MOVED FORWARD TO 2014: Writing Trek to Nepal

Dates To Be Announced (October 2014)

Remember that the Earlybird Discount expires at the end of February 2014!

Day 1: Kathmandu 
 

Arrive in Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel. Rest. You will be staying in the heart of the tourist area of bustling Kathmandu in an eco-guest house decorated in traditional style. Walk out the front door and into atmospheric Thamel, where you can shop for presents, or just soak up the atmosphere. There will be a brief orientation session and introductions.  

Day 2: Kathmandu

We will begin the day with our first workshop session, and preparations for the trek, followed by a tour of some of the famous Kathmandu World Heritage Sites.  There is so much to see in Kathmandu, and you won’t have time to see it all. However, Day 2 gives you a chance to whet your appetite and visit some of the sacred and world heritage sites; to look, take photos or write.

     Options include: 

• Patan Durbar Square –world heritage site, with ancient temples and well laid out museum
• Monkey Temple (Swayambhunath) or Boudhanath Stupa—two soaring Buddhist stupas, pilgrimage sites for Buddhists, especially the Tibetan Community
• Pashupatinath Temple—world heritage site, one of the 4 top pilgrimage sites for Hindu Pilgrims around the world

Day 3: Kathmandu to Lukla to Phakdin
 

       In the early morning, step onto the twin otter plane at Kathmandu, and be transported as if in a time capsule to the village of Lukla in the Khumbu region (2827m). Here you will begin the acclimatization process and the first mountain session while you enjoy breakfast and plenty of hydrating liquids.

--> Even if your mind is still racing at city pace, your body will remind you that it is time to slow down –particularly when you find yourself puffing more than usual when climbing stairs, as you become aware of the first effects of the altitude.

After breakfast in Lukla and a recap on mountain safety, the trek begins with a 3 to 4 hour walk to Phakdin. Sometimes you will be sharing the trail with yak trains, other trekkers, and local traders on their way up to Namche Bazaar.  Such rich material for your photos, writing and memories. You will also get your first close up glimpses of the mountains, weather permitting. We will spend the night at a lodge situated in a valley right on the Dudh Koshi River. 

Please Note, Lukla’s weather is variable, and planes can’t land in the mist (when you get there you’ll see why). So be prepared for potential delays in the flight, sometimes even cancellations due to the weather.  This applies for the return journey from Lukla to Kathmandu also.

Day 4: Phakdin to Monjo
 

A couple of hours walk through lush vegetation, past agricultural fields and Buddhist monuments takes us to Monjo, a Sherpa village bordering Sagarmatha National Park. Opportunities for word pictures.  You’ll want to capture every blink of your eyes. 


Day 5: Monjo to Namche Bazaar

Namche Bazaar is situated approximately 3440 metres from sea level. At this point you will definitely start feeling the altitude, although most people acclimatise within a day or so.  Nestled at the top of a cliff, Namche is a traditional trading place, with traders coming from Tibet, India and Nepal to the small hill top village.  

When the clouds part, views of Mount Everest, and several other 8000m peaks are visible.

There is a steep climb into Namche Bazaar—and this section of the trip will be dependent on the health and fitness of our group.  The alternative will be day trips and writing sessions in and around Monjo and Phakdin

Day 6 - 9: Namche Bazaar activities

We spend 4 days in Namche Bazaar, with writing workshops every morning or afternoon. For those missing the comfort of home, there are bakeries with reasonable coffee and apple pie with a view—a legacy of early German climbers. 

There are three museums to explore—the main one covers culture/ geography/ flora and fauna of the Everest Region. Two smaller ones specialise in Sherpa Culture and Traditional Himalayan Medicine. 
 

There is also a traditional Tibetan Healer available for consultation at the Himalayan Healing Centre, a Tibetan monastery and the Tibetan market to explore. 

 

Day 10: Namche Bazaar to Phakdin

Day 11: Phakdin to Lukla

At Lukla we say goodbye to our ever- smiling porters, who head back to their villages while we catch our early flight back to Kathmandu.

Please remember, getting out of Lukla is dependant on weather. Sometimes it can take several days to fly out.

Day 12: Lukla to Kathmandu

After the mountain lodges, now you have the opportunity to be pampered at the majestic Hyatt Hotel.  This luxury five-star hotel overlooks Boudathnath Stupa—one of the largest Buddhist temples in Kathmandu.  At dawn and dusk, you can join the throngs of Tibetans encircling the stupa reciting their pujas. You may choose to have some additional pampering at the Hyatt’s day spa, such as a healing Ayurvedic massage.

