A retreat on Iona with Mark S. Burrows and Deborah Lewer

Art and Poetry in Dialogue: The Four Elements

A retreat on Iona with Mark S. Burrows and Deborah Lewer

29th October – 3rd November 2026

Following the success of this year’s ‘Art and Poetry in Dialogue’ Retreat, we are delighted to announce that we will be running another one from Thursday 29th October to Tuesday 3rd November.

Earth, Air, Fire, Water – these elements of our natural world shape the landscapes we inhabit as well as the dynamics of our outer and inner lives. They are at the root of the everyday – washing, cooking, growing a garden. Artists and poets invite us to see how they speak to the imagination, as symbols, as metaphorical processes, in life or in faith. On the Isle of Iona, the elements are especially vivid, from the surging sea and ancient rocks to the fiery sunrises and even the occasional aurora borealis. Join us as we explore the transformative role these elements play in our lives, guided by the work of poets and painters, sculptors and architects across the ages

This is a retreat for anyone seeking inspiration, rest and connection—with the arts and with each other. No experience or expertise is necessary, and all are welcome. There will be two main sessions each day in the beautiful new Village Hall, delicious shared meals, plenty of time to explore Iona and options for joining with worship at Iona Abbey

Dr. Mark S. Burrows is an award-winning poet, translator, and scholar. An historian of medieval mysticism, he is well known for his work on Meister Eckhart. The third of his collections of meditative poems inspired by Eckhart, Meister Eckhart’s Book of Darkness and Light, was recently distinguished with a Gold Medal from the Nautilus Book Awards (2024). He is also widely acknowledged as one of the leading interpreters and translators of Rilke’s writings, with translations that include Rilke’s Prayers of a Young Poet (2013/2024) and his Sonnets to Orpheus (2024). His most recent publication is You Are the Future: Living the Questions with Rainer Maria Rilke, cowritten with the Australian writer Stephanie Dowrick (2024). He is a member of the Iona Community and much sought-after as a retreat leader in the US, UK, Europe and Australia. He lives and writes in Camden, ME. www.soul-in-sight.org

Dr. Deborah Lewer is Senior Lecturer in History of Art at the University of Glasgow. She is a specialist in modern German art and in the rich relationship between art and theology. She is a Senior Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and is known as a historian of the radical, subversive Dada movement, in particular. Committed to enabling people of all backgrounds to access, enjoy and engage with a wide range of art, Debbie also works extensively outside academia with clergy, ordinands, retreatants, festival-goers and others to explore visual art from broad faith perspectives. She enjoys new and innovative ways of doing art history, such as research by practice, making, and performance.

The retreat is facilitated by and will include input from Dr. Pat Bennett; Pat is a writer, scholar and liturgist based in Glasgow and the former programme development worker for the Iona Community. She works at the intersections of the humanities and sciences fostering conversation, exploration and exchange. She is a member of the Iona Community