The Art of Play – A Five Day Writing Retreat
The aim and theme of this retreat is to remind ourselves that writing has much more in common with play than work, and that what gets in the way of writing is what gets in the way of play – our pesky inner critic and thinking there’s a “right” way to do it. Taking inspiration from other particularly playful writers, we’ll use the week to shake up our dormant inner child, abandon convention and become magpies, collecting those bright, shiny things that bring both vitality and our own unique selves into our writing.
Led by experienced tutor and novelist Susan Elderkin, the retreat will be structured around morning workshops and will include a one-to-one tutorial and a mid-week guest speaker (read on!) You’ll have a room of your own, three delicious meals a day (cooked in-house using fresh, local ingredients), and the run of a beautiful stately home. Expect the week to be relaxing (afternoons free to spend as you wish, drinks before dinner, candle-lit tables, dogs, log fires) while also focussed: Susan tends to attract writers who are dedicated and keen. Expect to leave with a full notebook, a renewed sense of where your writing is going, and a gang of new writerly friends.
The retreat will run from Monday lunch to Friday lunch, and includes: five 3.5 hour workshops, a one-to-one tutorial, a talk from the special guest speaker, all meals, and your own beautifully decorated bedroom in the house. Prices start at £915 (depending on the room you choose).
Your tutor, Susan Elderkin, has been running retreats and workshops like this for over 20 years. The author of two award-winning novels and two books about bibliotherapy, she has taught on the MAs in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, Goldsmith’s and City University.
If you’d like to find out more, please email Susan at hello@susanelderkin.com or Harry on Harry@pennardhouse.com.
Sponsored by the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, the Chris Difford Songwriting Retreat is like no other writer retreat. With over 30 successful or up and coming artists from all over the world staying in the house or around the village, the retreat provides an amazing opportunity for artists to collaborate with one another to write new songs and create new friendships in a relaxed setting.
During the week–long intimate retreat, each day Chris, himself a two time Ivor Novello Award winner, organises the artists in to small groups. They head off to various parts of the house or gardens and write all day, breaking for relaxed lunches on the south facing terrace and dinners in the Coach House.
In the evening the artists all gather after dinner to show and tell in the Coach House, or if the weather is good, play acoustic performances in the courtyard. Late nights are spent playing together around the fire pit. And on the final night they perform a concert of the best songs in East Pennard village church.
Join these intimate songwriting retreats with Double Ivor Novello Award-winning lyricist and enigma Chris Difford. Chris has 16 Squeeze albums, 3 critically acclaimed solo albums, countless top 20 hits, 52 American tours, 50 UK tours and a variety of global tours under his belt. He is one of the country’s most respected songwriters and has co-written with a host of musicians and performers that reads like a veritable who’s who of the industry – Elton John, Trilok Gurtu, Marti Pellow, Lamont Dozier, Willie Mitchell, Bryan Ferry, Jools Holland, Paul Carrack, Chris Braide and Sarah Brightman.
On these retreats there will be a small group of songwriters with full board and lodgings and a full program of songwriting, including a one to one during the week.
For more information please contact Chris directly here,
