Cathy Rentzenbrink – Tutor
Tutor
Sam Miller – Guest Reader
Guest Reader
2nd – 6th November 2020
Course Date

How do we write about the self? How do we make sense of the glorious mess of life and tame it into a book? What about writing about real people? Do we always have to tell the truth? This stimulating, encouraging and friendly week will address all these questions and offer tools and techniques to help you start turning your life events into a narrative. Suitable for all levels, whether you are a complete beginner or already have a body of work.

Tutor: Cathy Rentzenbrink – Writer

Cathy Rentzenbrink is the author of The Last Act of Love, a Sunday Times bestseller which was shortlisted for the Wellcome Prize and the Portico Prize, and A Manual for HeartacheDear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books will be published by Picador in 2020.

Cathy presents The Bookseller podcast, writes a column for Prospect magazine and reviews books for The Times. She works as a teacher and mentor and her absolute favourite thing about her rich and varied writing life is helping others to tell their own stories.

Guest, Wednesday Evening: Sam Miller – Writer

Sam Miller was born and brought up in London but has spent much of the last 25 years far away from the United Kingdom. He has worked for the BBC as a reporter and a trainer, and as Country Director for the organisation’s development arm, BBC Media Action, in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. He continues to work, on and off, for the BBC.

He is the author of Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity and A Strange Kind of Paradise: India Through Foreign Eyes. He also translated Alfred Assollant’s nineteenth-century French-language novel The Marvellous but Authentic Adventures of Captain Corcoran. His most recent book is a family memoir, Fathers, published by Penguin in 2017.

PRICES £400 fee includes eight 90 minute workshops, one, 60 minute workshop, one 30 minute individual tutorial, evening readings/entertainment including both a tutor and guest reading, afternoon chat room.
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.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED  A reliable internet connection and access to Zoom
START TIME

5.00pm on Monday – one hour introductory workshop

END TIME

After evening readings on Friday

The Garsdale Retreat Online Course Outline: 2020

Maximum 8 participants

Course begins on Monday at 5.00pm. Ends Friday evening after reading.

Monday:

Welcome (5 mins) from Hamish, followed by 1 hour workshop.

Tuesday – Friday:

Two daily workshops: 9.30 – 11.00/11.30 – 1.00pm

Afternoons: Chat-room open for participants.

Tutorials

Each student has an entitlement of 1 x 30mins tutorial in the course of the week.

These take place at a mutually convenient time one afternoon – Tuesday – Friday.

Evening Events  (starting at 8.00pm)

Tuesday:

Tutor reading

Wednesday:

Guest reading (except Carol Farrelly – Thursday)

Thursday: 

Live music and poetry performed by Hamish Wilson and

Rebecca Nouchette (Garsdale Retreat directors)

Friday:

Poetry Courses  group reading of anthology of work produced in the week.

Fiction/Non-Fiction courses – group reading of extracts of work written during the week.