TYˆ NEWYDD COURSES 2018
Contact Us Tŷ Newydd, Llanystumdwy, Cricieth, Gwynedd, LL52 0LW 01766 522811 tynewydd@literaturewales.org Twitter: @Ty_Newydd / @LitWales Facebook: /CanolfanTyNewydd For further information about Tŷ Newydd and our 2018 courses, including FAQs, our blog, information about the house and its history and testimonials from past participants, please visit: www.tynewydd.wales
Photography Credits: Richard Outram, Keith Morris, Dafydd Owen and Emyr Young Tŷ Newydd is part of Literature Wales, the national company for the development of literature in Wales: www.literaturewales.org Cover Illustration by Pete Fowler: www.petefowlershop.com Programme designed by Hoffi: www.hoffi.com
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Tŷ Newydd Set in a beautiful part of the world overlooking Cardigan Bay and in the shadow of Snowdonia, our iconic white house becomes a temporary home for hundreds of visitors each year. It is recognised as being the final home of former Prime Minister David Lloyd George, re-styled for him by legendary Portmeirion architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in the 1940s. Now in our 28th year, Tŷ Newydd is better known as being Wales’ house for writers. Many great authors started their writing journeys here at the centre, and we take pride in exhibiting past participants’ publications in our library, and inviting them back as tutors and guest readers. Every week we welcome a new group to the centre: a school or university looking to hone their creative writing skills for an exam; a group of strangers brought together by their passion for a particular genre; or writers who come seeking a quiet retreat to concentrate on their work-in-progress. Our aims are simple: to help writers develop their skills; to bring poets and authors together to learn from each other; and to give our visitors enjoyable and even life-changing experiences. Our staff take pride in their work, and are always available to advise writers and to offer support and guidance on their writing careers and aspirations. We look forward to welcoming you to Tŷ Newydd, the centre by the sea – the perfect place to start your story.
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Our Courses Every course at Tŷ Newydd is unique. Whether it’s your first or tenth visit, brand new experiences await you each time. What stays the same however is the centre’s welcoming and informal atmosphere – the house becomes your home as soon as you walk through the door. For the majority of courses you’ll share the space with up to 16 other writers. You’ll enjoy group workshops, readings, and one-to-one mentoring sessions, but there’s always time for your own writing, for walking and exploring the beautiful local area too. Our tutors are carefully selected. They are professional writers and tutors who will ensure that you’ll leave Tŷ Newydd with the toolkit and mindset you need to continue developing as a writer. If you’re unsure about which course is suitable for you, please give us a call. Likewise, if you fancy trying a new genre, please get in touch or perhaps try one of our shorter weekend courses to give you a taste of what we can offer. E English language course B Bilingual course To view Welsh language courses, please tilt and turn the programme to read the programme in Welsh. Bilingual courses will be tutored through the medium of English; however a Welsh-language tutor could discuss your work in Welsh should you wish to do so.
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Practicalities Courses are open to all over the age of 16 and no qualifications are necessary. We welcome everyone, from curious beginners to widely published authors looking to develop a certain aspect of their craft. You are asked to arrive between 3.00 pm and 5.00 pm in time for the introductory dinner at 6.30 pm (unless otherwise stated) on the first evening of the course. Those with special dietary requirements are catered for—please let us know your requirements in advance. You will help yourselves to breakfast and a freshly-made buffet lunch, and take turns helping to prepare the evening meals should you wish. We ask you to bring your own writing materials. Wi-Fi is available throughout the centre, and printing and photocopying services are also available. A lift in the house gives full access to all main rooms, except the kitchen, for those with impaired mobility. We also have an en-suite bedroom adapted for wheelchair users. Bed-linen and one towel will be provided; bring your own toiletries. We recognise the limitations of some of our guest rooms. As this is a Grade II* listed building, we’re constantly reviewing the best options to improve facilities and accommodation while respecting its legacy, architectural merit and history. Visit our website for FAQs.
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How to Book
Financial Assistance
1. Online You can enrol on a course on our website, where you’ll also find more detailed information about the courses and tutors: www.tynewydd.wales
It is the aim of Literature Wales to enable everybody who would benefit from a course at Tŷ Newydd to do so, regardless of income or level of experience. Therefore, course fees may be paid in instalments over a maximum of 12 months, except for the non-refundable deposit (£100 payable upon booking).
2. Contact Tŷ Newydd Contact the Tŷ Newydd office to speak to a member of staff and to enrol: tynewydd@literaturewales.org 01766 522811 We ask that you provide a deposit of £100 when you book to secure your place on the course. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferrable once the booking is confirmed. The balance is due six weeks before the start of the course. If you cancel after this date, the balance will only be returned if your place is filled on the course. It may be advisable to arrange your own insurance to cover this eventuality. Literature Wales reserves the right to cancel up to two weeks before the start of the course. In these circumstances, a full refund will be made. Please book early to help us avoid the risk of cancelling courses. Literature Wales reserves the right to make changes to the programme.
