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, MFA
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
Lisa Codella is a Bahamian ceramic artist, writer, and filmmaker whose work draws deeply from the cultural and environmental fabric of The Bahamas.
A former corporate communications professional turned multidisciplinary creative, she explores themes of heritage, community, and ecological consciousness through ceramics, fiction, poetry, and film. Codella is the producer and co-writer of the award-winning short film, In Sickness And In Death (Star Film Festival 2025) and is currently developing a short story collection rooted in Bahamian folklore and mythology: The Wicked Blue…And Other Tales The Tide Brought In.
Several of her poems will appear in an upcoming anthology of contemporary Bahamian poetry edited by Lasana M. Sekou and Marion Bethel, due to be published by House Of Nehesi Publishers in mid-2026.
Retreat Facilitator
Erin James (MFA, RYT-200)
Erin James (MFA, RYT-200) is a writer, teacher, editor, and yoga instructor whose work lives at the intersection of story, embodiment, and creative inquiry. A longtime student and practitioner of several yoga lineages and somatic practices, she believes the page and the mat both offer sacred spaces for deep listening, reflection, and transformation.
She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, and a post-graduate certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing. Alongside her literary work, Erin has spent more than twenty years immersed in the practice of yoga as a path toward presence, balance, and belonging. Her retreats and teachings weave together writing, movement, breath, and creative expression, inviting participants into a deeper relationship with themselves and their stories. Through an embodied, compassionate approach, she creates spaces for curiosity, connection, and the gentle unfolding of what is ready to emerge.