A weekend retreat for writers and thinkers ready to get the words out of their heads and onto the page
18 - 20 September 2026
Barcelona
This is what it feels like when you finally connect with your voice.
You’re writing in a gorgeous art deco apartment in barcelona, The balcony doors open, an end-of-summer breeze drifting in. You’ve got your notebook open and, for once, you’re not filtering yourself.
There's no internal negotiation happening before each sentence, no quick check against what someone might think — just your hand moving, and the fizzy, slightly reckless feeling of writing something you might normally have talked yourself out of.
That evening the sky goes that electric Barcelona pink and someone tops up your glass and you read what you just wrote, and it feels like you poured the words straight from your soul.
Because you’re not worrying about writing for the algorithm or wondering if you could have written this quicker with AI. You are connecting with your lived experience, your creativity, your joy for writing, and you’re in absolute flow state.
You'll look at these pages on the way home and not entirely recognise the person who wrote them… in the best possible way.
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 tell it yet.
Why this retreat, and why now
You’ve been thinking about writing your story for a long time. Another year, another opening chapter restarted, another "I'll get to it when things quiet down."
Things don't quiet down. They just get louder. And the story stays where it is - an idea that you’re waiting to act on.
This is for you if you can’t take a week off to go on a retreat; it’s intentionally designed to fit into a weekend from Friday afternoon to Sunday lunchtime so that you can still come even if you have a busy schedule.
If your story has been waiting for its moment, this is it.
I have a feeling you know deep down what you want to say.
That story sitting in your chest. The one your mind keeps drifting to for months, probably years. The one you start telling at the end of a long dinner and then stop halfway through. The one you've opened a document for and closed again, more than once. The one that makes your pulse go when you imagine somebody actually reading it. The one that frightens you and pulls at you in exactly equal measure.
In Barcelona, this is where we start writing our truth.
It won't feel polished, or even ready to be written, but that's exactly when it needs to come out. Because words make up who we are. And the writing that's clamouring to get onto the page will change you for the better once you let it out.
Writing on a retreat creates a magic that collapses timelines. What might take a year of solitary writing — revising, editing, second-guessing — shifts when you're in the right environment.
You will leave sounding like yourself, with pages that could only have been written by you.
What writers are saying
“From being stuck to getting the structure of my book.”
“My writing had stagnated for months. Priya’s writing 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
“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
“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
This is for you if…
You have something you want to write and you keep going round it rather than into it
You've been writing, but it doesn't sound like anyone in particular
You never have the time or space to really get stuck into writing
You write for a living and somewhere along the way it stopped feeling like you
You've never called yourself a writer, but something has been sitting there for years
You want space, beauty and good food alongside real work, and something more alive than another Zoom call
You don't need a finished draft, a plan, or any idea what you're doing; you just need to want to write.
By the end of this retreat…
you will leave sounding like yourself, with a stronger connection to your writing voice, and a deeper trust in yourself as a writer.
You'll know what your writing voice sounds like when you're not editing yourself; not as a vague idea, but drawn from two days of your own pages.
You'll be able to catch yourself softening, hedging or veering off, in the moment, which is the thing that changes your writing for good.
You'll be overflowing with ideas and creative inspiration to fuel your writing.
You'll have a body of writing you can keep working with — including at least one thing you'd been avoiding.
You'll feel far less inclined to second-guess yourself as you go, and quicker to get the true version down first.
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.
Here’s how the retreat unfolds
Friday early evening. A long table, candles, a tarot deck. We'll eat a sumptuous feast at my house and pull cards, not to tell your future but to get at the stories deep in your subconscious.
Saturday morning. A pale orange and pink sky over a soft blue sea. We’ll write early on the beach as this is the hour when the internal editor hasn't woken up yet, and the words arrive more easily than they have in a long time. There’s time for a swim in the warm Mediterranean waters before a slow homemade breakfast on the terrace.
Saturday afternoon. We'll head to a hidden Gaudi building, the colours and patterns making your brain fizz with creative inspiration.
Saturday night. Pens and laptops down and we go out for tapas. Lots of small plates, lots of laughter, and the growing sense that you know exactly what you want to write.
Sunday morning. Over a leisurely brunch, we'll work out what your voice actually sounds like, and how to keep hold of it once you're home.
Our retreat home
A quiet, light-filled apartment in the heart of Barcelona. Your calm space to write, rest and step away from everything else.
Your own room £1,150 (or pay in 2 x payments of £600)
or
Shared room £900 (or 2 x payments of £475)
If you sign up by midnight on Tues 18th August, you get a bonus private 1:1 coaching session with me
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 as a journalist, for the BBC, The Guardian, and New Scientist, before Penguin published my debut memoir M(other)land after it went to auction.
Words have always been my salvation, and writing my memoir changed my life by letting me take charge of my own story.
But it took me two years to stop writing the acceptable version — softening lines in case someone recognised themselves, making myself more reasonable on the page than I'd been in the room. Nobody was censoring me. I was doing it in advance. The book only came alive when I learned to catch myself at it, and that's what this retreat is built on.
I've spent years working closely with women shaping their own stories, through coaching, creative retreats, and hosted creative women's supper clubs, creating intimate spaces for reflection, conversation, and imagination.
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
FAQs
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Friday 18 September 4pm to 11am Sunday 20 September
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Absolutely! You can pay in 2 parts
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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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Yes. You’ll get feedback during the 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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Absolutely. I’ve got a gorgeous agenda planned but 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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2 nights accommodation, all meals, a trip to the Gaudi house, and all writing workshops are included. Flights, and optional extras (like wine or excursions) are not.
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Yes there is - though phone-free time is encouraged to disconnect