We also have bursaries available for individuals who may need further financial assistance, though funds are very limited. We cannot always guarantee the offer of financial assistance. In order for us to assess needs and be fair to all, it is essential to indicate a request for assistance when booking a course. Bursary requests cannot be considered after a booking has been made. For further details, please contact Tŷ Newydd.
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Bring your own Group Schools Tŷ Newydd arranges residential and day-long creative writing courses for schools and universities. We work with teachers to create bespoke courses, with a choice of genres, content and tutors, to suit the group’s creative aspirations. We can help with exam or set text revision for GCSE, A Level and University courses. Private Hire Tŷ Newydd is an ideal venue for family parties, large group holidays, weddings or small conferences. It is a house of great character and has recently been refurbished with up-to-date facilities. The site can sleep up to 30, and has large communal areas including a kitchen, library and dining room. Business Use If you are interested in arranging a corporate course or awayday for your business, company or group, Tŷ Newydd might be the perfect venue. We offer venue hire, residential and day sessions with creative writing tutors at reasonable rates. Contact us for more information: tynewydd@literaturewales.org / 01766 522811
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2018 Courses 7
Creative Writing for Welsh Learners Friday 16 – Sunday 18 March
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Tutors: Bethan Gwanas & Eilir Jones Fee: £220 (shared room) / £295 (single room) This is a course for Intermediate Level Welsh Learners who want to develop their craft in creative writing, including poems, short stories, scripts and more. Everyone will practice their Welsh on this course, however writing will be the main focus of the weekend. There will be a chance to work in groups and individually, and we’ll take short walks and engage in writing challenges to find inspiration. Bethan Gwanas has authored more than 30 books, is an experienced tutor of Welsh and creative writing, and an occasional TV presenter. She’s the creator of Blodwen Jones, a character in three novels for learners. She’s working on a Blodwen Jones musical which will tour the theatres of Wales in the future.
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Eilir Jones has over twenty years’ experience in writing for radio, TV and theatre. He’s known for creating popular Welsh comedy, including the characters Ffarmwr Ffowc and PC Leslie Wynne. For five years he’s been teaching Welsh in the community for Coleg Cambria and Bangor University.
Writing about Climate Change Friday 23 – Sunday 25 March
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Tutors: Emily Hinshelwood & David Thorpe Fee: £220 (shared room) / £295 (single room) On this short course, we’ll experiment with a variety of different approaches to writing about climate change. We’ll investigate ways of tapping into our emotional reactions, of using research, imagining possible scenarios, and generating meaningful stories. How do we expose and write about that often hidden connection between our profligate use of fossil fuels and the loss of habitat, life and lifestyle that many in the world are already experiencing? Whether you are a poet, a fiction writer or prefer factual writing we’ll discuss the many facets of climate change and the ways in which its impact is felt both by participants on this course and people throughout the world. Emily Hinshelwood is a poet, playwright and tutor. She has edited two climate-changethemed poetry anthologies, and produced plays responding to the theme. She has been poet-in-residence at many climate change conferences across the world, and co-founded the largest windfarm co-operative in Wales. She has been running arts and climate change events and workshops for many years.
David Thorpe is the author of the YA climate change novel, Stormteller, and has contributed to the climatechange-themed anthology Realistic Utopias. He has written and edited Marvel comics, sci-fi novels, TV and film scripts, and many articles on sustainable living. He is a founder and patron of The One Planet Council and The London Screenwriters Workshop. 9
Songs and Lyric Writing Monday 9 – Saturday 14 April
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Tutors: Stewart Henderson & Willy Russell Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) Whether you intend to write songs aimed at the charts, to be sung at an open mic night, or to feature in a full-scale musical, this course has something for you. As this is a practical course there will be an element of very basic performance. Suitable for both wordsmiths and tunesmiths the course will offer the opportunity to work individually, collaboratively and collectively in the creation of new songs and lyrics every day. If you do play an instrument and it’s practicable to bring it along then please do so. Stewart Henderson is a poet, lyricist and broadcaster. Through his 20-year partnership with BBC Music Award winner, Martyn Joseph, Q and Mojo magazines have placed their material in the same league as Randy Newman and Radiohead. On BBC Radio 2, Bob Harris praised the “outstanding lyrical intelligence” of the songs.
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Willy Russell is one of the UK’s leading dramatists, and his most celebrated productions include Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine and Blood Brothers. He is also a successful composer and lyricist, and along with the score for his musical Blood Brothers, he has composed for concert, film and TV.
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Spring Poetry Masterclass Monday 16 – Saturday 21 April
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Tutors: Gillian Clarke & Carol Ann Duffy Guest: Paul Henry Fee: £495 (shared room) £625 (single room) Closing date for applications: Friday 16 February 2018 This is a unique opportunity for committed poets to move their writing up a gear. The focus will be on group workshops to prompt the creation of new poems, and small group meetings for mutual support and discussion of work in progress. There will also be plenty of individual writing time and extra group workshops in the afternoons. Participants will edit and contribute to an anthology, which will be read in a celebratory event on Friday evening. Gillian Clarke was the National Poet of Wales between 2008 and 2016. In 2010, she was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, and the Wilfred Owen Poetry Award in 2012. Her newest collection, Zoology, was published in 2017. Carol Ann Duffy was appointed Poet Laureate in 2009. Her poetry has received many awards, including the
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Whitbread, Forward and T S Eliot Prizes. In 2011, her collection The Bees won the Costa Poetry Award, and in 2012 she won the PEN Pinter Prize. Paul Henry is the author of nine books of verse. Originally a songwriter, he has read and performed his work at literary festivals in Europe, Asia and the USA. Writers will be selected for this Masterclass based on a sample of their work. Please visit www.tynewydd.wales for details on how to apply, or contact us.
