The Mother Tree Residency Program

Our 2027 Mother Tree Residency applications are open!

These partially subsidized residencies are a conscious act of radical reciprocity - the gift of time on the land for yourself and your creative practice works to sustain our historic free-to-writers residency program and allows us to continue to support women who are authoring change. This program is an opportunity for writers and returning alumnae to plan a residency that fits their schedule, foregoing our extensive anonymous adjudication process.

Accepted residents of The Mother Tree Residency program are still eligible to apply to our core residency program if they are not currently an alumna.

2027 Applications:

Applications open on May 6th and will remain open through August 31, 2026.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis via our SlideRoom portal. Applicants will be notified as soon as possible. If you do not receive a response within two weeks of applying, you may contact programs@hedgebrook.org. The application fee is $45.

Length of stay: Writers may apply for a 2-week (12 night) or 3-week (19 night) stay.

Residency dates: Selected writers will be scheduled between February and December 2027.  

Cost: The cost of this partially subsidized residency is $4,000 for a 2-week stay and $6,000 for a 3-week stay. The cost covers the retreat experience: a beautiful handcrafted cottage to live and work in, trails to wander, and meals. Please note that if you are waitlisted and decide to come in 2028, the fees may differ.

Cohort experience: Writers will be in residence with up to 6 other writers specializing in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, and screenwriting/TV. Residencies are limited to 6 writers at a time including fellow Mother Tree residents, Writer-in-Residence, and alumnae.

Deposit: Once you are selected and your residency dates have been confirmed, a non-refundable deposit of $1,000 will be due.

Balance Payment Schedule: The remaining balance schedule is below and will also be provided along with the link to pay the balance once your deposit is received.

Due dates are on a quarterly structure and based on your scheduled arrival date:

Residencies with arrival date between February - March 2027, balance is due by September 15, 2026.

Residencies with arrival date between April - June 2027, balance is due by December 15, 2026.

Residencies with arrival date between July - September 2027, balance is due by March 15, 2027.

Residencies with arrival date between October - December 2027, balance is due by June 15, 2027.

Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy: If the Mother Tree residency is canceled by the writer for any reason, it can be rescheduled within one calendar year from the originally scheduled arrival date with no additional fee. If the residency cannot be rescheduled within one year, all monies paid, including the deposit, will be forfeited.

If the residency is canceled by Hedgebrook for any reason, a full refund (including the deposit) will be issued.