By Rama Gaind.
Join internationally acclaimed and best-selling author Dr Kate Forsyth for a week’s writing retreat in June to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
How right was theologian and philosopher Augustine of Hippo when he said: “the world is a book, and those who don’t travel only read one page”.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, Better Read Literary Tours is one educational company that provides travellers with a program of ‘thoughtfully’ curated, fully escorted tours to the world’s most fascinating literary destinations.
One of them is joining internationally acclaimed best-selling author Dr Kate Forsyth in June this year for a week’s writing retreat in Stratford-upon-Avon, the 16th-century birthplace of William Shakespeare.
Walk the streets where Shakespeare once trod, and read the curse he cast on anyone who disturbed his grave. Discover Oxford, ‘the city of dreaming spires’, and have a restorative ale in the pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien first shared their enchanted worlds.
Wander through some of England’s most beautiful gardens, and be inspired by the romantic setting of castles and yew mazes, mysterious circles of standing stones and haunted manor halls.
Spend your mornings talking, listening, laughing and playing with words with Kate and your fellow students. Spend your afternoons exploring the glorious countryside of Oxford and the Cotswolds, a landscape that has inspired some of the world’s most beloved authors.
Better Read Literary Tours offer a program of thoughtfully curated, fully-escorted tours to the world’s most fascinating literary destinations.
You will stay in the picturesque 17th century Shakespeare Hotel, situated in the heart of the medieval market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. It’s a short stroll from many of the town’s most famous sights, such as Shakespeare’s birthplace, Holy Trinity Church where his body rests, the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre, and the River Avon.
With more than 800 years of history, Stratford-upon-Avon also has all the shops, pubs, restaurants and modern conveniences you could hope for, without losing any of its period charm. You can walk along the river or sit and watch the swans glide by. Visit the butterfly farm or take a ghost tour. See a play performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company or drift over the Cotswolds in a hot air balloon.
There’s something truly magical about retracing the steps of some of the world’s most brilliant authors.
Retreat for writers
The first of the writing retreats in the Cotswolds will be held from 16-23 June. It will be a literary experience you’ll never forget!
The literary retreat in June to Stratford-upon-Avon is for writers at any stage of their careers.
Celebrate midsummer in the UK! Be a part of the Cotswolds’ traditional summer solstice celebrations, with bonfires, street performers, morris dancers and dawn rituals at ancient stone circles.
Other midsummer events in the UK include the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts in late May, and the Bedfordshire Medieval Fayre, the Stour Music Festival in Kent, the Royal Ascot Race Meeting and the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship in June.
This retreat is for writers at any stage of their careers, from those who have always wanted to write but never found the time, to those who are deeply immersed in a creative project and want to find the way to boost it to the next level.
This package costs $7,435 and includes:
- Single accommodation at the Shakespeare Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Daily breakfast
- Seven writing workshops with Kate Forsyth
- Services of a tour manager
- Selected reading extracts during the workshop
- Newsletters sent out by Kate Forsyth prior to program commencing
- Four historical and mystery tours with meals provided, with experienced Blue Badge guide Roger Bailey and Kate Forsyth
- Welcome dinner and farewell dinner
- Transfer from Shakespeare Hotel to Oxford Railway Station on day of group departure
What you’ll learn
For those who have always wanted to write but never found the time, to those who are deeply immersed in a creative project and want to find the way to boost it to the next level, then this June writing retreat to the UK is for you.
You will discover your muse in this week-long inspirational retreat. For seven days, Kate will share with you all the secrets she has learned about writing stories that fire the imagination, touch the heart and keep readers turning the pages long into the night.
You could be working on a medieval supernatural thriller, a time-travel romance, a children’s fantasy adventure, a contemporary novel that draws on ancient myths or a historical novel about the lives of forgotten women. All genres of fiction have their own conventions and characteristics. By drawing together different elements of different genres, however, the writer can create ground-breaking novels of great freshness and originality.
Kate Forsyth wrote her first novel at the age of seven and has now sold more than a million copies internationally. Recently voted one of Australia’s Favourite Fifteen Novelists, Forsyth has been called ‘one of the finest writers of this generation’. She has written more than 40 books, for all age groups across many genres, and published in almost 20 countries.
New and persuasive travel opportunities can come to the fore with other upcoming tour dates from 1-9 September 2020 and 25 April-3 May 2021.
Make the most of this opportunity to connect with your creative flow. Find the time and space to write the story you’ve always dreamed of bringing to life!
DETAILS BOX
Better Read Literary Tours
Better Read Tours Pty Ltd
265 King Street
Newtown NSW 2042 Australia
T: +61 475 761 717