Storytelling from the Start Friday 11 – Sunday 13 May
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Tutors: Hugh Lupton & Daniel Morden Fee: £220 (shared room) / £295 (single room) The folktales, fairy tales and myths of our ancestors are the building blocks for every story that has been told since, and in many ways, for our identities and our understanding of the world and one another. This storytelling course gives beginners – or those returning to the craft – the opportunity to learn how to prepare and perform traditional stories in the company of two of Britain’s leading practitioners of the art form. Hugh Lupton has been a central figure in the British storytelling revival for 30 years. Storytelling is in his blood – he’s the great-nephew of Arthur Ransome. Hugh tells myths, legends and folktales from many cultures but his particular passion is for the hidden layers of the British landscape and the stories and ballads that give them voice.
Daniel Morden has been a professional storyteller since 1989. He has twice won the Welsh Books Council’s Tir na n-Og Award for his retellings of traditional tales. His collections of stories have focused on many areas of inspiration, from the folklore and mythology of his native Wales to the Roma and Gypsy oral storytelling tradition.
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May Retreat Monday 14 – Friday 18 May Fee: £300 - £450 (prices vary depending on your choice of room) Are you looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life; to find creative refuge—that perfect peaceful location where you can finish your writing or just read and reflect? Our retreats, set in the stunning surroundings of rural north Wales, offer the perfect creative escape. Find tranquillity on woodland walks or try local beers at the village inn. Take inspiration from the spectacular sea views over Cardigan Bay, share ideas over dinner or simply just sit back and relax in Tŷ Newydd’s cosy library. Everyone will have a room of their own, and homemade meals, made with local ingredients, will be prepared for you.
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Translating Literature: Poetry and Prose Friday 18 – Sunday 20 May
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Tutors: Menna Elfyn & Owen Martell Fee: £220 (shared room) / £295 (single room) “Translating is finding new friends with whom to engage in conversation” a famous poet said once. “A poem in translation is like kissing through a handkerchief” said R S Thomas. This course will discuss the various ways in which poetry and prose can be translated. Perhaps you’ve made a start, and want another opinion on your progress, or you might want to dip a toe in the water for the first time. On this course, you’ll have good company and kind guidance, in a place that always inspires creative writing. The tutors are fluent in Welsh, English, and French – but you may experiment in any language you wish – the technical guidance will be the same. Menna Elfyn is a poet and playwright. She has published 14 collections of poetry, the most recent of which is her bilingual collection, Bondo (Bloodaxe Books, 2017). Her work has been translated into 20 languages, and two translations into Arabic and Catalan are imminent. She is Professor of Creative Writing at University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.
Owen Martell is the author of three novels and a short story collection. His latest novel, Intermission, was one of the Irish Times’ books of the year in 2013 and was translated into French, German and Spanish. Owen is co-editor of O’r Pedwar Gwynt, a Welshlanguage literary magazine. He shares his time between Wales and Paris.
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Poetry at the Start Monday 28 May – Saturday 2 June
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Tutors: Maura Dooley & Jo Shapcott Guest Reader: David Foster-Morgan Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) Aimed at beginner poets – and those returning to the craft – this course will stimulate fresh work and encourage you to share it. Bring your notebooks and writing tools to explore the many ways poetry brings ideas, stories and emotions to life. The tutors will tailor the course to the individual needs of the participants, and will teach through group workshops and one-to-one tutorials. Come prepared to write, to be open to techniques and approaches old and new, and to have fun with language. Maura Dooley’s most recent collection of poetry is The Silvering (2016). Anthologies she has edited include The Honey Gatherers: A Book of Love Poems and How Novelists Work. She has twice been short-listed for the T S Eliot Award and twice for the Forward Single Poem Award. Jo Shapcott was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2011. Poems from her three award-winning collections are gathered in Her Book (2000). 16
She has won a number of literary prizes, and her most recent collection, Of Mutability (2010) won the Costa Book Award. David Foster-Morgan lives and works in the Cardiff area. His poetry has been published in Poetry Wales, The New Welsh Reader, Roundy House, Envoi, The Interpreter’s House and the TLS. His first collection Masculine Happiness was published by Seren Books in late 2015.
