Massiel Desireé participated in Reclaiming Nuestras Palabras, the Dominican Writers Association’s 2026 writers retreat in Santo Domingo’s historic Zona Colonial.

Created for writers of the Dominican diaspora, the weeklong retreat brought participants into conversation with the history, culture, language, and living memory of the Dominican Republic. Through generative workshops, independent writing sessions, author conversations, archival and cultural exploration, and multilingual creative exchange, participants examined the stories carried across borders and generations—and the responsibility of reclaiming narratives too often omitted from the official record.

The retreat became an important creative turning point for Massiel’s ongoing work. Surrounded by fellow Dominican writers, she deepened her research into ancestry, matriarchal lineage, cultural memory, and the historical foundations of Cielo, her novel in progress set in mid-century Santo Domingo.

During the retreat, Massiel also shared work from Luna & Cielo: The Same Fire, Different Faces in her first live reading from the newly published collection. The experience affirmed the importance of literary community—not only as encouragement, but as a source of perspective, accountability, cultural connection, and artistic growth.

Reclaiming Nuestras Palabras brought together writing, history, place, and community in the very streets where Dominican stories continue to live.