Whitstable Weekend Writing Retreat

GETTING OVER THE HUMP & WRITING WITH THE SENSES

Join us for either one or two days this summer in Whitstable for scribbling, rambling and chatting with other writers. We'll be based at the welcoming Horsebridge Arts Centre, just a stone's throw from the sea. You can attend just the Saturday, or just the Sunday, or treat yourself to a weekend away and do both days. This retreat is suitable for both beginner and more experienced writers.

On Saturday, our focus will be on how to get over the writing hump. Maybe you’re mid-novel and have lost sight of where to go next. Perhaps you’ve not written in a long time and need a bit of a jump start. On this first day of the retreat, we’ll plunge into writing exercises to help you realise your ideas, unstick what is stuck, and reinvigorate your creativity.

On Sunday, we’ll spend the morning going walkabout around the quirky lanes and rugged beaches of Whitstable, sharpening our skills of sensory observation and drawing inspiration from the environment. In the afternoon, we’ll meet back at The Horsebridge and transform the morning’s material into scenes, stories or character studies.

When you join a Hope & Anchor retreat, you will always be hosted by at least two of us, but usually all three (that's Peggy, Joanna and Sarah). We come to writing with a broad range of knowledge, taste and experience; this is one of the things that makes Hope & Anchor unique.

Schedule:

Saturday, 11^th July, 10am - 5pm:

Morning Writing Session: 10am – 12pm 

12pm – 1pm: Take yourselves out to lunch or bring a picnic back to The Horsebridge.

Afternoon Writing Session: 1pm – 5pm

Tea and coffee breaks provided at regular intervals, along with Peggy's increasingly famous cakes.

Saturday evening optional extras!

• 5:30pm, optional meet-up on West Beach for a drink and nibbles. Snacks and a tipple on us, but please feel free to bring something along as well. 

• 7pm, optional group meal at The Lazy Lobster.

Sunday 12^th July, 10am to 4pm:

Morning Session:   10am – 12pm

10am:  Meet at a beach hut for morning tea and pastries (directions to be shared upon booking).

10:30 – 12pm: Writing with the Senses – guided exercises to get you writing

12pm – 1pm: Lunch. Take yourselves out or bring a picnic back to The Horsebridge.

Afternoon: 1pm – 4pm: Turn your morning’s work into a brand-new piece of writing. Teas and coffees provided.

Costs:

Saturday OR Sunday: £85

BOTH Saturday and Sunday: £160

Please note, this price includes the workshops, teas, coffees, nibbles/ cakes/ pastries, but not lunches, evening meals or accommodation. Need help finding somewhere to stay to make a weekend of it? Just ask!

T&Cs:

We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel, let us know as soon as possible as we may be able to offer your spot to someone else. Our cancellation policy is as follows...

2 weeks’ cancellation notice: 100% refund. 

1 week’s notice: 50% refund. 

Any later than 1 week: no refund (sorry!).