Three nights. Two books. One beautiful spring weekend!
April 9-12, 2027
Just one hour from DC/Baltimore areas in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains
April 9-12, 2027
Just one hour from DC/Baltimore areas in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains
Welcome to the fairy tale of book clubs!
Spend three nights in the grand and welcoming ZigBone Eco-Lodge, eating delicious farm-fresh meals and talking to your heart's content about books with fellow book lovers. Does it get any better? Yup! We also include a yoga class, massages (for an additional fee), drink spring cordials on the front porch, and take walks on ZigBone Farm's 100-acres.
What We’ll Read
Everyone will read two books, one from the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction longlist, which will be announced in early March 2027, and one past winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction.
After the retreat is over, we'll stay in touch to see if the book we chose from the longlist made it to the shortlist (announced in early April) and then the winning title (announced in June). Reading a past winner will give us an idea if the title you chose from the 2026 longlist measures up!
Once the longlist is announced, we will send an email to registered participants with an e-gift card for $50 to be used at Politics and Prose, which covers most or all of the price of the two books. Politics and Prose offers shipping nationwide.
What to Expect
Farm-fresh meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and always coffee and tea at the ready.
Facilitated book club discussions led by your hosts.
Uninterrupted time to read and reflect in cozy common spaces or your own private nook.
Connection with fellow readers who share your love of books.
Natural beauty: ZigBone offers breathtaking views, hiking paths, fields dotted with charming farm animals
Comfortably appointed rooms for the perfect winter retreat.
A $50 e-gift card to Politics and Prose, which covers your first title and most of your second title. Please note that Politics and Prose ships nationwide
Why This Retreat
Spring will be in full throttle at ZigBone, the hills and valley verdant and a perfect backdrop for a weekend of reading, discussion, and book lover fellowship. You'll have time to read deeply, and connect with yourself and other thoughtful readers. It’s a weekend of literary discovery, nourishment, and community in a truly idyllic setting.
It's a weekend all about books, relaxing in beautiful surroundings, and finding your book-loving community.
Price ranges from $950 to $1500, depending on accommodations (see below)
Spend three nights in the grand and welcoming ZigBone Eco-Lodge, eating delicious farm-fresh meals and talking to your heart's content about books with fellow book lovers. Does it get any better? Yup! We also include a yoga class, massages (for an additional fee), drink spring cordials on the front porch, and take walks on ZigBone Farm's 100-acres.
What We’ll Read
Everyone will read two books, one from the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction longlist, which will be announced in early March 2027, and one past winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction.
After the retreat is over, we'll stay in touch to see if the book we chose from the longlist made it to the shortlist (announced in early April) and then the winning title (announced in June). Reading a past winner will give us an idea if the title you chose from the 2026 longlist measures up!
Once the longlist is announced, we will send an email to registered participants with an e-gift card for $50 to be used at Politics and Prose, which covers most or all of the price of the two books. Politics and Prose offers shipping nationwide.
What to Expect
Farm-fresh meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and always coffee and tea at the ready.
Facilitated book club discussions led by your hosts.
Uninterrupted time to read and reflect in cozy common spaces or your own private nook.
Connection with fellow readers who share your love of books.
Natural beauty: ZigBone offers breathtaking views, hiking paths, fields dotted with charming farm animals
Comfortably appointed rooms for the perfect winter retreat.
A $50 e-gift card to Politics and Prose, which covers your first title and most of your second title. Please note that Politics and Prose ships nationwide
Why This Retreat
Spring will be in full throttle at ZigBone, the hills and valley verdant and a perfect backdrop for a weekend of reading, discussion, and book lover fellowship. You'll have time to read deeply, and connect with yourself and other thoughtful readers. It’s a weekend of literary discovery, nourishment, and community in a truly idyllic setting.
It's a weekend all about books, relaxing in beautiful surroundings, and finding your book-loving community.
