A Week of Immersive Writing and Community
2026 Summer Residency Dates: July 19–26
For one transformative week each summer, Augsburg MFA students, faculty mentors, and visiting writers gather in Minneapolis for an immersive residency that functions as both a rigorous writing retreat and a vibrant creative community.
The residency features a rich mix of programming, including:
- craft talks
- workshops
- readings
- panels on publishing and the writing life
Together, these experiences are designed to challenge your thinking, deepen your craft, and expand your understanding of what it means to sustain a life as a writer. To get a sense of what the week looks like in practice, you can view a sample schedule from last year’s residency here.
Many residency activities take place at the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Minneapolis, where students stay together for the week—each writer in their own private room. Even local students stay on-site to fully immerse themselves in the experience. We’ll also spend time on Augsburg’s campus, connecting the residency to the broader university and Twin Cities literary community.
With many meals, gatherings, and events included in the residency fee, students are free to focus on what matters most: writing, conversation, and connection. Engaging days of workshops and craft talks give way to shared meals, informal conversations, and late-night creative exchanges that often become the foundation of lasting artistic relationships.
For many students, the residency is the moment the program truly comes alive—when their cohort becomes a community, their work sharpens through focused attention, and writing shifts from a solitary practice to a shared, sustaining endeavor. It is, in every sense, the heart of the Augsburg MFA.
