Well-Read Travelers

Short Programs 2026

We have an amazing slate of programming planned for 2026! Read on to learn what kind of programs we offer, and check back here and sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear details about our offerings and find out when registration opens.

Reading Retreats

Twice a year, once in spring and once in fall, we’ll be hosting intimate, themed reading retreats, which will take place over the course of a long weekend at a beautiful house in the California countryside. At the start of the retreat, we’ll come together to discuss one book that we’ve all read in advance. After that, spend the rest of the weekend reading a different book chosen from a short, curated list of novels about our theme. In between cozy sessions of reading on a gorgeous terrace or tucked into a cozy couch, chat with others about our topics, go for a walk or hike, nap, draw, practice yoga, or do anything else that lets you relax and recharge. Part digital detox, part intellectual reboot, part community builder, our reading retreats are a wonderful way to recharge and meet other well-read, like-minded folks.

Each session will have a different theme. Upcoming themes include:

  • Persuasion Three Ways - Jane Austen’s novel and its descendants, including the polarizing 2022 Netflix film (spoiler: we loved it, believe it or not), and a selection of modern romance adaptations of Austen’s novel

  • Spooky Season I: Gothic Horror - start with a classic of 19th-century English gothic literature such as Dracula or Frankenstein and branch out into modern versions of monster stories

  • Spooky Season II: The Witches Are Coming - actually, the witches have been here for centuries, and we’ll explore a range of witches in classic and modern literature

  • Hamnet & Hamlet - can Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about Shakespeare’s son make us rethink this beloved but difficult play?

Want to suggest a theme? Email us!

Single Classes

Our single classes are one-time, two-hour, online classes about a focused literary topic, often suggested by our students or inspired by one of our previous trips.

Upcoming class:

Welcome to Paradise: Exploring Pastoral Literature
March 2026, exact date/time TBA

Join us for a two-hour online class on one of the most puzzling obsessions in western literature: shepherds.

Yes, shepherds.

The pastoral genre, as it’s called, revolves around depictions of idyllic country life, most commonly the life of a shepherd. Many of the greats have dabbled in this genre, including Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, Lanyer, and Milton… and that’s just the writers. Shepherds are also big in painting, music, and other arts.

But… why? It’s not the actual work of tending sheep that’s made this genre so popular (obviously, perhaps), but rather the idea of the countryside as an escape from the chaos of the city, and a a place of enchantment—often literally.

For this class, we’ll be focusing primarily on Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy As You Like It , the recommended advance reading. We’ll also discuss other examples of pastoral literature and think about more recent iterations of the pastoral genre and pastoral settings. Is tending backyard chickens the new pastoral paradise? Let’s find out together!

Class will be held via Zoom and recorded for anyone who can’t attend live.

In-Person Programs
in and around Los Angeles

Upcoming in-person programs include a Boosted Book Club (a facilitated book discussion at a wine bar) and WRT Night Out (a trip to see a local theater production followed by a discussion over dinner). Stay tuned for details!