Maine Coast Writer’s Retreat

I should be happy, —that was happy
All day long on the coast of Maine!

—from “Exiled” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Consider this your invitation for an extended stay on the coast of Maine where you’ll surely find inspiration—and much more.

Millay House Rockland, a literary non-profit, offers month-long retreats to writers of any genre in the home where Pulitzer-prize poet Edna St. Vincent Millay was born in Rockland, Maine. Located on iconic Penobscot Bay, two hours north of Portland, The Maine Coast Writer’s Retreat provides a space for you to live, write, reflect, and regroup for an entire month in a picturesque seaside town. 

Perhaps you’re on the homestretch of finishing your book, or beginning research on something new, or maybe you just need time to renew your relationship to your writing; whatever the situation, treat yourself to a month at Millay House Rockland. Collaborating on a project? The space can accommodate up to two people. 

The Maine Coast Writer’s Retreat is a self-directed experience. Accommodation includes one-half of a “double house” located at 198 Broadway in Rockland, Maine, a city that combines an historically significant working waterfront with a flourishing art scene. The duplex, built in 1891, provides a living/dining room, fully equipped kitchen, two bedrooms, a study with wifi, one and a half baths, a washer and dryer, and off-street parking. 

An easy walk to downtown Rockland will bring you to a vibrant array of art galleries and museums, restaurants and coffee shops, a public library and bookstores, the Harbor Trail, a boatbuilding school, windjammer cruises, and daily ferry service to the islands, as well as the weekly farmers market. 

DETAILS:

  • Maine Coast Writer’s Retreat is open to applications for May-September 2025.

  • The Retreat is not juried, but we ask for a writing sample as well as a statement of what you hope to work on while you’re here.

  • Acceptance is made by the Millay House Rockland Retreat committee, as well as on a first come/first served policy.

  • The cost is $1,200 per month.

  • The house is not wheelchair accessible, nor can it accommodate children or pets.

  • Questions? Feel free to email us for more information.