 

The Hyatt provides a serene environment to continue our writing. 

Day 13: Kathmandu

The final full day in Nepal has some time for shopping, and optional sightseeing, and our last writing workshop and party/ evening reading of our work at the Hyatt.

a. Bhaktapur Durbar Square- World Heritage Site

b. Changu Narayan Temple- World Heritage Site

c. Shopping, relax around the Temple

d. Visit to orphanage

Day 14: Departure

Writing Trek in the Himalayas: Cost and Inclusions

Earlybird Booking EXTENDED! 

Discounted Rate (book prior to 28 February 2014):
Writing Trek land only + full writing course (earlybird) = $US 4,350.00 (discount of $US 250.00)

Late Booking Rate (book after 28 February 2014):
Writing Trek land only + full writing course (late) = $US 4,600.00

We use highly qualified guides and reliable porters to carry our luggage for our trek and we pay them well to ensure they are not exploited.

In Kathmandu accommodation is comfortable, with Kantipur Temple House (eco friendly and traditionally built hotel) on arrival, and five star Hyatt at the end of the trip, arguably the best hotel in Nepal.

During the trek, we use clean and eco friendly lodges which have hot showers, attached bathroom, and hygienic food.

Email to request full itinerary with details of Writing Trek Inclusions and Exclusions.

Please Note: This is NOT a backpacker experience but for the traveller/ writer who delights in that little extra comfort after a day of challenge and creativity. 

CONTACT AND BOOKINGS:
To secure your place, a non-refundable deposit of US$550 per traveler is required.

“When we reconnect who we are with what we do,
we approach our lives and our work with renewed passion, commitment, and integrity.”

- P. Palmer

We look forward to welcoming you on this special expedition.

Sanjaya Tripathee
Managing Director,
Sacred Journeys Nepal Treks P. Ltd.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Email: sjnepal@wlink.com.np or sanjayatripathee@yahoo.com.au
Web: http://www.sacredjourneysnepal.com/
Mob: (0011) 977-9851112953

For Information:
Beth Yahp at bywritingworks@gmail.com

For Bookings:
Sanjaya Tripathee at Sacred Journeys Nepal sjnepal@wlink.com.np
or sanjayatripathee@yahoo.com.au

Writing Trek in Nepal 2013 Itinerary

20 September - 3 October 2013

 

Sept 20 Kathmandu 
 

Arrive in Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel. Rest. You will be staying in the heart of the tourist area of bustling Kathmandu in an eco-guest house decorated in traditional style. Walk out the front door and into atmospheric Thamel, where you can shop for presents, or just soak up the atmosphere. There will be a brief orientation session and introductions.  

Sept 21 Kathmandu

We will begin the day with our first workshop session, and preparations for the trek, followed by a tour of some of the famous Kathmandu World Heritage Sites.  There is so much to see in Kathmandu, and you won’t have time to see it all. However, Day 2 gives you a chance to whet your appetite and visit some of the sacred and world heritage sites; to look, take photos or write.

     Options include: 

• Patan Durbar Square –world heritage site, with ancient temples and well laid out museum
• Monkey Temple (Swayambhunath) or Boudhanath Stupa—two soaring Buddhist stupas, pilgrimage sites for Buddhists, especially the Tibetan Community
• Pashupatinath Temple—world heritage site, one of the 4 top pilgrimage sites for Hindu Pilgrims around the world

Sept 22 Kathmandu to Lukla to Phakdin
 

       In the early morning, step onto the twin otter plane at Kathmandu, and be transported as if in a time capsule to the village of Lukla in the Khumbu region (2827m). Here you will begin the acclimatization process and the first mountain session while you enjoy breakfast and plenty of hydrating liquids.

Even if your mind is still racing at city pace, your body will remind you that it is time to slow down –particularly when you find yourself puffing more than usual when climbing stairs, as you become aware of the first effects of the altitude.

After breakfast in Lukla and a recap on mountain safety, the trek begins with a 3 to 4 hour walk to Phakdin. Sometimes you will be sharing the trail with yak trains, other trekkers, and local traders on their way up to Namche Bazaar.  Such rich material for your photos, writing and memories. You will also get your first close up glimpses of the mountains, weather permitting. We will spend the night at a lodge situated in a valley right on the Dudh Koshi River. 

