For nearly forty years, writers from around the world have been taking advantage of a unique program and an equally unique location to inspire their works. Since 1979, The Saskatchewan Writers and Artist Retreats have welcomed literary and visual artists to locations throughout Saskatchewan. Fort San in Fort Qu'Appelle was the original location, while Emma Lake and Christopher Lakes followed, but one of the first and most cherished locations remains St. Peter's College and Abbey in Muenster.

Retreat Co-ordinator Tracy Hamon and well-known Saskatchewan writer Dave Margoshes are among those who have been working at the Muenster retreat for the past several weeks. Hamon and Margoshes recounted the tale of how St. Peter's was originally chosen as a retreat site. Renowned prairie writers David Carpenter, Anne Szumagalski, and Lorna Crozier set out on a road trip to scout locations. Margoshes recalls, "They drove around the province to look at various places that had been suggested, and when they came here (St. Peter's), it was love at first sight."

While other locations are still in use, St. Peter's Abbey continues to attract writers from the prairies, but also from around the world. This retreat session saw a writer from Hungary attend. Margoshes and Hamm explain what drew her to the collective, "She has an interest in northern indigenous peoples and that led her to be aware of Canada. She found Saskatchewan; she's a writer and she found the Saskatchewan Writer's Guild page and from there the retreats page." The St. Peter's Retreat has seen participants from the States, but Margoshes confesses that the Hungarian writer may be the attendee from the greatest distance.

The retreat setting offers the writers an opportunity to focus solely on their work and shut out the usual distractions of their daily lives. Margoshes elaborates, "There are no distractions. Even with the Internet and people checking their cell phones, there's no newspapers, no television. People can simply focus on their work." As far as the Abbey and the College go, the writers are enchanted with the quiet, beautiful setting and with the fact that they are in a community of their colleagues and peers. 

When asked to calculate the impact the retreats have had in terms of numbers of poems, stories and manuscripts that have been produced, both Margoshes and Hamon confess that it would be hard to determine. However, Hamon notes, "If they've written or edited a lot of their book, they would acknowledge the retreats." Margoshes estimates dozens, possibly hundreds, of manuscripts have found life at St. Peter's.

This edition of the Winter Retreat wraps up on Friday.