KAA Writers Retreat in Tuscany
“Memoir Masterclass”
May 17-23, 2026 (Women Only)
Get 1-on-1 mentorship from literary agents & industry leaders.
Learn More
Retreat Mentors
The following is a preview of the topics and workshops covered during this retreat.
Uncover the deeper narrative thread that transforms life experience into art. Discover what to include (and what to leave out) to shape a cohesive, powerful story that resonates with readers.
Learn how to distill your life story into a compelling hook that attracts agents and publishers while maintaining your unique voice.
Master the building blocks of immersive storytelling. Learn to write vivid, cinematic scenes that bring your memories to life, engaging the reader’s senses and emotions.
Your voice is your greatest asset. This workshop helps you find and refine your narrative tone — honest, vulnerable, and compelling — so readers trust and connect deeply with your experience.
Even real lives need structure. Explore how to organize your story for pacing, tension, and transformation, crafting a beginning, middle, and end that deliver emotional payoff and narrative momentum.
Memoir queries require precision, emotion, and positioning. A world-class agent will walk you through how to pitch your personal story in a way that highlights both craft and commercial potential.
Meet Your Mentors
EXEC EDITOR, KAA
#1 New York Times bestselling editor and former Editorial Director at Running Press (Hachette)
Over the course of her three decades in the publishing industry, Jennifer has acquired multiple New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 NYT bestsellers You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero (more than 4 million copies sold) and the vegan manifesto Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. As Editorial Director of Running Press (Hachette Book Group), she acquired mainly in the areas of memoir, self-help, and lifestyle, working with HGTV/Trading Spaces interior designer Vern Yip, Real Housewives stars Lisa Vanderpump and Teresa Giudice, television writer and producer Kari Lizer, comic artist Liz Climo, James Beard Award-nominated chef Asha Gomez, and Ben Mezrich on his novel Seven Wonders, which will be a Prime Video TV series.
Prior to her 17 years at Running Press, Jennifer worked as an acquisitions editor at Crown/Three Rivers Press and Dutton/Plume (which are now imprints of Penguin Random House).
Jennifer’s particular passion is to help authors bring their unique stories and inspiring messages to the world. Find out more about Jennifer on LinkedIn.
SENIOR PARTNER/LITERARY AGENT, AEVITAS
Agent for numerous New York Times-bestselling authors
Jane von Mehren has spent four decades working in publishing—as an editor and publisher at Crown, Houghton Mifflin, Penguin Books, and Random House, and literary agent at Aevitas Creative Management, where she is a Senior Partner. She has worked with multiple New York Times bestselling authors, and her writers have been nominated or awarded the National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, Pulitzer Prize, Whiting Award, PEN/Hemingway and PEN/Faulkner awards, among others. Her list includes narrative nonfiction, science, history, economics, health & wellness, pop culture, psychology, literary, historical, and book club fiction, thrillers, YA, and, of course, memoir. Among the memoirs she has represented are They All Went to Barneys by Gene Pressman, You Never Know by Tom Selleck, Admissions by Kendra James, The Widowers Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer, and The Mother Code by Ruthie Ackerman.
A New York City native, she attended Vassar College where she studied poetry—what turned out to be an excellent education for her career as an editor and agent.
AUTHOR
Bestselling author and award-winning journalist
An award-winning journalist, Ruthie Ackerman’s writing has been published in Vogue, Glamour, O Magazine, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Salon, Slate, Newsweek, and more. Her Modern Love essay for the New York Times became the launching point for her memoir, The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths That Shape Us, which was published by Random House in May 2025.
Ruthie launched the Ignite Writers Collective in 2019 and since then has become an in-demand book coach and developmental editor. Her client wins include a USA Today bestseller, book deals with Big 5 publishers, representation by buzzy book agents, and essays in prestigious outlets. She has a Master’s in Journalism from New York University and lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Retreat Coordinator
Our Retreat Coordinator, Anna, will be in touch as soon as you’ve secured your place to answer any questions you have, assist with booking transport and to get to know you and your work to make sure that you get the most from your experience in Tuscany. She will make sure that mentors know about your projects and receive material ahead of the retreat in order to tailor their teaching accordingly.
Anna has a background in both publishing and hospitality and is always happy to share insight and ideas as well as make you your favourite coffee and cocktail. Anna will be on site during the retreat overseeing teaching, organising airport transfers, serving meals and excursions and making sure that you have everything you need during the week, so you can switch off from your responsibilities and lock in to your learning.