Price ranges from $950 to $1500, depending on accommodations (see below)
Tentative Schedule
Friday
Arrive 4pm onward
5:30pm Welcome reception with spring cordials
Family-style farm dinner at 6:30pm
Saturday-Sunday (all sessions optional)
Coffee & breakfast
Book reader's activity
Lunch
Yoga class or massages
Book reader's activity
Community dinner
Longlist Book Discussion
Monday
Breakfast & wrap-up
11am Departure
Friday
Arrive 4pm onward
5:30pm Welcome reception with spring cordials
Family-style farm dinner at 6:30pm
Saturday-Sunday (all sessions optional)
Coffee & breakfast
Book reader's activity
Lunch
Yoga class or massages
Book reader's activity
Community dinner
Longlist Book Discussion
Monday
Breakfast & wrap-up
11am Departure
About The Facilitators
|
Dani Nowicki has been with Politics and Prose for over two years. They currently serve as Marketing Associate and were formerly a Bookseller. They lead the bookstore's Friends of Dorothy Book Club focusing on contemporary queer literature across genres. They majored in Political Science and Literature at American University and are originally from San Diego. They can’t wait to discuss the Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist with everyone this April!
Nicole Tortoriello , who facilitated last year's book club retreat, has been building community through books and reading for more than two decades and across more than a dozen book clubs. She has been a bookseller with Old Town Books in Alexandria, VA since 2021, where she leads two of their standing book clubs and hosts pop-up events and discussions of all kinds throughout the year. She also has a separate career as a civil rights and labor attorney, but that's only relevant to her reading life insofar as it occasionally provides good stories to share during book club.
What last year's participants said about Nicole: Nicole’s facilitation was fantastic. She smoothly drew us in and engaged everyone, making sure all our views were respected and acknowledged. Nicole did an incredible job...! She was so well prepared. I really appreciate the research she'd clearly done in advance. She was always prepared with interesting context or fresh discussion topics when there were lulls in conversation. She was wonderful!... Her enthusiasm for her job was contagious. Nicole was great! It would have been amazing to have her in person but it was very clear she knew how to lead a group, prompt us when we fell silent, and ask interesting questions. Nicole did an excellent job facilitating discussions. I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts and felt she was open to hearing what others said. Nicole was well prepared and knowledgable. |
|
What last year's participants said about the weekend and ZigBone Farm Retreat:
|
“ ...I absolutely loved it! It was the perfect weekend cozy book retreat."
"I had the most wonderful, beautiful time - loved the balance of small group/group events and the time for reading and naturally occurring group time. It was perfectly balanced." "The retreat exceeded my expectations. The retreat house was comfortable, and the retreat participants and hosts were kind and mature..." |
"ZigBone is incredible. Cozy, warm, inviting, comfortable- the perfect setting for a cozy book retreat. Considering the weather kept us mostly indoors, I never felt like I was cooped up or trapped at all."
"I loved the venue - I have never slept so well in my life. I love the layout of the building where you are both close to folks and also have privacy. I am naturally an introvert and was very nervous about attending and again, it was the balance that really made me feel included but not overwhelmed. " The venue's rural and bucolic setting is fabulous and lends to the "book getaway" ambiance of the retreat." "I am a sucker for a historic building and a wood fire, so you pretty much had me from the moment I stepped inside. My bed was comfortable and warm, there were lots of places to sit around the property." |
Scenes from last year's book reatreat:
|
|
|
Rooms & Pricing: Prices below include all meals, retreat books, and activities.
The Springhouse (private, en suite): $1500 single occupancy; $2100 double. Stand-alone English-style cottage with deck with meadow views, timber-beamed, cathedral ceilings, roomy bathroom with walk-in shower, writing alcove. Just steps from the ZigBone Lodge.
|
|
The Log Cabin Room (private, en suite): $1500 single occupancy; $2100 double. Spacious room in original log cabin portion of ZigBone Lodge, with full, moroccan-tiled bathroom.
|
|
The Parlor (private w/ private bathroom): $1500 single occupancy; $2100 double occupancy. Queen and single beds in very spacious room with sitting area and French doors opening onto a large stone, wisteria-covered terrace with meadow views.
|
|
Private Rooms/Shared Bathrooms (six available): $1300 single occupancy; $1900 double occupancy. Spacious private rooms in ZigBone Lodge, moroccan-tiled bathrooms shared with one-two other people. Either sinks in room or shower in separate room from toilet and sink.
Shared Dorm Room: $950 per bed, three people maximum share this very large, lovely room with privacy screens.
|
|
|
|