A Perfect First Writing Retreat
Here's how it went...
So here we are, on the other side of The Book Room’s first writing retreat and I had to write and tell you how it went. If you remember, there was a bumpy start, having to postpone just a few days before the original date due to rail strikes. And then imagine our horror when the rail unions announced another strike for our rearranged date!
Luckily it was staff not drivers striking and so we decided we would go ahead, but with a warning for our attendees to check their journeys. Luckily, our guest author, Victoria Smith, was coming by car, so all was well.
I am running these retreats at The Rook which is owned by my friends Damian and Gemma. I met Damian around a decade ago when we did the Faber Academy How To Write A Novel course together, and our ambition was to create writing retreats that were cosy, intimate, and brought like-minded people together, and I can definitely say this one hit the mark!
Our guests started arriving around 11am, keen to make the most of Damian and Gemma’s beautiful home. Our first guest nabbed The Hide down in the woods and spent the rest of the morning snuggled up reading in there. The rest of the guests arrived and Gemma dashed back and forth collecting them all from the station, and once everyone was assembled we enjoyed lunch and got to know each other a little better.
It was such an incredible group of people – all women – but all so interesting, all with an interest in feminist literature and causes. Most had a work in progress, or at least an ambition to write something, three were academics, but all came with lots of ideas, opinions, thoughts that we shared over the two days. The conversation, whenever we sat down together, was always fascinating and stimulating.
The food was incredible, all vegan – cue me saying, ‘what even THIS is vegan?!’ to almost everything that was served up – but every single meal was delicious and had many compliments from our guests.
Victoria arrived around mid-afternoon, very generously sharing her birthday with us, but also keen to spend the time with our guests talking about the burning issues of the day.
She and I sat down here late afternoon to discuss HAGS and other feminist issues, and guests sat around and asked questions.
In fact, all of our chats could have gone on for hours so it was up to Damian and myself to try and stick to our schedule so everyone had writing time and their one-to-ones with me about the projects they were working on, or to answer any questions where they were stuck in their writing.
Victoria did a really lovely writing workshop that we all participated in (except Damian who was readying our dinner!), and it was really interesting, throwing up lots of questions and answers that we could apply to our current projects.
Next, dinner was served, again a beautiful meal that we ate as the sun set over the Wildbrooks nature reserve that Damian and Gemma’s house overlooks.
Each guest was asked to bring a favourite essay, poem or piece of feminist literature/polemic, and so after dinner we shared these which again gave us so many topics to talk about. In fact, by 11.30pm I had to call it a night because we were due to get up at 7.30 the next morning for our literary trail.
The walk the following morning was just beautiful, and luckily we’d all had time for a coffee before we left. In a spot where DH Lawrence was known to walk, Damian paused to read us one of his letters on the subject of his friend’s views on women, then I read a poem by Alice Meynell who lived in the area and was the landlady of the house DH Lawrence rented.
Then it was back to the house for a delicious breakfast and book club with Victoria Smith who talked through this brilliant selection of books that she had curated for The Book Room.
Again I had to find a break in conversation to steer everyone towards their own writing time. We had a lovely quiet house while everyone scattered to read or write in various places. Damian has built some desks out in the woods with stunning views across the Wildbrooks so some people spent their writing time there. I was on hand throughout to answer questions and did a couple more one-to-ones discussing people’s works in progress.
And then we met up again for another glorious lunch.
It was just perfect, everyone left with smiling faces, promising to keep in touch with each other and inspired to return home and get on with their writing.
Our next retreat is in less than two weeks, and we still have some spots left. This one will be with three-times Sunday Times Bestseller, Jennifer Saint. Author of ARIADNE, ELEKTRA and ATALANTA, her latest which was number one in the charts only a matter of weeks ago.
Even if Greek myths aren’t particularly your bag, I can promise you that it will be another brilliant and stimulating retreat. Jenny is a classics research scholar, so I’m so looking forward to chatting with her about Greek myth and her writing process in general, she has the most inspiring journey to publication which you can read here.
If any subscribers would like to join us, I’m offering an exclusive FIFTEEN PERCENT OFF, but hurry as spaces are limited and we like to keep it cosy so everyone gets time with our authors – and of course one-to-ones with me.
Click here if you would like to know more, and feel free to contact me with any questions.
We also have retreats coming up with Costa prize-winning author Monique Roffey who wrote THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH (I did a writing course with her a few years ago and she is an incredible teacher) and thriller writer SJ Watson, whose debut BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP was made into a Hollywood blockbuster staring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth.
Two more writing retreats you won’t want to miss out on – I hope to see some of you there!
Really enjoyed reading about this and am sure your next retreat will be equally as successful.