Emerging Writers: Writing, Editing and Publishing Prose Monday 4 – Saturday 9 June
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Tutors: Tristan Hughes, Tiffany Murray and Guests Fee: £325 (shared room) / £425 (single room) This course is aimed at young and emerging writers aged between 18-35. Through group workshops and one-to-one tutorials, we’ll look at a wide range of different elements to develop your prose writing skills throughout the week. Under the guidance of guest, and residential writers and facilitators we’ll look closer at the process of editing, publishing, performing and publicising your work. Whether you’re working on a novel, a short story collection, a work of non-fiction or just experimenting in prose, this course will help you along on your journey. In partnership with Parthian Books and Wales Arts Review. Fees for this course have been reduced to encourage participation.
Tristan Hughes is the author of four novels: Eye Lake, Revenant, Send My Cold Bones Home and Hummingbird, as well as a collection of short stories, The Tower. He is a winner of the Rhys Davies Short Story Prize and is currently a senior lecturer in creative writing at Cardiff University.
Tiffany Murray’s novels are Sugar Hall, Diamond Star Halo and Happy Accidents. She programs the Writers at Work programme at the Hay Festival and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Wales. She is currently working on a fourth novel, Ghost Moth, and is adapting Diamond Star Halo for the screen.
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Masterclass: Writing for Performance Monday 11 – Saturday 16 June
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Tutor: Kaite O’Reilly Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) This is a masterclass for experienced writers who are seeking guidance in shaping their work-in-progress, or who have an idea formulating, burning to get on the page. This intensive but enjoyable week is structured with daily practical workshops and exercises to find entry points for new writing, and skills-based tasks to develop technique and strengthen your work. This will include approaches to editing and revision, developing character, plot, dynamic, and the world of your play. We’ll explore the most effective dramatic structure for your script or best form for your performance writing, finding clarity about what you really want to say and how best dramaturgically to communicate it. An advance reading list will be provided for the participants. So that everyone may benefit from a high level of critical discussion and participation, writers will be selected for this course based on a sample of their work. Please visit www.tynewydd.wales for details on how to apply.
Kaite O’Reilly works internationally as a playwright, dramaturg, and tutor. She won The Ted Hughes Award for New Works in Poetry for her dramatic retelling of Persians, produced by National Theatre Wales. Her 18
work has been produced in 12 countries, most recently her Unlimited International Commission in Singapore 2017-18 and The 9 Fridas in Taipei and Hong Kong. Her critically acclaimed selected plays Atypical Plays for Atypical Actors, was published by Oberon in 2016.
Writing Radio Drama Monday 18 – Saturday 23 June
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Tutors: Paul Dodgson & Kate McAll Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) Radio drama is more popular than ever. During this course, you will learn how to capture the imagination of your audience; create living, breathing characters; invent authentic dialogue, and use sound in intriguing ways to tell your story. This is an opportunity to write a short radio drama from start to finish in a supportive environment, with help and advice from two current industry professionals. There will be a mixture of workshops, listening, and one-to-one tutorials, culminating in a performance of your work at the end of the week. Join the radio resurgence! Paul Dodgson is a writer, musician, radio producer and teacher with a lifelong love of radio drama. As a producer, he has made hundreds of programmes for BBC national radio networks, has written 16 plays for BBC Radio 4, and has written drama and documentary series for BBC television including episodes of Eastenders.
Kate McAll is a Sony Gold award-winning producer and director with thirty years’ experience of programme making, mainly for BBC Radio 4. Previously the head of the Radio Drama Department at BBC Wales, she now works freelance in the UK and US.
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Journeys with Haiku into Verse and Prose Friday 13 – Sunday 15 July
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Tutor: Philip Gross & Lynne Rees Fee: £220 (shared room) / £295 (single room) Haiku’s distillation of experience and startling depth of focus can capture the essence of a moment or a memory and provide egress into the more expansive spheres of free verse and prose. A guided walk and workshops will provide the inspiration for new writing as well as creative collaborations between participants, in prose and poetry, and perhaps some photography too.
Philip Gross has published twenty collections of poetry, including The Water Table which won the T S Eliot Prize 2009, and most recently A Bright Acoustic (2017). He is a keen collaborator with musicians, other writers and artists. A Fold In The River was published in 2015, a collaboration with visual artist Valerie Coffin Price.
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Lynne Rees is a poet, blogger and champion of the often misunderstood haiku. Her most recent books are Forgiving the Rain (2012), a memoir in prose and haiku, Real Port Talbot (2013), a psychogeographical account of her home-town, and The Hungry Writer (2015), life-stories, writing prompts and recipes.
Summer Retreat with Yoga Monday 16 – Friday 20 July
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Yoga Practitioner in Residence: Laura Karadog Fee: £300 - £450 (price varies depending on your choice of room) Our retreats, set in the stunning surroundings of rural north Wales, offer the perfect creative escape to work on your writing or just read and reflect. Find tranquillity on woodland walks or try local beers at the village inn. Take inspiration from the spectacular sea views over Cardigan Bay, share ideas over dinner or simply just sit back and relax in Tŷ Newydd’s cosy library. Everyone will have a room of their own, and homemade meals, made with local ingredients, will be prepared for you. On this retreat, a professional yoga teacher will be at the centre throughout the week running optional yoga sessions. The yoga will be suitable for all, and tailored to suit every individual’s needs. An optional personal yoga session will also be offered during the week to give you an opportunity to learn more about the benefits of yoga. Laura Karadog has been practicing yoga since her teenage years, and has been teaching it since 2005. She is registered at the 1,000 hour level with The Independent Yoga Network. Her teaching methods are changed to suit
the emotional and physical needs of every individual. Laura’s teachings are rooted in her practice, and her personal experiences of yoga.
