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Festival of Writing at Foxes’ Retreat (12th to 19th August 2022)

Event details

Foxes’ Retreat Festival of Writing 2021

13th to 20th August 2021!

There will be residential and daily attendance options, to allow for our more distant writers to stay over, and for local writers to pop in each day. We are anticipating no more than 30 people on site at any one time, including the Foxes and outside workshop leaders, as we are looking for to support a group of writers who will work together over the week and develop lasting connections with and through their writing.

The Hayloft will be available for residential guests, and the top paddock for camping, should anyone want to take that option – the full catering will be available for everyone, regardless of whether they stay over with us or not!

2021 Programme below for a guide only – details will be confirmed early in 2022!

7-8am each morning

OPTIONAL river swimming, a ten minute walk from Foxes’ Retreat – we have had requests for this!

8 til 9am each morning,

OPTIONAL yoga session led by Molly Gould – everyone welcome, whatever your level – friendly and adaptable session for all levels.

Arrive Friday afternoon, to a Foxes’ Retreat cake platter and tea, followed by a local walk before supper together to get to know each other. We will have an evening Micro and Flash Fiction Workshop to kick off the week’s writing together.

Saturday: Playscripts Workshop by James McDermott, playwright and poet, followed by Dialogue and ConnectionsWorkshop (Myszka),

Sunday: How to use Journaling effectively for Wellbeing AND for Creative Writing Development (Myszka), followed by Writing Our Lives (Myszka)

Monday: Creative non-fiction (morning) and Editing: What’s it all about? (afternoon) by Julia Thorley (author of A Sparge Bag on the Washing Line and Tasting Strangers)

Tuesday: The Theory of Creative Writing Exposed and Explored (Myszka), followed by Literature and Real-Life as Inspiration

Wednesday: Poetry Workshop with Staffordshire’s Poet Laureate, Mel Wardle Woodend and Linguistics Workshop (Myszka)

Thursday: This is the chillout day. Myszka will be on hand to talk about the writing we have explored with her Coaching for Writing insights. Alongside this, you will be able to indulge in some complimentary self care with a choice from these treatments, all offered here at Foxes’ Retreat:

There will be Julie, from The Reiki Room offering complimentary reiki treatments, and Hayley from Muscles Movement Motion offering complimentary deep tissue massages for those tight writers’ shoulders and neck areas. (These will be bookable on your booking being received for the Festival of Writing, as places will be limited simply due to the hours in the day for these two fabulous practitioners!)

There will also be Treasure Hunt (on foot or by car options available) to set about exploring the local area with writing prompts along the way, This will all be followed by our final dinner together and a fun-packed evening of Story-telling and a practical workshop led by Maria Credali, around our fireglobe, followed by an (optional) cacao ceremony and drumming circle in the gardens.

Friday: Local walk, on the flat, across Okeover Park to see the setting of Tilly’s Story, followed by Resolution Setting in our writing as a group, then a final lunch together before heading home full of ideas!

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