Please Note, Lukla’s weather is variable, and planes can’t land in the mist (when you get there you’ll see why). So be prepared for potential delays in the flight, sometimes even cancellations due to the weather.  This applies for the return journey from Lukla to Kathmandu also.

Sept 23 Phakdin to Monjo
 

A couple of hours walk through lush vegetation, past agricultural fields and Buddhist monuments takes us to Monjo, a Sherpa village bordering Sagarmatha National Park. Opportunities for word pictures.  You’ll want to capture every blink of your eyes. 


Sept 24 Monjo to Namche Bazaar

Namche Bazaar is situated approximately 3440 metres from sea level. At this point you will definitely start feeling the altitude, although most people acclimatise within a day or so.  Nestled at the top of a cliff, Namche is a traditional trading place, with traders coming from Tibet, India and Nepal to the small hill top village.  

When the clouds part, views of Mount Everest, and several other 8000m peaks are visible.

There is a steep climb into Namche Bazaar—and this section of the trip will be dependent on the health and fitness of our group.  The alternative will be day trips and writing sessions in and around Monjo and Phakdin

Sept 25-28 Namche Bazaar activities

We spend 4 days in Namche Bazaar, with writing workshops every morning or afternoon. For those missing the comfort of home, there are bakeries with reasonable coffee and apple pie with a view—a legacy of early German climbers. 

There are three museums to explore—the main one covers culture/ geography/ flora and fauna of the Everest Region. Two smaller ones specialise in Sherpa Culture and Traditional Himalayan Medicine. 
 

There is also a traditional Tibetan Healer available for consultation at the Himalayan Healing Centre, a Tibetan monastery and the Tibetan market to explore. 

 

Sept 29 Namche Bazaar to Phakdin

Sept 30 Phakdin to Lukla

At Lukla we say goodbye to our ever- smiling porters, who head back to their villages while we catch our early flight back to Kathmandu.

Please remember, getting out of Lukla is dependant on weather. Sometimes it can take several days to fly out.

Oct 01 Lukla to Kathmandu

After the mountain lodges, now you have the opportunity to be pampered at the majestic Hyatt Hotel.  This luxury five-star hotel overlooks Boudathnath Stupa—one of the largest Buddhist temples in Kathmandu.  At dawn and dusk, you can join the throngs of Tibetans encircling the stupa reciting their pujas. You may choose to have some additional pampering at the Hyatt’s day spa, such as a healing Ayurvedic massage.

 

The Hyatt provides a serene environment to continue our writing. 

 Oct 02 Kathmandu

The final full day in Nepal has some time for shopping, and optional sightseeing, and our last writing workshop and party/ evening reading of our work at the Hyatt.

a. Bhaktapur Durbar Square- World Heritage Site

b. Changu Narayan Temple- World Heritage Site

c. Shopping, relax around the Temple

d. Visit to orphanage

 Oct 03 Departure

 

ANNOUNCING: Writing Trek in Nepal 2013!

20 September - 3 October 2013

Our writing and trekking adventure in Nepal 2011 was such a success that Sacred Journeys Nepal and I are organising another in 2013.

Based on feedback from participants we've added another night to the original itinerary (now 13 nights instead of 12, so we get an extra night up in Namche Bazaar), as well as a few changes to facillitate ease and enjoyment of the trek.

See my 'What People Said' post for participants' comments—and hope to see you in Kathmandu next year!

Here's more information:

This unique journey of writing and inner development is for both experienced and amateur writers, located in one of the most extraordinary and beautiful regions on the planet. We explore Kathmandu, trek from Lukla to Namche Bazaar, then unwind back in Kathmandu, with writing workshops and insights all along the way.

A full 12-session writing course, Writing Journeys: Creativity and Craft, specially designed and tutored by award-winning author Beth Yahp, makes this journey unlike any other. With years of experience as an innovative teacher of creative writing, Beth’s courses are both comprehensive and extremely popular.

Whether your focus is fiction, travel or memoir, Beth is sure to free your storytelling capabilities with her inspiring and open-hearted writing workshops, and one-on-one or small group meetings to discuss your writing. Painters and photographers have also joined the trek and applied Beth’s teaching to their art.

A creative and supportive atmosphere. The sharing of knowledge and writing skills. Time for reflection and remembering. Porters and guides to share our load.

Most importantly, we will breathe. We’ll capture a new world with new eyes, and bring remembered ones alive on the page. We’ll have fun—as well as a sense of accomplishment—in writing and sharing our stories, imagination and memories.

