The value of creative writing retreats and writer’s awards

Thursday 26th May 2022 11:00-12:30 | Online (zoom)

Rachel Humphries and Mary Morris

Moderated by Karítas Hrundar Pálsdóttir

Rachel and Mary discuss the value of their creative writing retreats and residential courses, and how incorporating an online programme has reached writers that otherwise would not have access to retreats. Rachel also discusses the Bridge Awards Emerging Writer prize and the value it has for writers. What careers might centres such as Moniack and Arvon offer Creative and Critical Writing researchers? And what pedagogical considerations are taken into account for the workshops/retreats/courses they offer?

Rachel Humphries has been the centre director at Moniack Mhor for ten years and works closely with the Bridge Awards to support emerging writers. During her time at Moniack, she has gained regular funding from Creative Scotland, instigated the garden project, the construction of the Straw Bale studio and the move to independence. Outside work, Rachel can be found herding goats on her croft, creating pottery or crafting scenarios for her role-playing group.

Mary Morris is the artistic director and director at Arvon's Totleigh Barton. Mary began her editorial career at Bloomsbury Publishing in 2003 and went on to manage the general list at Gerald Duckworth, publishing both fiction and non-fiction. She later moved to the British Museum Press, where she developed exhibition titles, and finally to Faber & Faber, where she worked as a fiction editor for four years before moving to Devon to work for Arvon art Totleigh Barton. What interests her about creative writing is the transformative power of self-expression.

Karítas Hrundar Pálsdóttir is a Creative-Critical PhD student at the University of East Anglia. Her research explores the phenomenon of reentry, that is sojourners’ experience of returning home after a period of living abroad. Karítas is the author of the book Árstíðir – sögur á einföldu máli (Seasons – Stories in Easy Language), a flash-fiction collection composed of 101 stories intended for adult learners of Icelandic as a second language, which was published by Una útgáfuhús in January 2020.

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TCW | The value of creative writing retreats and writer's awards