About us.
Writing retreats held in The Bahamas for writers of any skill level and from every genre. Reconnect with your creativity in a serene, distraction-free space.
The Hicotea Creative Manifesto
“To imagine worlds beyond experience. To create possibilities beyond the realistic. To expose and explore truth. To build bridges that lead to liberation – sometimes from our own preset limits. To provide relief and escape. To inspire. One word at a time.”
Hicotea writing retreats
Every Hicotea Writing Retreat rises from the spirit of these sentiments. We believe that every writer has the power to transform and transmute through the written word. This power is magnified when retreat, and focused peer feedback are engaged in with purpose and intention. Every voice matters. YOUR voice matters. (You can also find our retreats on BookRetreats.com. )
We consider it our honor to create spaces and experiences that empower writers of every genre and skill level to:
- explore their craft in serene, distraction-free locales,
- find renewal through the act of disengaging from their everyday routines and reconnecting with themselves,
- reevaluate their approach to craft, and
- remember that writing is the most fun hard work that we wouldn’t trade for the world!
We chose the name Hicotea because it means “turtle” in the Taino language which was spoken by the original indigenous people of The Bahamas – the Lucayans. Across ages and cultures, civilizations around the globe have held turtles in high regard, believing they were symbolic of tranquility, persistence, longevity, wisdom, and good fortune – all qualities that we value as writers.
Our Team
Catering to your every need, so all you have to do is write.
Retreat Facilitator
Susan Jensen Sweeting
Susan Jensen Sweeting is a writer and teacher, born in Chicago and raised in The Bahamas. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, along with a Teaching Certificate in Creative Writing, and her work has been published in East Jasmine Review, Writing in a Woman’s Voice, and elsewhere. Her debut novel is currently on submission.
She co-facilitates writing retreats and leads workshops and seminars on many aspects of the writing process, from finding your voice to somatic writing, inviting writers to reconnect with the body as a source of creative insight. A lifelong creative with a background that spans the arts and healing practices, Susan brings a grounded, intuitive presence to her teaching—and a love of gathering people around good food and meaningful conversation.
Retreat Facilitator
Lisa Codella
Born in Nassau, Bahamas and now living in Grand Bahama, Lisa Codella is a Bahamian writer and ceramic artist. A corporate PR practitioner for over 20 years, she had a life-changing epiphany in 2008 which led to her trading in her suits and heels for a studio and potter’s wheel. Since pursuing her long-suppressed dream of becoming an artist, she has exhibited in group shows locally and nationally. As a writer, she is most at home in the world of folk tales and magical realism and is now pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at Antioch University. She is currently writing a collection of short stories that draw on the rich lore of her Bahamian heritage.