Call for applications
VIctorianist Writing Retreat at Dickens Universe
UC Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
July 26-August 1, 2026
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
The Dickens Project is excited to announce a new week-long Victorianist Writing Retreat, held at UC Santa Cruz as part of our annual summer Dickens Universe conference. This retreat offers scholars who are not affiliated with Dickens Project consortium institutions the opportunity to attend the Universe, as well as to dedicate time during the week to writing in community.
In 2026, the Dickens Universe, including the Victorianist Writing Retreat, will take place from July 26-August 1. While the 2026 Universe will be focused on Bleak House, participants in the retreat need not be writing on Bleak House or on Dickens. Scholars working in any area of global British nineteenth-century studies are free to apply.
Hosted by Dr. Heather Nelson, this retreat is designed for scholars who are at least three years beyond their Ph.D. and who are working on a book, book chapter, or journal article. Applications are welcome from college and university faculty on and off the tenure ladder, independent scholars, high school teachers, and alt-ac workers.
Participants in the retreat will spend three hours every afternoon writing in some kind of communal structure (to be determined by group members in accordance with their preferred writing practices). They will also meet for one hour every morning to discuss and workshop material written the previous day. Everyone who participates in the retreat is welcome to participate in as many or as few Dickens Universe activities as they choose. The writing blocks and workshops won’t conflict with scheduled lectures, faculty seminars, or social events. More information about the Dickens Universe is available at https://dickens.ucsc.edu/dickens-universe/.
To apply, please send an email to Courtney Mahaney (cmahaney@ucsc.edu) that includes a 2-page C.V. and a 500-word abstract of the writing project you’d like to work on during the retreat.
Successful applicants will need to register for the Dickens Universe and choose whether they would like to live on campus or stay off campus for the week. The on-campus registration cost in 2026 will be $1,950; the commuter registration will be $975 and includes all meals. More information about registration will be sent to accepted participants in February of 2026.
Feel free to email the Dickens Project (dpj@ucsc.edu) with any questions.
