Writers looking to step away from Cairo for a few days have a new literary escape to add to their October calendars.
Poets and writers Nur Turkmani and Mai Serhan are teaming up for “We Are Not Afraid to Love,” a three-day writing retreat taking place at Ardi in Dahshur from October 8 to 10, 2026.
The retreat is designed as a genre-crossing workshop where participants will move between poetry and prose, exploring how different forms can influence one another while developing their own writing through readings, exercises, observation, discussion and workshopping.
What Is “We Are Not Afraid to Love”?
Rather than focusing exclusively on either poetry or prose, the retreat is built around the space between the two.
Participants will be encouraged to experiment with different forms and examine what happens when techniques commonly associated with poetry — such as rhythm, image and sound — enter prose, and vice versa.
The workshop grew from an ongoing conversation between Turkmani and Serhan around themes including the heart and body, joy and grief, music and violence, cities, friendships and the ways those experiences intersect.
Its title, “We Are Not Afraid to Love,” takes inspiration from poet Fady Joudah’s “Dedication.”
The retreat frames writing not simply as a technical exercise, but as a way of paying closer attention to experience, memory, place and the world around us.
What Will Participants Work On?
The three-day program includes a mix of craft sessions, readings, writing exercises and group discussions.
According to the official retreat description, sessions will explore topics including:
- metaphor and image;
- music, rhythm and sound patterns;
- attention and observation;
- the body, place and witness;
- moving between poetry and prose;
- language, power and resonance; and
- workshopping participants’ writing.
The emphasis is on experimentation rather than staying inside one established literary form.
Participants will also engage with selected readings and discuss how other writers use language, form and structure before applying those ideas to their own work.
Why Dahshur?
The setting is intended to be part of the experience.
The retreat will take place at Ardi in Dahshur, offering participants a chance to temporarily step away from Cairo’s pace and distractions.
The organizers describe the location as a space where the surrounding environment can influence how writers observe and pay attention — making place itself part of the creative process.
That makes the event closer to a residential writing retreat than a conventional workshop held for a few hours inside a classroom or bookstore.
Participants arrive on October 8 and remain at Ardi until the afternoon of October 10.
Accommodation and Meals Are Included
The retreat fee includes accommodation and all meals throughout the three days.
Transportation to and from Dahshur is not included, meaning participants will need to arrange their own travel.
Diwan currently lists several accommodation options depending on room type.
Prices listed at the time of publication are:
Single room: EGP 22,640
Double room: EGP 19,640
Triple room: EGP 17,640
The different rates correspond to room arrangements, while the workshop program and meals are included across the listed packages.
Availability and prices could change as the retreat approaches, so anyone interested should check the official booking page before reserving.
Who Is Nur Turkmani?
Nur Turkmani is a Beirut-born writer and poet whose work spans poetry, fiction, essays and research.
Her debut poetry collection, “October,” was published by Hajar Press in April 2026 and explores personal and collective experiences across multiple Octobers shaped by Lebanon’s revolution, political crisis, war and life during periods of upheaval.
The collection has been shortlisted for the 2026 Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection, part of the Forward Prizes for Poetry.
Turkmani’s work has also appeared in publications including Poetry, New England Review, Copper Nickel, The Rumpus and others.
She studied creative writing at the University of Oxford and has also worked across research and writing projects focused on displacement, politics and social movements.
Who Is Mai Serhan?
Mai Serhan is a Palestinian-Egyptian writer and poet whose work moves between poetry, memoir and other literary forms.
Her memoir, “I Can Imagine It for Us: A Palestinian Daughter’s Memoir,” was published by the American University in Cairo Press in October 2025.
The book explores family, exile, Palestine, memory and Serhan’s relationship with her estranged father across locations including Egypt, Lebanon, Dubai and China.
In August 2026, the memoir was selected for the 2026 Palestine Book Awards longlist, alongside 14 other titles addressing Palestinian history, culture, displacement and contemporary experience.
Serhan is also the author of poetry projects including CAIRO: The Undelivered Letters.
Who Is the Retreat For?
The workshop is not being positioned only for professional authors.
Organizers describe it as open to writers, readers and people interested in experimenting across literary forms, making it suitable for participants who may primarily write poetry, prose or simply want to develop a more serious writing practice.
The genre-crossing structure also means attendees do not necessarily need to arrive with a clearly defined identity as “a poet” or “a prose writer.”
Instead, the program encourages participants to move between approaches and discover what different forms can bring to their writing.
A Different Kind of Weekend Outside Cairo
Writing workshops in Cairo often happen over individual evening sessions or weekend classes.
“We Are Not Afraid to Love” takes a more immersive approach.
By combining accommodation, meals, structured sessions, reading, discussion and uninterrupted time outside the city, the retreat gives participants several days to stay inside the writing process rather than returning immediately to their usual routines.
And with Turkmani and Serhan both working across multiple genres themselves, the retreat is particularly focused on breaking down the boundary between poetry and prose.
For writers looking for a reason to temporarily leave Cairo, disconnect and spend a few days focusing entirely on language, Dahshur might be the place to do it this October.
