The Long Table
Turkey's Aegean Coast
June 5-12, 2027
A Writing Retreat for Women in The Social Sciences and Humanities
The Long Table is a writing retreat for women in the social sciences and humanities who will gather to work on a book, article, or other ambitious project, and who need protected time and space to move it forward.
Academic writing is often completed in the margins of crowded professional lives. The Long Table creates the conditions that sustained writing requires: uninterrupted time, a beautiful setting, thoughtful conversation, and a scholarly community that understands the demands of serious intellectual work.
At the retreat, each day will combine long stretches of independent writing with shared meals, conversations about works in progress, and much-needed rest and fun. During breaks, we will swim in the clear waters of the Aegean, drink endless glasses of Turkish tea, enjoy exceptional local food, and make a small number of excursions designed to refresh rather than interrupt the writing rhythm.
The name reflects the spirit of the retreat. Writing may begin in solitude, but it is often sustained by good conversation, and the intellectual generosity of peers. At the end of the day, we will gather around a long table to eat well, talk about ideas, laugh, and get to know one another—building connections that we hope will continue long after the retreat is over.
The retreat will take place at a charming hotel in Foça, on Türkiye’s Aegean coast, about an hour and fifteen minutes’ drive from Izmir Airport. The airport is served by direct flights from many major European cities and is also easily reached via Istanbul. Foça is a special place: a quintessential Aegean town that has managed to preserve its old-world charm. Some things feel as though they have not changed in fifty years, yet the town is also lively and fun, with everything one might need. We will arrange group transportation from the airport on the first day of the retreat and back to the airport on the final day. Participants who are unable to use the scheduled group transportation may arrange their own transfer.
Each day will combine long stretches of focused writing, balanced with plenty of time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the surroundings. We begin at 8:00 a.m. with a morning dip in the Aegean, just steps from our hotel—so that we properly wake up!—followed by a delicious local breakfast. After breakfast, we settle in for several uninterrupted hours of writing, with the occasional swim and plenty of tea and coffee—and perhaps a few local cats—to keep us company.
At lunchtime, we pause to eat, talk, and relax for a couple of hours before returning to our work for another extended writing session. In the early evening, we head back to the Aegean for a second, proper swim, followed by dinner at local restaurants—some with live music—along with camaraderie and lively intellectual conversation. One evening, those who feel like it will head to Izmir to enjoy the nightlife; transportation will be provided.
The idea is simple: to give you the time and space to focus deeply on your work while also offering a taste of Mediterranean life on Türkiye’s Aegean coast.
What to expect
2027 Retreat: June 5–June 12
Admission to The Long Table is by application. Applications will remain open until December 1, 2026, or until all places have been filled, whichever comes first. We will review and respond to applications on a rolling basis and no later than December 1st. If your application is accepted, your place will be held pending receipt of your deposit. Your reservation will be confirmed only after we receive the required deposit, due within fourteen calendar days of acceptance, along with the signed Participant Agreement and Liability Waiver. If the deposit is not received within fourteen calendar days, we may offer the place to another applicant.
Please note the following dates:
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Applications open: August 1, 2026
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Review and response: on a rolling basis, and no later than December 1st
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Deposit due: Within fourteen calendar days of acceptance
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Final balance due: February 1, 2027
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Deposit refundable through: February 1, 2027
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Deposit becomes nonrefundable: February 2, 2027
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Cancellations received through March 1, 2027: 50% refund of payments made above the nonrefundable deposit
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Cancellations received on or after March 2, 2027: No refund
The retreat is hosted by Basak Kus, Professor of Government at Wesleyan University. Basak grew up in Türkiye and received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work focuses on American and comparative capitalisms, the state, law, and public policy.
Over the course of her career, she has held a range of academic leadership roles, served on tenure and promotion committees, and edited scholarly journals and special issues. She cares deeply about research and good writing, but above all, she believes in academia as a special kind of community—one sustained not only by intellectual labor but also by the quieter work of mentorship, encouragement, and care. She is deeply committed to supporting scholars at earlier stages of their careers.
An avid traveler, she loves the Mediterranean, Turkish coffee, Argentine tango, Italian mopeds, New York piano bars, kilim rugs, big band jazz, coconut ice cream, daytime naps, nighttime writing, traveling without an itinerary, old films, and contemporary fiction.
About the host
Retreat Gallery
Reach Out to Us
retreatthelongtable@gmail.com