Accommodation from rustic traditional mountain lodges to the Hyatt in Kathmandu for rest and rejuvenation in the last days of the tour.

NOTE: This is NOT a backpacker experience but for the trekker or stroller who delights in that little extra comfort after a day of challenge and creativity. Our aim is to walk, look, converse, and immerse ourselves in another way of being, with frequent stops along the way. Please also note that Nepal is a developing country, whose way of life and traditions can contrast with our own in insightful and energizing ways. “It gave me eyes,” as a Paul Theroux character might say.

For more workshop details and an itinerary, please contact: Beth at bywritingworks@yahoo.com.au. For travel details please contact Sacred Journeys at sjnepal@wlink.com.np. or  sanjayatripathee@yahoo.com.au

'My One Malaysia' hits the air and net waves

My and Brent Clough's radio documentary 'My One Malaysia' was broadcast on ABC Radio National's 360 Documentaries program on 3 December 2011. 

It was a long food-and-people focussed radio road trip, but we finally got there!

For those who missed the broadcast, it will be repeated this Wednesday 7 December at 1pm (576AM), or you can podcast it here: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/360/my-one-malaysia/3696114

1 Malaysia Billboard, Kuala Lumpur: “People First, Performance Now”

Summary: Malaysia is a Malay-Muslim majority nation, held up as a functioning and secular democracy that operates in tandem with Islamic law. Chinese, Indian and other ethnic minorities make up almost 40% of the population. 

As a 'true Malaysian'-one obsessed by food-Beth Yahp returned to travel around the country where she was born, to eat and talk and listen to her fellow Malaysians.

She thought she would be going home, but where is 'home' to citizens like her, second or third generation non-Malay Malaysians, who are still called 'migrants' and told to 'get out' if they don't like it? 

What Makes a True Malaysian: Iced Milo and kaya “coconut jam” on toast...

Intrigued by the latest government slogan of 'One Malaysia' proclaiming all Malaysians to be united and equal despite race or religion, Beth sets out on a road trip that takes her to often outlawed versions of Malaysia.

Main Puteri Healing Ritual, Kelantan: Abang Mat, the shaman, surrounded by musicians and onlookers.  

My One Malaysia is a journey through identity, food, memory and music in a country where government slogans and lived reality seldom match up.

Night Burgers: If still hungry, there’s always a Ramli burger stall open somewhere in KL, day or night

Still Places Left on Writing Trek and Writers Retreat in Nepal Oct/Nov 2011: Join us on one - or both!

Tour 1: 12-Day Writing Trek in the Himalayas with Beth Yahp & Sacred Journeys Nepal: 9 - 21 Oct 2011

Join me and a small group of fellow-writers, artists and walkers for a trek in the Himalayas - to stimulate our writing journey and reinvigorate our creative selves.

This is a unique opportunity for writing and inner development for both experienced and amateur writers, located in one of the most extraordinary and beautiful regions on the planet.

We will explore Kathmandu, fly on a Twin Otter to Lukla, then trek from Lukla to Namche Bazaar, where we will spend a few days, resting, writing and workshopping, or opting to explore our surrounds, before heading back to unwind in Kathmandu.

There will be writing workshops and exercises in exploring our senses all along the way.

Whether your focus is fiction, travel or memoir—or you're just after some time to breathe and gaze at the horizon—prize-winning author and teacher Beth Yahp is sure to free your storytelling capabilities with her inspiring and openhearted workshops, and one-on-one or small group meetings to discuss your writing.

Each participant will be accompanied by a porter, and there will be ample rest stops to take in the scenery or interact with other travellers. We'll stay in mountain lodges along the way and share our trail into the mountains with yak trains, other trekkers and local traders on their way to Namche Bazaar, a route as old as people can remember.


Tour 2: 10-Day Writers Retreat in Nepal with Beth Yahp & Sacred Journeys Nepal 25 Oct - 4 Nov 2011

Fort Resort, Nagarkot. Photo: http://www.mountain-retreats.com/

Spend 10 days on retreat at Newari-style Fort Resort in Nagarkot, on the ancient trade route to Tibet, 30 kms from Kathmandu. You will be surrounded by breathtaking views of the Himalayan mountains, amidst six acres of dense forest and organic gardens.

The Writers Retreat will be focused intensively on your fiction, memoir, or travel writing project, with ample time to write, read, attend the course program, do yoga or meditate, daydream, get restorative Ayurvedic massages or head off on extra-curricular tours to nearby villages and towns or go on day hikes, rafting, mountain biking etc.

