Catherine Simpson – Tutor
Tutor
Dr Gervase Phinn – Guest Reader
Guest Reader
14th – 19th May 2018
Course Date

What I Mean to Say: a course for both new and more experienced writers on the art of memoir/ life-writing/ the writing of recollection at short or book length.

Come with something already written (that is open to change) or nothing written as yet (as you see fit) ready to examine how, what and why we put the personal on paper in work sessions, tutorials, readings and round-table discussion.

  Tutor: Catherine Simpson

Catherine Simpson’s memoir ‘When I Had a Little Sister: The Story of a Farming Family who Never Spoke’ is forthcoming, in 2019, from 4th Estate. This memoir, set in rural Lancashire, tells of the suicide of Catherine’s sister and how the family had been swathed in silence for generations.
Catherine’s debut novel Truestory was published in 2015 by Sandstone Press. The opening chapters won her a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. The novel was also published in Denmark. Truestory was inspired by Catherine’s experiences raising her autistic daughter Nina, and Catherine and Nina have used the book as a platform to campaign for Autism Acceptance.
Catherine’s short stories and poems have been published in various publications and she has performed them at festivals including the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
She runs creative writing workshops and has mentored young writers for the Scottish Book Trust.
She is the current Creative Writing Fellow for Tyne & Esk Writers. She was Writer in Residence 2016/17 for CoastWord Festival where the work she produced was published as a pamphlet ‘Mrs Carlyle had Many Lovers’. In 2016 she received a Hawthornden Fellowship.
She is on twitter @cath_simpson13
Here is her website.

Guest, Wednesday evening: Dr Gervase Phinn – Writer/Broadcaster/Lecturer

Professor Gervase Phinn taught in a range of schools for fourteen years before becoming an education adviser and school inspector. He is now a freelance lecturer, broadcaster and writer, a consultant for the Open University, Honorary Fellow of St. John’s College, York, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) of the University of Leicester, Doctor of Letters  (D.Litt) of The University of Hull and the Fellow and Visiting Professor of Education at The University of Teesside. In 2005 the highest academic award of Sheffield Hallam University, Doctor of the University (D.Univ.) was conferred upon him by the Chancellor, Professor Lord Robert Winston. In 2006 he became President of The School Library Association.

He has published many articles, chapters and books and edited a wide range of poetry and short story collections. His academic texts include: Young Readers and their Books, published by David Fulton, Touches of Beauty: Poetry in the Primary School and Reading Matters. Additionally he has published collections of his own plays, poems, picture books and short stories, including his anthologies of verse : Classroom Creatures, It Takes One to Know One, The Day Our Teacher Went Batty and Family Phantoms, His books of stories for children, What’s the Matter, Royston Knapper? and Royston Knapper: The Return of the Rogue were published by Child’s Play and became best­sellers. His picture book Our Cat Cuddles appeared earlier this year.

Gervase Phinn is probably best known for his best-selling autobiographical novels: The Other Side of the Dale, Over Hill and Dale and Head Over Heels in the Dales, published by Michael Joseph, which he read on the Radio 4 programme ‘Book of the Week.’ Head Over Heels in the Dales was a number one best­seller. The fourth book in the series, Up and Down in the Dales, was published in March 2004.

Television and radio appearances include ‘The Alan Titchmarsh Show’,  ‘Good Morning Sunday with Aled Jones’ (Radio 2), Esther (BBC 1), Midweek (Radio 4), You and Yours (Radio 4), Open House with Gloria Hunniford (ITV), North East Tonight, (Tyne Tees Television), Today (Radio 4), Calendar (Yorkshire Television), Breakfast Television (BBC1), The BBC World Service, The Heaven and Earth Show (BBC 2), The Des O ‘Connor Show (LWT), Quote-Unquote (Radio 4), Look North (BBC 1), The Big Toe Radio Show (Digital Radio), Just One Chance (BBC 2), Book at Bedtime (Radio 4), Book of the Week (Radio 4) and` A Good Read (Radio 4), The Sunday Programme (GMTV), Christmas Voices (BBC1), The Politics Show (BBC1),The Alan Titchmarsh Show (BBC1),  The Book Programme with Mariella Frostrup and Clive James (Sky)

In 2004 Gervase Phinn was honoured to receive “The Speaker of the Year Award’ from the Association of Speakers’ Clubs and his most recent book, Up and Down in the Dales, won the Customer Choice Award at the Spoken Book Awards. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Honorary Fellow of the English Speaking Board, President and Fellow of the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama and Honorary Fellow of Leeds Trinity University College, he has a particular interest in children’s reading and is widely known as a lively and entertaining speaker. He is married with four grown-up children.