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(Re)telling Traditional Narratives: Myth, Legend, Fairy Tale Friday 20 – Sunday 22 July
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Tutors: Dimitra Fimi & Catherine Fisher Fee: £220 (shared room) / £295 (single room) How do writers take traditional stories told and retold over many centuries, and fashion them into something new, exciting, and memorable? Join us to find out the many ways in which myths, legends and fairy tales from various traditions have inspired award-winning literature, and try your hand in shaping this versatile material into new fictional incarnations. The course offers a balanced menu of theory and practice, taught by an academic whose work focuses on authors who have integrated myth in their fiction, and a poet and novelist who has transformed material from legend and folklore into successful, best-selling novels. Dimitra Fimi is Senior Lecturer in English at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She is an expert on J.R.R. Tolkien and fantasy literature. Her latest book, Celtic Myth in Contemporary Children’s Fantasy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) focuses on the reshaping of Welsh and Irish mythological texts in contemporary fantasy novels for younger readers.
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Catherine Fisher is the author of many acclaimed novels for young adults, and four volumes of poetry. Her book, Incarceron was a New York Times bestseller, translated into over 20 languages. She is a past winner of the Cardiff International Poetry Competition and was the first Young People’s Laureate for Wales.
Writing Short Stories Monday 23 – Saturday 28 July
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Tutors: Tyler Keevil & Rachel Trezise Guest: A.L. Kennedy Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) The best short stories are ones that, once finished, linger long in the reader’s mind. How can you achieve that in just a few pages? Short stories offer the writer huge creative freedoms but also require discipline and precision. Less can mean more. Together we’ll explore the fundamentals of great story writing: finding ideas, plotting, narrative structure, three-dimensional characters, how to edit and how to end. For inspiration, we’ll look at the work of great short story writers of recent times. By the end of the week you’ll be writing stories that hook your readers from the opening line. Tyler Keevil’s short stories have appeared in a wide range of magazines and anthologies and he has received numerous awards for his work. He lectures in Creative Writing at Cardiff University, and his new novel, No Good Brother, will be published by The Borough Press in February 2018. Rachel Trezise is a novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her debut short fiction collection, Fresh Apples, won the inaugural
International Dylan Thomas Prize in 2006. Her second short fiction collection Cosmic Latte won the Edge Hill Readers’ Prize in 2014. She is currently working on a new collection. A.L. Kennedy is the author of 17 books. Her many awards include the 2007 Costa Book Award and the Austrian State Prize for International Literature. She is also a dramatist for the stage, radio, TV and film, and regularly reads her work on BBC radio. 23
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Summer Retreat Monday 6 – Saturday 11 August
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Writer in Residence: Julia Forster Fee: £350 - £495 (price varies depending on your choice of room) Are you looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life; to find creative refuge—that perfect peaceful location where you can finish your writing or just read and reflect? Our retreats, set in the stunning surroundings of rural north Wales, offer the perfect creative escape. Find tranquillity on woodland walks or try local beers at the village inn. Take inspiration from the spectacular sea views over Cardigan Bay, share ideas over dinner or simply just sit back and relax in Tŷ Newydd’s cosy library. Everyone will have a room of their own, and homemade meals, made with local ingredients, will be prepared for you. On this retreat, a writer in residence will be available for short one-to-one writing surgeries to look at your work. A few workshops will also be available should you wish. Julia Forster is the author of two books – a non-fiction book called Muses: Revealing the Nature of Inspiration and a coming-of-age novel set in 1988, What a Way to Go (Atlantic Books). Julia has worked in publishing
for twenty years and she currently works freelance in PR for independent publishers, volunteers for Wales PEN Cymru as well as running career workshops for authors.
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Crime Fiction: A Twist in the Tale Monday 13 – Saturday 18 August
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Tutors: Belinda Bauer & Jasper Fforde Guest Reader: TBC Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) This course is designed for those who would like to write bestselling crime fiction – with a twist. Whether you’re writing your first novel, are switching from another genre, or have only dreamed of being a published author, we hope you’ll enjoy this down-to-earth, fun, and practical course. In workshops and oneto-one mentoring sessions, we’ll be sharing our tried and tested methods of creating character, plot and tension, while helping you to avoid some common pitfalls. We’ll also offer an insight into what will mark your work out as fresh and original in an overcrowded market. Belinda Bauer was awarded the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year for her debut novel, Blacklands, and won the CWA Dagger in the Library for her body of work in 2013. Her fourth novel Rubbernecker was voted 2014 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.
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Jasper Fforde spent twenty years in film before debuting on the New York Times Bestseller list with The Eyre Affair in 2001. Since then he has written another thirteen novels in the comedy-fantasy genre, several of them bestsellers. His latest, and first stand-alone novel is Early Riser.