There may also be a side-trip to the World Heritage-listed Newari town of Bhaktapur, renowned for its rich culture, temples and artworks in stone, wood and metal.

A combination of Masterclasses, Small Group Workshops and Individual Meetings with Beth are designed to get you into 'the zone' of your writing project and also enable you to work closely with other participants who are on the same writing journey. A community of writers at work (and play) can bring out the best in our own writing.

The biggest and most auspicious festival in the annual Nepalese calendar, Dashain, takes place around this time, and free days between the tours can be spent soaking in the once-in-a-lifetime experience in celebration of the Goddess Durga.

For full itineraries, see:
http://bethyahpwritingworks.blogspot.com/2010/12/writers-treck-in-himalayas-with-beth.html
http://bethyahpwritingworks.blogspot.com/2010/12/writers-retreat-in-nepal-october-2011.html

For more information, contact Beth at bywritingworks@yahoo.com.au. For bookings, contact Sanjaya at sjnepal@wlink.com.np.

Interview: Journeys and the Writer's Life with Beth Yahp, NSW Writers' Centre Newsletter, 14 March 2011

Beth Yahp has published short fiction and travel/memoir feature articles in Australia, South-east Asia and Europe. She is the award-winning author of The Crocodile Fury, a novel, as well as a libretto, Moon Spirit Feasting, for composer Liza Lim, which won the APRA Award for Best Classical Composition in 2003.

This week, Jacqui Dent catches up with her about creativity, the journey and the balance between story and truth in memoir writing.

JD: What is your fascination with journey narratives?

BY: I've always been a wanderer. The child drifting off into the crowd, staying behind on the lift, stopping to stare at nothing in particular, that was me. To a large extent, it still is! It drives anyone I'm travelling with nuts. When I was small, the only way to get me to sleep was to bundle me into the car and drive around. I've always been attracted to movement and wandering/ wondering. These things are connected. The story of the journey is part of the journey—how we imagine the path of our travels even before we've gone anywhere, and then how we re-shape those travels after we've come back, into something meaningful, something that makes sense, even if only to ourselves.

What do you do to entice creativity into your writing?

If only there were a sure-fire formula, I'd bottle it. I'm going to sound very boring, but I've found that creativity mostly comes from practice—from preparing the ground for the spark to catch. Of course, there are moments of intense inspiration and the white-hot energy to carry a sudden idea through to wholeness on the page. But these moments are rare. In my experience, what Alice Walker said always applies: 'In order to invite the Muse, you have to make room'. She suggested meditation. Virginia Woolf suggested walking. Both of these are good. Walk, look, be silent, be still, listen. Then write fast—in order to circumvent that ever-present critic passing judgement over your shoulder. If your medium is words, images, and story, immerse yourself in your medium, and master it—a big part of writing is craft, after all. Be a wordsmith as a blacksmith is to metal. Read, read, read—not just for story but also for craft—how and why a story works. Gathering in a group is also good for sparking creativity—there's nothing quite like the buzz and energy of a group writing together, in speed, and community.

When it comes to memoir, how do you tread the balance between a good story and a true story?

It may be somewhat paradoxical, but I'm not sure it's possible to write a 'true story' when you're writing memoir—because you're writing it through the filter of your own experience, your perhaps imperfect knowledge of the facts (not to mention the penumbra of half-facts and what-ifs that surround the facts of any event), and your personal point-of-view, your world-view. If like me, you're no all-seeing, all-knowing deity in your own life, then you can only tell what's true for you, from your limited point of view. If you take that as your starting point, it frees you up as a writer to assume responsibility only for telling your version of the story-as well as you can. In any case, whether they're invented or remembered, all stories are constructed—they are made from words, not from life. And our experience of words in a story is linear, while our experience of life is not. [...]

Maybe the real question for memoir writers isn't about balancing what makes a good story and what makes it true, but about accepting and exploring the limitations of the genre. What makes my story a good story, period, whether it's true or otherwise? Why do I need to write it? Can I, and the people in my life, live with what I've written? Can I treat every character in my story as I would like to be treated myself? There is a definite connection between our stories and our lives, whether we write memoir or fiction, except that in fiction the connections are more hidden. This doesn't stop people trying to find those connections, though, however well you think you've hidden them. There is more 'hiding' in fiction, more invisibility for the author, and therefore perhaps more freedom to reveal deeper, more universal truths. There's much more pussyfooting around in memoir—especially in the writing process. It's maybe not so much about balance, but the paradox of being ruthless as well as compassionate; in forcing yourself to be not only yourself, the narrator, but every character that you write.

