plant-filled terrace to write. Notebooks or laptops open, guided sessions to allow your story to come to life.
12.30/1pm – Lunch
A relaxed meal together, or time to yourself — to rest, read, or stay with your writing if you’re in the flow.
3.00pm – Creative Immersion
Out into Marrakesh. Spending time with local artists, seeing how storytelling shows up in different forms, wandering the souks, or going to a hammam.
6.30/7pm – Dinner
We come back together around the table. Good food, conversation, and reflections that often shape what you write the next day.
Our retreat home
A peaceful riad in the heart of Marrakesh with just 6 rooms — a quiet, light-filled space to write, rest, and step away from everything else.
Your own room with private bathroom — £1700
£1550 early booking rate (until 30 April 2026)
You can pay in 3 parts, but if you pay in full, you’ll receive a bonus private 1:1 session with me either during the retreat or shortly afterwards.
hi, I’m Priya.
I’m a writer, coach, retreat host and believer in the power of words to transform us.
I’ve spent over 25 years writing, for the BBC, the Guardian, and Penguin published my memoir M(other)land.
But way before that, I was the child constantly writing. In my diary, for the school magazine, in made-up newspapers my sister and I would create.
Words have always been my salvation, and writing my memoir changed my life by letting me take charge of my own story.
I’ve spent years working closely with people shaping their own stories — through coaching, creative retreats, and hosted creative women’s supper clubs, creating intimate spaces for reflection, conversation, and imagination.
And I’ve seen how quickly things shift when the heart of the story clicks into place — when you’re no longer guessing, but building something you can trust.
Section Styles hero
If you’ve got any questions, I’m right here to answer them
Email: priya@priyajoi.com WhatsApp: +34677032091 Instagram DM: @priya.joi
More lovely words…
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“The creative women’s supper club that Priya ran was so good for the soul! — the food was so delicious but what made it special was the deep conversation (with women I’d never met before), laughter, and genuine connection. We talked a lot about when and how we feel creative, and it reminded me that creativity doesn’t just live in our work, but in how we gather and share ourselves.”
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“Priya creates spaces that feel both inspiring yet restful. At the Barcelona retreat, I finally had the time to reflect on what I wanted creatively - and I came home not just relaxed because I had so much fun, but with a real sense of creative direction again”
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“I work in a creative industry, but during the retreat I realised that I had felt super disconnected from my own creativity. The retreat gave me the space and permission to explore coming up with ideas and new projects again without pressure. I left with a lighter mind, a clearer sense of what I want to make next, and the joy of creating just for myself.”
FAQs
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30 Oct to 4 Nov
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Absolutely! You can pay in 3 parts, but you get a bonus 1:1 session if you pay in full.
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No. This retreat is for anyone who wants to write their story, no matter what you do for work or whether you have a regular writing practice.
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No. You can arrive with nothing written. What matters is that you want to shape a book — not just journal your life. -
Yes. This work goes deeper into shaping the story itself — the part that often takes the longest to figure out on your own. -
Yes. You’ll get direct feedback during the morning sessions, so you leave with clarity on what’s working and what to do next — not just a burst of inspiration.
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Absolutely. Many guests come solo, and our groups are small and intentionally welcoming. Shared meals, sessions, and conversations mean you’ll feel connected quickly — but there’s also plenty of space if you need quiet time.
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The mornings are focused, but the afternoons are open for rest or exploration. Every single session is optional however - ideally, you would join all of it but nothing is mandatory and you can take time out when you need to.
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Yes, this is a women’s only retreat.
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4 nights accommodation, most meals by our private chef, and all writing and creative workshops are included. Flights, and optional extras (like wine, massages or excursions) are not.
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quality cotton bed linen, bath and pool towels
hairdryers in each bathroom
organic toiletries (hand wash, body wash, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion)
ceiling fans or air conditioners/heating in all bedrooms
Please note there are no hotel-style locks on bedroom doors, but each bedroom has a small safe for valuables. However, we will have the riad to ourselves.
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Yes there is - though phone-free time is encouraged to disconnect