Poetry: Writing about Life Monday 20 – Saturday 25 August
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Tutors: Sophie McKeand & Lemn Sissay Guest Reader: Zoë Skoulding Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) How can we create authentic, meaningful poetry in response to the ever-changing world around us? Spend a week immersed in the Welsh landscape figuring it out. We’ll swim in the sea (optional!), walk the landscape, gaze at the sunset and put the world to rights while shaping and cajoling our thoughts onto the page with various writing prompts, discussions and ideas. We’ll look at how to communicate and project our voice by performing our poems, and by exploring new means of reaching audiences. The week will include group workshops, readings by the tutors and a guest reader, and one-to-one tutorials. Sophie McKeand is an awardwinning poet, TEDx speaker, and the current Young People’s Laureate Wales. She was listed as one of 30 people ‘shaping the Welsh agenda’ over the next 30 years by the Institute for Welsh Affairs. Her poetry collection Rebel Sun was published in 2017 by Parthian Books.
Lemn Sissay is a poet, and an associate artist at Southbank Centre, patron of The Letterbox Club and The Reader Organisation, ambassador for The Children’s Reading Fund, trustee of Forward Arts Foundation and inaugural trustee of World Book Night and an Honorary Doctor of Letters.
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Life Writing: Travel and Memoir Monday 27 August – Saturday 1 September Tutors: John Harrison & Katharine Norbury Guest: Dan Boothby Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) “Not a foot steps into the snow, or along the ground, but prints in characters more or less lasting, a map of its march.” It is 167 years since Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote those words. Yet in a world that we can now traverse in the click of a mouse, the abiding allure of travel writing, writing about the natural world, and memoir inspired by place is stronger than ever. Through discussions, workshops and tutorials we’ll turn our vision outward, as we explore the process of transforming our own journeys and encounters from lived experience into abiding story. John Harrison is an awardwinning travel, history and fiction writer and an experienced lecturer who made his fiftieth trip to Antarctica at the end of 2014. His Cloud Road was the 2011 Wales Book of the Year and Forgotten Footprints won the British Guild of Travel Writers best narrative guide book award of 2014. Katharine Norbury trained as a film editor with the BBC and has worked extensively 28
in film and television drama. She was The Observer’s rising star in non-fiction, 2015. The Fish Ladder is her first book, shortlisted for the 2016 Wainwright Prize, long listed for the Guardian First Book Award and a Telegraph Book of the Year. Dan Boothby grew up in a commune in Norfolk. After studying Arabic, he travelled extensively and sailed over 40,000 miles. Island of Dreams was published in 2015 by Picador.
Playwriting and Theatricality Monday 3 – Saturday 8 September
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Tutors: Hamish Pirie & Tim Price Guest: Catherine Paskell Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) This course will explore the dramatic form for writing for theatre. Participants are encouraged to bring along an idea or a skeleton of an unfinished play. Under the supervision of the tutors, we will explore different ways of unlocking your stories through formal choices and innovations in story-design. The course will look at the best work of contemporary playwrights, and identify how and why they have used devices to dramatize their stories. Through a series of workshops and exercises, tutors will introduce dramatic tools to develop dramatic craft. In partnership with Dirty Protest, who will be present throughout the course.
Hamish Pirie is a new writing theatre director. He has worked in venues of all scale from the Edinburgh Fringe to international festivals and the West End. He mainly works at subsidised new writing houses such as the Traverse Theatre and Royal Court Theatre. Tim Price is a playwright, screenwriter and lecturer. He was nominated for a BAFTA and an Olivier Award, and won the inaugural James Tait Black Prize for his play
The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning in 2013. His plays have been produced by the Royal National Theatre, National Theatre Wales, The Royal Court and more. Catherine Paskell is Artistic Director of Dirty Protest and an independent performance director from Cardiff. She was a founding member of National Theatre Wales and a Creative Associate between 2009 - 2011. 29
Invisible Zoos: Poetry and Nature Monday 10 – Saturday 15 September
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Tutors: David Morley & Pascale Petit Guest Reader: Jane Draycott Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) “My concern has been to capture not animals particularly and not poems, but simply things which have a vivid life of their own...” – Ted Hughes. We’ll track and capture our poems as though they were creatures which have a life of their own. Tutors will bring field equipment, microscopes, binoculars, birdsong, bat detectors and field-guides to sound out the teeming Tŷ Newydd gardens, and nearby river and sea. Bring a passion for nature, poetry and the outdoors. By the end of the week you will have created a poetic open zoo, written during fieldwork, workshops, individual tuition, and with the aid of inspiring wildlife poems. David Morley won the Ted Hughes Award for New Poetry for The Invisible Gift: Selected Poems and a Cholmondeley Award for his contribution to poetry. His Carcanet collections include The Magic of What’s There, The Gypsy and the Poet, Enchantment and The Invisible Kings. David trained as an ecologist.
