La Place-aux-Herbes. Uzès, France.

Lanterns in the Trees began on an ancient square in southern France, La Place-aux-Herbes, at the heart of the provincial town of Uzès. We had been scouting peaceful locations in which to offer writing and contemplative retreats when we arrived unexpectedly in this square once used by the Romans. The lanterns came on suddenly as evening fell, bathing the cobblestones, trees, and human beings alike in golden light.

Lanterns in the Trees is our vision of sharing this kind of light as we travel the forested paths of our lives. Inspired by courses and workshops we developed and taught at Stanford University, we offer writing and contemplative retreats that blend creative practice, contemplation and engagement with local culture and the natural world. Our retreats range in location from Northern California to Scotland and Hungary. No prior experience with contemplative practice is required, and all levels of writing experience are welcome.

Andrew Todhunter is an award-winning writer and teacher. He taught writing, interdisciplinary creativity and contemplative practice at Stanford University for fifteen years, where he co-founded two programs—The Senior Reflection creative capstone in Biology, and the LifeWorks Program for Integrative Learning. His book A Meal Observed won the PEN USA Literary Award for Creative Nonfiction. He is also the author of Dangerous Games and the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller Fall of the Phantom Lord. A longtime practitioner of meditation, he often integrates contemplative practice and wilderness experience into his courses and retreats.

Jonah Willihnganz is the director of the Stanford Storytelling Project, an arts program at Stanford University that explores how narrative craft and practices can deepen natural human capacities such as courage, empathy, and gratitude. He has published fiction, essays, and literary criticism, and has taught literature and creative writing for more than 25 years. As co-director of the LifeWorks Program for Integrative Learning, he also teaches courses that bring together literature, psychology, and contemplative traditions to help students meet suffering and experience deeper meaning.