PRICES Fee includes all day and evening tutored workshop sessions, readings, accommodation and full board (not including alcohol).

Single – En-suite room £760
Single – Shared bathroom £710
Shared Room (2 Beds) £660
Non-residential (inc. lunch and evening meal) £500

TO BOOK £150 deposit payable on booking by PayPal, bank transfer or cheque, to secure place, balance due six weeks before start of course.
Please see Terms and Conditions.
INCLUDED
Accommodation Professional Tutor
Meals Sheets & Towels
WHAT TO BRING
Boots/outdoor shoes/trainers suitable for walking on rough paths.
A waterproof jacket or coat.
Torch
Warm Clothes
Toiletries
Writing materials: your personal writing preference – laptop, paper, pens etc.
USB memory stick: for printing your work. (We do have air printing)
Musical instruments and drawing/painting materials – sketchbook, pens, pencils, watercolours etc. (optional!)
Drawing/painting materials – sketchbook, pens, pencils, watercolours etc.
Cash: for books written by the tutors, alcohol, taxis or sundries. The nearest cash machine is in Hawes, seven miles away.
START TIME Please arrive between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm on Monday 14th May 2018.
END TIME After breakfast, 10:00 am on Saturday 19th May 2018.
LOCATION The Garsdale Retreat, Clough View, Garsdale Head, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5PW

Nearest station: Garsdale – direct line from Leeds.

Courses

The Garsdale Retreat provides an inspiring place to develop as a writer. Our courses offer opportunities for new, emerging and experienced writers. The tutors, all professional writers, lead workshops and also give one-to-one tutorials to help the individual student. In the remote and beautiful setting of The Yorkshire Dales, The Garsdale Retreat gives a wonderful opportunity to escape from the daily stresses of life and to draw inspiration from fellow students, tutors and the landscape itself.
All courses start on Monday afternoon, arrival time 4.00 – 6.00pm and finish after breakfast on Saturday, 10.00am

Course Structure

Although there will be slight variations, according to the type of course, students can generally expect the following outline:

Each day begins with a morning workshop at 9.30am where students explore particular aspects of the chosen genre and take part in writing exercises to further their understanding and expertise. Tutors also write alongside the students, sharing and developing work with participants. The immediacy of hearing or reading an expert’s emerging work gives invaluable insight and inspiration into the art of writing. All students have opportunities to share their work with the tutor and fellow writers in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment in which individual work is respected and confidence developed.
There is a mid-morning coffee break and the session finishes at lunchtime (1.00pm)
After lunch, participants are free to do whatever they like, such as: relax, go for walks, enjoy The Dales, draw, paint, read or work on individual writing projects.
All students have at least one individual tutorial which usually takes place in the early evening after tea and homemade cake.
Each evening there is an after-dinner event. The precise nature of this varies according to the type of course but participants can typically expect a tutor reading on Tuesday followed by a reading from a guest writer on the Wednesday evening. There is an informal activity on Thursday such as a student ‘open-mic’ night, or a tutor devised activity. On Friday, students and tutor take part in a reading of their work from the course-produced anthology.

All courses end after breakfast on Saturday.

Poetry Course Anthology

An integral part of poetry courses is the production of an anthology of writing produced in the week. It is, of course, accepted that work may not be completely polished and there is an element of work-in-progress about it. However, the aim of the anthology is to reflect a flavour of the work accomplished on the course by both tutor and participants and to provide them with an attractive record of their time at Garsdale. The Retreat stores copies of anthologies in the library, providing pleasure and inspiration for future students.