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Pascale Petit’s seventh collection, Mama Amazonica (Bloodaxe, 2017), was a Poetry Book Society Choice and draws on her travels in the Amazon rainforest. Her sixth collection, Fauverie, was her fourth to be shortlisted for the T S Eliot Prize and five poems from it won the Manchester Poetry Prize. In 2015, she received a Cholmondeley Award.
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Writing a Novel Monday 24 – Friday 28 September
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Tutors: Alys Conran & Louis de Bernières Fee: £395 (shared room) / £495 (single room) Writing a novel is an incredible journey, but it can also feel intimidating. Whether you’re at the beginning of a project or are deep into your story, this course will give you support and inspiration on your way. We’ll get deeply involved with our characters, exploring what makes a great character seem to live and breathe. We’ll consider how to write great dialogue, what makes it scintillating, and what can make it dull, and we’ll explore ways of honing description so that your writing really springs to life. Alys Conran’s first novel Pigeon (Parthian Books, 2016), was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize, it was the first novel to be published simultaneously in English and Welsh. She has read her work at the Hay Festival, at the Edinburgh Book Festival and on BBC Radio 4. She is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at The University of Bangor.
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Louis de Bernières published his first novel in 1990 and was selected by Granta magazine as one of the twenty Best of Young British Novelists in 1993. Since then he has become well known internationally as a writer, with Captain Corelli’s Mandolin winning the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Novel in 1994.
Writing for Children Monday 1 – Saturday 6 October
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Tutors: Malachy Doyle & Eloise Williams Guest Reader: Huw Aaron Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) On this course exploring writing for children, we’ll look at the world through our young readers’ eyes. How can our stories capture their attention and curiosity? Whatever age you want to write for, from pre-school to teenagers, the tutors will share some tricks of the trade and provide helpful feedback on your work. With a mix of writing exercises and one-to-one tutorials, we’ll help you generate ideas, develop characters, and work on plot, setting, tone and finding your own distinctive storytelling voice. In partnership with Firefly Press
Malachy Doyle has written over a hundred books, from picture books to teenage novels. His books have won the Nestle Smarties Prize, the Tir na n-Og Award and the English Association Award. Malachy has published two books with Firefly Press, the latest is Fug and the Thumps (2018). Eloise Williams writes for children and middle grade. Her debut novel Elen’s Island (2015) and her historical
thriller Gaslight (2017) are both published by Firefly Press. Her third novel, a salty, windswept ghost story is due for publication in 2018 to coincide with Wales’ Year of the Sea. Huw Aaron is a cartoonist and illustrator, whose work has appeared in Private Eye, The Spectator and Reader’s Digest. He has illustrated and authored books for Penguin, Oxford University Press, Gomer, Firefly and Y Lolfa. 33
Poetry and Songwriting Friday 12 – Sunday 14 October
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Tutors: Brian Biggs & Paul Henry Fee: £220 (shared room) / £295 (single room) Exploring the borders between poem and song lyric, this course will appeal both to poets and songwriters. It also welcomes those new to writing and simply curious to test their talent in these areas. We’ll look at what poetry and songwriting can learn from each other, including the influences of melody and rhythm. We’ll also share different approaches to writing songs, turning poems into song lyrics and vice versa. Whether you’re a poet seeking to refine the lyricism of your voice, or a songwriter keen to extend the range of your lyrics, here is an opportunity to break new ground within a friendly, supportive atmosphere. And if you play an instrument, bring it along! Brian Briggs is a singersongwriter for Stornoway band. He’s written three acclaimed albums and three EPs, and performed worldwide including appearances on Later… With Jools Holland and the main stages of Glastonbury, Latitude and Isle of Wight festivals.
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Paul Henry came to poetry through songwriting. A performance version of his 2018 collection, The Glass Aisle (Seren Books), including songs co-written with Brian Briggs, toured UK festivals in 2017. A Writing Fellow at the University of South Wales, he has presented programmes for BBC Radio Wales, Radio 3 and Radio 4.
Writing Popular Fiction Monday 15 – Friday 19 October
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Tutors: Janet Gover & Alison May Guest Reader: Jo Thomas Fee: £395 (shared room) / £495 (single room) Developing a novel from idea to completed manuscript is no mean feat, and it can be a very solitary process. This course will explore the building blocks of your novel looking at plot, character, setting and point of view, helping you develop the skills to complete and polish a manuscript to a publishable standard. The course is suitable for writers across any genre, whether you are just beginning to pursue your writing goals, or already have a manuscript nearing completion. There’ll be a mixture of group sessions, discussions, one-to-one tutorials and lots of time to write. Janet Gover is a television journalist turned novelist and creative writing teacher, who writes women’s fiction, romance and short stories. Her nine published novels have won, or been shortlisted for a dozen awards in the UK, US and Australia, including winning the Epic Romantic Novel Award in 2017. Alison May is a novelist and short story writer. She has published five romantic comedies, and has two commercial women’s fiction novels coming out in 2018.