What's something you've learned and something you still need to learn as a writer?

I think I've learned patience—something along the lines of writing not being a means to an end, and that writing won't make me a better, richer, wiser etc. person. When I first started, years ago, I used to think I could live vicariously, through writing, and indeed one can-but this is only one kind of living, and a wounded kind. The opposite is also true—living your life to the brim, setting your writing aside, putting it last in your long list of things to do and see and get done. That's also only a kind of half-living-for a writer. These days I find myself thinking there's no separation between living and writing-but how to live and write holistically? That's something I still need to learn. I have a sneaky feeling it involves winning the lottery, somehow.

The first thing you ever wrote...

Not the first thing, which was probably my name, but the best thing I ever wrote was a dream book; I mean one that I wrote in a dream. It was the best writing experience I've ever had, penning a string of words onto a sheaf of concertinaed, sand-coloured paper that unravelled as I wrote. Both the words and the paper unfurled, the words racing across the paper beyond my pen, and both flapping and unfurling beyond me, out into the world. There was a lot of wind, and sea, and sand. I don't remember any of the words, just their movement, and the feel of an old-fashioned fountain pen in my hand. The kind of dream that wakes you up, laughing.

Beth Yahp will teach a six-week journey, memoir and fiction course Creativity and Craft: Journey and Life Writing at the Centre starting Friday 1 April 2011, 10am - 1pm.

Bookings and info: http://www.nswwriterscentre.org.au/html/s13_shopping/view_product.asp?keyword=creativityandcraft-apr

NSW Writers' Centre
PO Box 1056
Rozelle NSW 2039

Phone:	02 9555 9757
Fax:	02 9818 1327
Email:	info@nswwc.org.au

NEW Announcing Second Series of Memoir/Fiction Masterclasses 2 April - 11 June 2011

I'm proposing another series of fortnightly Memoir/ Fiction/ Travel Writing masterclasses, beginning 2 April 2011 - please do let anyone who might be interested know. Thanks!

These workshops would be a chance for participants to work with me (and other members of a small workshop group of 6) over a sustained period in the development of their writing towards a larger piece of work - e.g. a travel book, a memoir, a novel, a collection of stories.

The masterclasses feature indepth workshopping and detailed written editorial feedback from me each meeting, as well as a lesson focussing on an advanced writing skill (e.g. structure, transitions, point of view) and in-class writing exercises.

The masterclasses are for people who have previously attended writing workshops or classes, or have already published their writing, and therefore have some experience of writing craft. They are strictly limited to 6 participants to ensure that everyone has adequate time for discussion and feedback on their writing projects.

Here are the details:

When:        6 fortnightly meetings, beginning 2 April 2011.
Dates:        Saturdays: 2, 16 & 30 April, 14 & 28 May, 11 June 2011.
Time:         2.30 - 6.40pm (there will be two 5 minute breaks)
Where:       Bronte 2024, Sydney

You will get: A reader of course readings and writing craft notes, in-class writing exercises, presentation/discussion of particular writing/editing skills & techniques, and one detailed written edit of your submitted work per meeting (up to 2000 word submissions per meeting, 6 detailed edits from me in total). Each meeting you will also receive verbal feedback and detailed discussion of your work from me and other members of the group. You will also get acess to a safe space in which to test out your writing and exchange ideas and skills - a community of writers, engaged in a similar writing journey. Tea/ coffee/ snacks also provided.

Course covers: In-depth writing and editing skills for fiction and creative non-fiction (memoir/ travel narratives); generation of new material through writing exercises and reading/ discussion of samples of particular craft skills; advice on writing craft and sustaining your writing life, as well as publication strategies; how to give and receive feedback/ criticism that is supportive and helpful to yourself and others as writers; mentorship of you as a writer and of your writing project over the period of the course.

Application Process & Registration: Due to the small number of participants, there will be a selection process based on whether I consider I can be of assistance to you and your writing project; quality of work; and how I think the different projects in the group will resonate with each other. Selection will be based on a half page description of your project, as well as a two page example of your writing, which should be submitted to me by email ASAP.

Closing Date for Applications: 20 March 2011 (but as places are limited, it would be a good idea to send me your work ASAP)

Contact:     For more information, please contact Beth at: bywritingworks@yahoo.com.au