The Alchemy
of Experience
June 24-July 4, 2027 • Patmos, Greece
Explore Writing Craft with Four Masters
Join four legendary writers and truth-tellers—Kaveh Akbar, Hala Alyan, Melissa Febos, and Leslie Jamison—in the mythic island landscape of Patmos to explore the transformative power of writing from our lives, our bodies, and our imagination.
Through engaging talks, insightful conversations, and dynamic creative exercises, our talented Guest Artists will share their wisdom and techniques for uncovering your own stories, and those of others, to reveal universal truths about the human experience. They will unveil their writing processes, share how they shape their memoirs, narratives, and poetry, and provide valuable guidance on the art and craft of storytelling.
An Inspiring Journey into Narrative
All four Guest Artists are accomplished teachers who’ve guided writers of all ages and abilities to cultivate practices that help them feel freer on the page. Together, we will consider timeless and urgent questions for us today, such as:
- How do we process and understand our life experiences through artmaking?
- How do we tell stories about the things we carry (inheritance, desire, memory, recovery, etc.) that will have meaning for readers?
- How can writing from life be a generative and exciting process of creation?
Tend to Your Storytelling Soul
Whether you’re an aspiring or published writer, or a passionate and curious reader, you’ll thrive in morning sessions, with afternoons free to roam the charms of Patmos for further inspiration. In the evenings, we’ll gather overlooking the Aegean for interviews with each Guest Artist, discussing the creative journeys that shaped them as writers.
Gift your storytelling soul and explore the island’s quiet beauty. There will be plenty of time to reflect on what you’ve learned, connect with other writers and readers, join small-group cultural excursions, hang at charming tavernas, sail on the Aegean Sea, and expand visions for your own creative writing life journey ahead.
Meet Our Salon Guest Artists
Melissa Febos
Melissa Febos is the national bestselling author of five books, including Abandon Me, Girlhood—which won the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism, Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative, and, most recently, The Dry Season. Her awards and fellowships include those from the Guggenheim Foundation, LAMBDA Literary, the National Endowment for the Arts, The British Library, The Black Mountain Institute, MacDowell, the Bogliasco Foundation, The American Library in Paris, and others. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, The New Yorker, The Sun, The New York Times Magazine, The Best American Essays, Vogue, The Best American Travel and Food Writing, and New York Review of Books. Febos is a Roy J. Carver Professor at the University of Iowa, where she teaches in the Nonfiction Writing Program. She lives in Iowa City with her wife, the poet Donika Kelly.
Hala Alyan
Hala Alyan is the author of the novels Salt Houses, winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award and a finalist for the Chautauqua Prize, and The Arsonists’ City, a finalist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. Her debut memoir, I’ll Tell You When I’m Home, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She is also the author of five highly acclaimed collections of poetry, including The Twenty-Ninth Year and The Moon That Turns You Back. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, the Academy of American Poets, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Guernica. She lives in Brooklyn with her family and works as a clinical psychologist and professor at New York University.
Leslie Jamison
Leslie Jamison is a New York Times bestselling author whose writing blends personal narrative, cultural criticism, and literary reportage. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Recovering, The Empathy Exams, and Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story; as well as the essay collection Make It Scream, Make It Burn, a finalist for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award; and the novel The Gin Closet, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She is a Contributing Writer at The New Yorker, and her work has frequently appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The New York Review of Books. She teaches in the MFA program at Columbia University and lives in Brooklyn.
Kaveh Akbar
Kaveh Akbar’s poems appear in the New Yorker, New York Times, Paris Review, Best American Poetry, and elsewhere. He is the author of two poetry collections: Pilgrim Bell (Graywolf 2021) and Calling a Wolf a Wolf (Alice James 2017), in addition to a chapbook, Portrait of the Alcoholic (Sibling Rivalry 2016). He is also the editor of The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 100 Poets on the Divine (Penguin Classics 2022). Martyr! (Knopf, 2024), Kaveh’s first novel, was a New York Times Bestseller, the 2024 recipient of the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize for Fiction, a 2024 Discover Prize Finalist, and a 2024 National Book Award Finalist.
Step Inside the Journey
Hear from past participants as they reflect on the Salon experience
The Goodworld Experience
Learn more about what to expect, see a sample schedule, and more.
10-Night Island
Stay & Program
Standard Package: $5,450 USD per person
Includes shared accommodations in a standard double-occupancy room.
Optional Room Upgrades
- Private Room: Add $1,950 USD for single occupancy.
- Premium Sea-View Room: Add $450 USD per person for a room with a direct sea view.
*Room upgrades are subject to availability and may be combined.
Discounts & Special Rates
- Shared Room Discount: Save $150 USD per person when sharing with a participating friend or partner.
Non-Participant Package Rate (limited number): Non-participating spouses or partners may share a room for $1,950 (see FAQs below for what is included).
Room preferences are requested during the application process. All upgrades are subject to availability and confirmed upon acceptance. For additional information about pricing and accommodations, please visit this Salon’s FAQs.