Alison has been shortlisted in the Romantic Novel Awards and Love Stories Awards. She’s also a qualified teacher and current Vice-Chair of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer for BBC radio. Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was an e-book bestseller and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best E-book Award. 35
Writing Historical Fiction Friday 19 – Sunday 21 October
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Tutors: Phil Carradice & Louise Walsh Fee: £220 (shared room) / £295 (single room) This is a short course that will guide and enable you to create fictional stories about real life people and events. Whether you want to put together a collection of short stories, a novel, a series of memories or a group of poems, the past could be your inspiration and the place to start. The course will include group tutorials, talks, individual writing, feedback and opportunities to share your work. Over the weekend you will start your writing, and leave with a captivating beginning and plenty of ideas for future writing. Phil Carradice is a poet, novelist, historian and broadcaster with over 60 books to his credit. His most recent works are the novel Stargazers and the history book The Cuban Crisis: Thirteen Days on a Nuclear Knife Edge. A renowned creative writing tutor, he also presents the BBC Radio Wales history programme The Past Master.
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Louise Walsh is from Cardiff and is the author of two novels. Fighting Pretty (2008, Seren Books) is about a female amateur boxer, and Black River (2016, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch), inspired by the Leveson Inquiry, focusing on the press intrusion following the 1966 Aberfan disaster. Louise is currently writing a novel set in Wales in the 1980s.
Storytelling Retreat: Spell on the Tongue Monday 22 – Saturday 27 October
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Tutors: Hugh Lupton & Eric Maddern Guest Reader: TBC Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) Poetry, prophecy, prayer, invocation, preaching, storytelling, song…the uttered word has the power to enchant, to cast a spell over its listeners. In this week of experiment and exploration the tutors will examine various kinds and qualities of ‘heightened speech’. Participants will be actively engaged in uttering their own words, the words of bards and poets, and the words of the anonymous creators of traditional myths, tales and ballads. There will be spells, curses, incantations and charms. There will be praise-songs and satires, and the course will involve several excursions into the landscapes of Gwynedd. Hugh Lupton has been a central figure in the British storytelling revival for 30 years. Storytelling is in his blood – he’s the great-nephew of Arthur Ransome. Hugh tells myths, legends and folktales from many cultures. His second novel The Assembly of the Severed Head, which is about the moment the Mabinogi was set down on the page, will be published in 2018.
Eric Maddern is the creator of Cae Mabon, a unique ecoretreat centre in the foothills of Snowdonia. His travels around the world inspired him to become a storyteller with a special interest in unearthing the old stories of Britain. He has written a dozen children’s picture books and in 2015 published Snowdonia Folktales. He is currently working on a memoir.
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E Autumn Poetry Masterclass Monday 29 October – Saturday 3 November
Tutors: Gillian Clarke & Robert Minhinnick Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) Closing date for applications: Friday 31 August 2018 This is a unique opportunity for committed poets to move their writing up a gear. The focus will be on group workshops to prompt the creation of new poems, and small group meetings for mutual support and discussion of work in progress. There will also be plenty of individual writing time and extra group workshops in the afternoons. During the week, the tutors and a visiting poet will give readings of their work. Participants will edit and contribute to an anthology, which will be read in a celebratory event on Friday evening. Gillian Clarke was the National Poet of Wales between 2008 and 2016. In 2010, she was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, and the Wilfred Owen Poetry Award in 2012. Her Selected Poems was published by Picador in 2016 and her newest collection, Zoology, was published in 2017.
Essayist, poet and writer Robert Minhinnick has twice won Wales Book of the Year and twice the Forward Prize for best individual poem. His latest poetry is found in his collection, Diary of the Last Man (Carcanet, 2017). His debut novel, Sea Holly, was published in 2007, and shortlisted for the 2008 Ondaatje Prize.
So that everyone may benefit from a high level of critical discussion and participation, writers will be selected for this course based on a sample of their work. Please visit www.tynewydd.wales for details on how to apply.
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Writing for YA Monday 5 – Saturday 10 November
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Tutors: Melvin Burgess & Lucy Christopher Guest Reader: Kiran Millwood Hargrave Fee: £495 (shared room) / £625 (single room) Writing for teenagers has grown from small beginnings into one of the most exciting areas of writing today. Adolescence lies right at the beginnings of adult life, and experiences then shape who we are to become. We aim to help you understand and develop the principles of YA fiction – the need for strong stories, a strong sense of place and believable characters with an authentic voice is paramount. There is also plenty of scope for experimentation – YA is still growing into itself. We’ll be looking at how story works, its relationship with setting and character and many other aspects of writing full length pieces for this age group. Over 25 years Melvin Burgess has built up an international reputation for writing hardhitting books for teenagers. His seminal YA novel, Junk, won the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award in 1996, and was voted one of the top ten Carnegie winners of all time. Lucy Christopher is the bestselling and international award-winning author of Stolen, Flyaway, The Killing Woods and Storm-Wake. She
is Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, where she has a PhD in Creative Writing. Lucy is cowriting the screen adaptation of Stolen, and working on her fifth novel. Kiran Millwood Hargrave is a poet, playwright, and author of three books for children including The Girl of Ink & Stars, her debut, which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017, and was Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2017. 39