Read. Rest. Repeat.
Reading Retreat with Emily Maguire
20-23 August 2026
Reading Retreat with
Emily Maguire
Delve into the relationships we form with authors and their characters in this joyous weekend of reading hosted by Emily Maguire, one of Australia’s most compelling literary voices.
Her latest novel Rapture showcases an incredible imagination, as she draws on the legend of the first and only female pope, creating the story of a gifted young woman who disguises herself as a man to become a brilliant scholar in 9th-century Europe.
During the retreat, guests will explore reading as a form of relationship: a sustained encounter with writers, characters, ideas, memories and with our own evolving selves.
Through thoughtful conversation and shared reflection, we’ll consider the emotional attachments inspired by books, the readers we become through them, and the quiet companionship that literature can offer across a lifetime.
Each day will include a two-hour guided gathering in a warm, conversational setting around a shared table. Together we’ll explore literary attachment, rereading, memory and the identities we build through books.
Within this intimate setting, guests will be invited to consider who they were when certain books first found them, who they are now and the stories that continue to accompany them through different seasons of life.
There will also be generous unstructured time for quiet reading, reflection, note-taking and informal conversation with fellow participants.
This carefully curated three day retreat is designed for people who feel that books, authors and fictional worlds are central to their lives. Readers who carry characters with them long after the final page.
Far away from the city frenzy in a superb five-star guest house in Bathurst, Emily will join guests each day to share her experience as a writer, reader and observer of the enduring relationships between people and stories across the centuries.
Experience this exceptional opportunity to disconnect and immerse yourself in reading, all in the sublime surrounds of Littlebourne Guest House.
About Emily Maguire
Emily Maguire is the author of seven novels and three non-fiction books.
Her latest book Rapture, was awarded Fiction Book of 2025 in the Queensland Literary Awards and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year, and the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction,
Her novel An Isolated Incident was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and her 2022 book Love Objects was shortlisted for the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year.
She was the 2018/2019 Writer-in-Residence at the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney and the 2023 HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellow at the Australian National University.
Emily has an MA in literature and works as a mentor to young and emerging writers.
You can find out more about Emily at her website
The Retreat Program
Welcome dinner - an inspiring opening evening with Emily reflecting on her enduring relationships with books, authors and characters in fiction.
Each day includes a two hour guided conversation with Emily in a relaxed setting around a single table. These gatherings will explore literary attachment, the pleasures of deep reading, and the ways stories shape our inner lives.
You will also have plenty of time to explore the curated selection of books which Emily has prepared as a foundation for conversation, or simply surrender to your own long-awaited read.
Each morning an optional yoga session is offered in the Littlebourne garden to ready the soul and the body for a day of quiet reading ahead.
Serene luxury
Littlebourne is a superb national trust registered homestead with acres of tranquil gardens and five-star boutique hotel style rooms. Each guest room has luxurious appointments and a private ensuite. Littlebourne is on the edge of Bathurst, around 2.5 hours from Sydney,
Guests will enjoy beautifully prepared meals using the freshest local produce and also savour regional wines, locally roasted coffees and blended teas always ready to brew.
Time will be yours, to relax, to read, to talk. Or to simply be still.
Details
Duration - 3 nights from
Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 August 2026
Includes - accommodation, all meals, literary sessions, yoga and refreshments
Places limited - maximum of 10 people
FEATURES
Superb five star accommodation in king or queen rooms, each with luxurious en-suites and amenities. Take a room for yourself or share with your friend or family.
All meals - breakfasts, lunches and dinners - included.
Local wines and brewed ales included.
Home-made snacks, never-ending coffee and fresh brewed tea anytime included.
Beautiful heritage indoor and outdoor spaces and gardens in which to read and reflect, in private or in groups.
A personally signed copy of Emily’s novel Rapture for each guest.
If requested, a guided river walk or local expedition
Morning yoga to stretch the body before the mind awakens
COSTS
All inclusive packages start from $1,750pp twin share and $2599pp solo depending on room choice
Includes - accommodation, all meals, literary sessions, yoga and refreshments, local airport or railway station transfers
Read. Rest. Repeat.
Because reading deserves time.
Because reading is restorative
Because reading all day is never enough.
For bookings and expressions of interest, please complete the Reading Retreat Booking Request Form.
Emily Maguire Reading Retreat Booking Request Form