Application Process
We seek to curate a diverse and creative mix of Salon participants, and attendance is by application only. Once you submit your application, you’ll be notified of your acceptance decision within 10–30 days. Learn more about the application process in our FAQs below. GoodWorld Journey Salons typically sell out, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Includes:
10-Night hotel stay (with breakfast)
Opening Welcome Reception & Dinner
6 Morning Salons
5 Evening Salons
Dance party under the Stars
Day boat excursion to nearby isle
Guided tour of the Patmos
Monastery & Cave
Closing Farewell Reception & Dinner
Transport to Salon events & excursions
Does Not Include:
Airfare and transport to/from Patmos
Tips to staff
Dinners/lunch off-site
Taxis/buses into town on free time
FAqs
What are the accommodation options, and how much do they cost?
All participants stay at the same seaside 3-star hotel where the Salon sessions take place. Additional details about the hotel will be shared upon acceptance.
Standard Package: $5,450 USD per person
Includes accommodations in a standard double room (garden or partial sea view) shared with another Salon participant.
Optional Room Upgrades
- Private Room: Add $1,950 USD for single occupancy.
- Premium Sea-View Room: Add $450 USD per person for a room with a direct sea view.
Both upgrades are subject to limited availability and may be combined.
Discounts & Special Rates
- Shared Room Discount: Participants sharing a room with a participating friend or partner each receive a $150 USD discount.
- Non-Participant Rate: A limited number of packages are available for non-participating spouses or partners at a fee of $2,450 USD per person. This includes shared accommodations with the participating spouse or partner at the Salon hotel, daily breakfast, welcome and farewell dinners, and a guided excursion to the Monastery of St. John and the Cave of the Apocalypse.
Package Pricing at a Glance
| Room type | Price per person |
| Standard shared room (garden or partial sea view) | $5,450 |
| Premium shared sea-view room | $5,900 |
| Standard private room | $7,400 |
| Premium private sea-view room | $7,850 |
Room preferences are requested during the application process. All room upgrades are subject to limited availability, and your room type will be confirmed upon acceptance. If your preferred accommodations are unavailable, we may contact you to discuss alternative options before making an acceptance decision.
My partner/spouse wants to come but doesn’t wish to participate in the Salon programming. Is this allowed?
Yes, non-participating partners or spouses are welcome to join you, space permitting. A non-participant fee of $1,950 USD applies (in addition to your double room share rate). This fee includes sharing your room at the Salon hotel, enjoying the daily hotel breakfast, participating in the welcome and farewell dinners, and joining the guided excursion to the Monastery of St. John and the Cave of the Apocalypse.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes—payment options depend on when you’re accepted and whether you receive a scholarship.
If you’re accepted on or before January 15, 2027:
- You may pay in two installments:
- A $1,450 deposit is due within 10 days of acceptance.
- The remaining balance is due by February 1, 2027.
If you’re accepted after January 15, 2027:
- The full payment is due within 10 days of acceptance.
If you receive a scholarship:
- Installment payments are available. Details about your payment timeline will be included in your scholarship acceptance email.
Do you offer scholarships?
Yes, we offer a limited number of partial scholarships for each Salon, awarded based on both need and merit. Scholarship amounts range from $1,000 to $5,000 USD and apply only to the Salon program fee. They do not cover international travel to or from Greece.
When completing your Salon application, you’ll be asked if your attendance is dependent upon scholarship assistance. If eligible, you may receive a separate scholarship application form via email after the initial review of your materials. Supplementary scholarship applications are due by January 15, 2027.
How many participants will be attending?
Salons typically include 40-60 participants, with a maximum cap of 60.
We’ve found this size enables the ideal balance: intimate enough to foster meaningful connection and community, yet large enough to offer a rich shared experience.
Can I arrive early/stay late?
Yes, you’re welcome to arrive in Patmos before or after the Salon program dates. However, you’ll be responsible for arranging and covering the cost of your accommodations for any extended stay.
Additional nights at the Salon hotel may be possible based on availability. If you’re interested, please let the GoodWorld Journeys staff know your plans in advance—we’ll do our best to help you:
- Access discounted room rates, if available
- Stay in the same room assigned to you during the Salon
How do I get to Patmos?
Since Patmos does not have an airport, travel to the island requires a combination of transportation—usually involving a ferry or connecting boat. Your route can be tailored to your budget, schedule, and comfort preferences.
Once you’re accepted into the Salon and the summer ferry schedules are released, we’ll send detailed travel guidance to help you plan.
In general, there are two main ways to reach Patmos:
Option 1: Ferry from Athens
Take a large ferry from Athens to Patmos. Shared and private cabins with ensuite bathrooms are available, depending on your preference.
Option 2: Flight + Catamaran
Fly from Athens to a nearby island—Kos is usually the best choice, as it offers the most frequent boat connections to Patmos. From Kos, take a catamaran or large ferry to Patmos.
If you’re arriving from elsewhere in Europe, you may also find direct flights from major European hubs to Kos or Leros, both of which have good boat connections to Patmos.