Mesa Refuge brings transformative stories, ideas, and knowledge to the world by supporting a diverse community of writers and activists through residencies at our coastal California retreat. We welcome a diverse group of writers—both emerging and established—who define and/or offer solutions to the pressing issues of our time. Particularly, it is our priority to support writers and activists whose ideas are “on the edge”, taking on issues including (but not limited to): nature, environment and climate crisis; economic, racial and gender equity; social justice, incarceration and restorative justice; immigration; health care access; housing; democracy and more.
We accept all genres, however, we prioritize nonfiction books, long-form journalism, documentary film and podcasts. The potential impact and distribution of your project is also important.
We aim to support a diverse community of writers and welcome applicants that represent a broad spectrum of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, immigration status, religion or physical ability. We prioritize applications of first time residents. If you are a Mesa Refuge alum, please inquire about Alum Weeks.
Application
We are a small nonprofit and our application fee of $35 helps underwrite the cost of application review. As an organization committed to equity, however, we do not want the application fee to be a barrier to apply. To request a fee waiver, please email nkansky@mesarefuge.org
The questions on our application are mostly short-answer. We require one writing sample (no longer than 2,000 words or 10 pages), a current resume, headshot photo (horizontally oriented), brief bio and two references (we do not require letters of recommendation). Applicants will be contacted in early 2027.
Please consult our FAQ page to learn more about applications and our facility.
Logistics
Mesa Refuge is located in Point Reyes Station, CA (about 1.5 hours north of San Francisco). Our residencies are two-weeks long and there is no residency fee. Three writers are in residence at a time, living together in a house that has both private and shared spaces. You will need to provide your own transportation to and from the residency and most meals. Additional residency expenses like travel, transportation and food, are your responsibility.
Our application deadline is October 4th for 2027 residencies.
Residency Eligibility
Residency Experience Summary
Application Information
We are a small nonprofit and our application fee of $35 helps underwrite the cost of application review. As an organization committed to equity, however, we do not want the application fee to be a barrier to apply. To request a fee waiver, please email us at info@mesarefuge.org
The questions on our application are mostly short answer. We require one writing sample (2,000 words or 10 pages), a current resume, headshot photo (horizontally oriented), brief bio and two references (we do not require letters of recommendation). Applicants will be contacted in early 2027.
Please consult our FAQ page to learn more about applications and our facility.
There is no residency fee though you are responsible for your own travel, transportation and food.