Literature Camp—Join a community of readers and writers

Lit Camp is a weekend of fellowship, reflection, and celebration. Attendees hear lectures on topics both common and obscure, meet writers and people who love to read, improve their craft (if they’re writers), discuss deep questions, and thank God for the beauty of the world.

Our goal at Lit Camp is to gather together those who care about reading and writing, to let good conversations happen, and to feed everyone with good content and good food.

We traditionally hold a feast on the last night of the weekend. This year we will wrap up our full day of lectures with an invitation to relax at the table to share in a festive meal and joyful company for a final evening of celebration.

Dates and Times

Literature Camp 2026 will take place over the last weekend of July: July 24–26.

Speakers and Topics

This year’s speakers include Leroy Hershburger, Paul Lamicela, Hannah K, Lori Eby, Obi Martin, and Carita Keim.

Seeing the World in a Line of Poetry | Carita Keim

William Blake once wrote that we can “see the world in a grain of sand.” In a similar way, we can glimpse the nineteenth century through the poetry of William Wordsworth. This session explores how historical context—including industrialization, political change, and shifting ideas about nature—deepens our understanding of Romantic poetry. Through close readings of “Daffodils” and “Tintern Abbey,” we’ll examine how Wordsworth’s poetry reflects a changing world and how contextual reading can sharpen our reading skills.

Tolstoy, Wendell Berry, and the Creative Act of Watering Stumps: An Invitation to Spiritual Formation | Lori Eby

Tolstoy’s folktale “The Godson” introduces some themes that seem to have parallels in Wendell Berry’s writing. We will consider how these two authors contribute to our understanding of spiritual formation as a slow, generative work, surprisingly detached from our control.

Revelation: A “Poet’s Book”| Paul Lamicela

The book of Revelation has suffered at the hands of readers with a lack of literary sensitivity. This failure has produced legions of strange speculations; it has also led readers to miss most of the intricate beauty of the book. To read Revelation well, we must recognize it as a work of art: a play, a painting, a poem. In this session we will pull on the threads of Eden and temple imagery in the book’s closing chapters as a window into Revelation as a “poet’s book”.

Organic Storytelling: Writing Fiction Without an Outline | Hannah K

You have a story idea. You’ve heard you need an outline, but you find outlines difficult to write, or they kill your enthusiasm for your story. In this workshop, we’ll explore the essence of story and learn practical strategies for crafting compelling tales that feel organic rather than contrived. Bring your writing instruments and any story ideas that have been rolling around in your imagination!

How to Tell Your Story | Leroy Hershberger

A craft session on storytelling.

Arthurian tale of Sir Gawain and the Loathly lady | Told by Obi Martin

Critique your writing | Peer Critique Session

During this optional peer critique session you’ll be hearing from other writers as well as from an editor to share and receive constructive criticism of your work. We will divide writers into small groups, and each group will have an editor who will facilitate and guide the conversation. Please bring up to 500 words of your own original work (poem or prose).

Community table

Have you been published? We’d like to invite anyone who has published a book of poetry or prose (self-published or through a publisher) to have a place at our community table to set out your books for purchase. Contact us here if you would like to participate.

Why I Am a Poet

Each year, we invite a poet to talk about the life experiences that shaped their poetry, as well as to present some of their defining poems. See a former “Why I Am a Poet” talk below.

What it’s like

We ask a range of authors, thinkers, and students of literature to present various topics that fall under the following categories:

Reading—Opportunities to read and discuss short works as a group. These sessions may be built around biblical texts or a short story.

Writing—Opportunities to workshop original poems or prose with other writers. These sessions will be directed by writers or teachers, and will include some writing prompts and exercises.

History, Genre, and Theory—Lectures and discussion of particular literary movements or elements of literature. These would cover particular writers or groups of writers, or the history and implications of certain genres and writing styles. Emphasis will generally be placed on how we should read or write literature in context of these discoveries.

Meditation and Worship—Worship in word and song, as well as discussion of what literature and poetry should mean to us as Christians. It is of utmost importance for us to learn how we can better worship God and spread his Kingdom through our lives as creators.

We try to have a range of topics that you might encounter in a college English program or literature conference, as well as topics about the philosophy and theology of art, with a focus on Christian and Anabaptist perspectives.

At appropriate times, we engage in and appreciate our culture of four-part hymn-singing. In between topics we have occasional historical music and espresso.

What people have said:

“I loved the fellowship and camaraderie. Was actually amazed at the space set up that allowed people to be themselves.”

“It reoriented me as a poet coming in off the ‘sahara.’”

“I think it really helped my spiritual understanding.”

“I loved the easy, social atmosphere. The weekend helped me think I could start writing poetry as a walk to more healing/wholeness.”

Where

Camp is held at the beautiful River Ridge Mansion, hidden away in the woods near Franklin, PA. Lodging and meals are provided. The mansion, usually called “The Castle,” was built by an oil baron in the early 1900s and is a beautiful house with plenty of places, indoors and out, to curl up with a book or piece of blank paper. On Sunday, we worship and reflect in a little chapel on a hill that overlooks the Allegheny River valley.

Address of River Ridge Mansion:
870 River Ridge Rd
Franklin, PA

How to Register

Registration closed on July 10. Check back here to register for Lit Camp next year.

Why

We are called to proclaim the news of the Kingdom to every nation, and that means that we must proclaim it in the arts as well. Our main purpose for this endeavor is to begin conversations in an often neglected area of Christian thought and practice. But even more so, we hope to contribute to a fruitful era of bringing human wisdom into subjection to the Kingdom of God. And to do so, we must first listen to the Author of every good gift and to others who have dedicated themselves to his service.

This is not just for those who identify as writers or scholars, but for all lovers of life, who through literature seek challenge, inspiration, and connection. No matter where you are, the weekend can challenge and inspire you, and will connect you with more people who love to read or write.

This seminar is specifically built around Kingdom ideals and Anabaptist culture. However, we welcome all who are interested in furthering the Kingdom through literature, whether or not they are part of an Anabaptist church. If you are unsure about any aspect of the seminar, please contact us. We would love to see you there!