In order to mentor and build community among Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) writers, Kundiman sponsors an annual creative writing Retreat. Our 2026 Retreat will be held from June 15th to June 20th at Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus in New York. Between December 15th and January 15th, apply to the Kundiman Retreat here by sending 5 pages of prose (1,250 words maximum) that showcase your work and a brief cover letter. There are no minimum or maximum word counts for the cover letter, but we generally receive cover letters that are around three paragraphs long (around 250–350 words). Please use a 12-point standard font, double-space your writing sample, and do not exceed these length guidelines (our application readers will not read past the page limit).
In your cover letter, please describe what you would like to find at the Kundiman Retreat, your interest in being part of such a space, and how you would hope to contribute to the community. Rather than listing your literary accomplishments or any institutions you may have attended, please keep in mind that we are interested in getting to know you and your writing practice, where you are in your writing journey, and what you would like to contribute and receive from attending the Retreat.
Please make sure personal information (such as your name, titles of any publications, or other information that would clearly identify you, including literary accomplishments or institutions you may have attended) is not on your cover letter or writing sample, including in the document’s margins or the filename.
If you have questions about the application requirements, review process, and/or the Retreat itself, please review the Retreat FAQs on our website. Please contact info@kundiman.org if your question is not addressed in our FAQ.
This application form is only for 1) people who have not previously attended a Kundiman Retreat or 2) Fellows who are applying in a new genre.
Applications for the Retreat are due by 11:59 pm ET on Thursday, January 15, 2026. We are not able to accept any applications after the deadline. Notification on application status is expected to be given by mid-March.
LOCATION & DATES
The 2026 Kundiman Retreat will be held at Pratt Institute's Brooklyn Campus in Brooklyn, New York from Monday, June 15th to Saturday, June 20th.
If you have any questions about accessibility or if you need any accommodations, please email info@kundiman.org.
ELIGIBILITY
Anyone who self-identifies as AAPI and is at least 18 years old can apply to the Retreat.
FEES
The application fee is $25.
The tuition fee for our Retreat is $375 (room and board are provided). We are proud to be able to offer subsidized costs to all Fellows thanks to the support of grants and donations; without such grants and donations, the full cost of the Retreat for each Fellow would be $2,500.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POLICY
We want to get to know you as a writer and artist. Therefore, we ask that you please do not use AI in any phase of creating your cover letter or writing sample (including brainstorming, generating, drafting, or editing). Please know that we will not use AI to evaluate your application materials; your cover letter and writing sample will be read and considered exclusively by human beings.
FICTION FACULTY
The Faculty for the 2026 Retreat will be announced soon. We will have three Faculty members each in fiction and poetry, all renowned for their work in their respective genres. We aim to invite Faculty members who understand the unique challenges faced by emerging AAPI writers.
In order to mentor and build community among Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) writers, Kundiman sponsors an annual creative writing Retreat. Our 2026 Retreat will be held from June 15th to June 20th at Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Campus in New York. Between December 15th and January 15th, apply to the Kundiman Retreat here by sending 5–7 pages of poetry that showcase your work and a brief cover letter. There are no minimum or maximum word counts for the cover letter, but we generally receive cover letters that are around three paragraphs long (around 250–350 words). Please use a 12-point standard font, double-space your writing sample, and do not exceed these length guidelines (our application readers will not read past the page limit).
In your cover letter, please describe what you would like to find at the Kundiman Retreat, your interest in being part of such a space, and how you would hope to contribute to the community. Rather than listing your literary accomplishments or any institutions you may have attended, please keep in mind that we are interested in getting to know you and your writing practice, where you are in your writing journey, and what you would like to contribute and receive from attending the Retreat.
Please make sure personal information (such as your name, titles of any publications, or other information that would clearly identify you, including literary accomplishments or institutions you may have attended) is not on your cover letter or writing sample, including in the document’s margins or the filename.
If you have questions about the application requirements, review process, and/or the Retreat itself, please review the Retreat FAQs on our website. Please contact info@kundiman.org if your question is not addressed in our FAQ.
This application form is only for 1) people who have not previously attended a Kundiman Retreat or 2) Fellows who are applying in a new genre.
Applications for the Retreat are due by 11:59 pm ET on Thursday, January 15, 2026. We are not able to accept any applications after the deadline. Notification on application status is expected to be given by mid-March.
LOCATION & DATES
The 2026 Kundiman Retreat will be held at Pratt Institute's Brooklyn Campus in Brooklyn, New York from Monday, June 15th to Saturday, June 20th.
If you have any questions about accessibility or if you need any accommodations, please email info@kundiman.org.
ELIGIBILITY
Anyone who self-identifies as AAPI and is at least 18 years old can apply to the Retreat.
FEES
The application fee is $25.
The tuition fee for our Retreat is $375 (room and board are provided). We are proud to be able to offer subsidized costs to all Fellows thanks to the support of grants and donations; without such grants and donations, the full cost of the Retreat for each Fellow would be $2,500.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POLICY
We want to get to know you as a writer and artist. Therefore, we ask that you please do not use AI in any phase of creating your cover letter or writing sample (including brainstorming, generating, drafting, or editing). Please know that we will not use AI to evaluate your application materials; your cover letter and writing sample will be read and considered exclusively by human beings.
POETRY FACULTY
The Faculty for the 2026 Retreat will be announced soon. We will have three Faculty members each in fiction and poetry, all renowned for their work in their respective genres. We aim to invite Faculty members who understand the unique challenges faced by emerging AAPI writers.