Writing Retreat in Mostar • Course 149
19 - 26 October 2024, Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina
WORKSHOP VENUE
Hotel Kriva Cuprija
Onescukova 23, Stari Grad
Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Date: 19 - 26 October 2024
Length of course: 7 days
Level: Beginners to published writers
Course fee (tuition, board & local transport): Early Bird price £750. After June £850.
This new bijoux course is a result of students requesting a retreat to focus in a concentrated way on their work. The 7-day workshop in this Ottoman jewel will include:
- morning prompt to create material to feed into your manuscript (voluntary)
- 1-2-1 afternoon tutorials to begin, shape or edit material (voluntary)
- a chance during the morning prompts to have your writing read and discussed
- Open Mic nights for those who wish to have their work critiqued
WHO CAN COME?
Novelists, short story writers and creative non-fiction writers are welcome.
ACCOMODATION
We have reserved 7 en suite single rooms and one double room at the four-star Hotel Kriva Cuprija.
COURSE LOCATION
Morning prompts & tutorials will be held at the Hotel Kriva Cuprija, and Open Mic nights in an apartment in the heart of Mostar's Old Town which is a 6-minute walk from the hotel.
FOOD
The town is famous for its restaurants, coffee houses and small cafes. Carnivores are well served with cevapcici (Bosnian kebabs), roast lamb and sac. Vegetarians will enjoy the local zeljanica (savoury Bosnian pie), burek (similar to Greek spanakopita but shaped like a samosa) and grah (a delicious Balkan bean stew). Except for breakfast, meals are not included in the course fee. Food is inexpensive. Course members can lunch in the Old Town. We can eat together in a restaurant or at the hotel in the evenings after Open Mic night. The cost of an evening meal is 10 - 15 euros.
SIGHTSEEING
You can wander the streets of the Old Town, stand on the famous bridge where the famous jumping competitions are held each summer and drink heart-thumping Turkish coffee served with Turkish delight from a dezva (a Turkish coffee pot).
HALF-DAY TRIP
We are planning a half-day trip to the Sufi dervish house in the village of Blagaj which stands at the foot of a 240-metre cliff, the source of the River Buna. There are excellent fish restaurants nearby, all of which serve vegetarian options.
LEVEL
The workshop will be open to anyone with a desire to write. All sessions will be conducted in a friendly, constructive atmosphere to help you develop your work.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Bound notebook, clipboard, pen & a spare for the morning prompts only. If you choose to attend the morning sessions, I would request that you not use a laptop to create new work. Your computers may used at any other time. There will be a printer on the premises. Bring a memory stick and continental adapters for those who own UK / Australian / US electrical appliances.
OPEN MIC NIGHTS
There will be an Open Mic each evening from 6.00 - 8.00PM, except the evening of your arrival, at an apartment at Baltina 6A in the Old Town. Word limit: 1300 per session. For best feedback, you will need to provide copies which will be returned to you.
HOW TO GET THERE
easyJet, British Airways, Croatian Airlines and Jet2 fly to Dubrovnik. Flights operate from London Gatwick and Stansted Airports and from Bristol, Edinburgh, Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester, Belfast International, Newcastle and Leeds Bradford.
TRANSPORT FROM AND TO DUBROVNIK AIRPORT
On 19 October an 8-seater minibus will collect writers from the airport and bus station to take you to the hotel, and will return you to Dubrovnik on the 26th. The journey takes approximately 3 hours. Depending on when your flight arrives, you may need to spend a night in Dubrovnik on the 18th to ride in the minibus. It is scheduled to leave from Dubrovnik Airport at 14:00 and the bus station at 15:00. If you arrive on the 18th, you will need to arrange your own accommodation.
DO I NEED A VISA?
If you are a passport holder from a country outside the EU, you will need to check if a visa is necessary to enter Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. British nationals do not need a visa, but be aware that EU passport validity rules will apply for travel to Croatia. Participants are responsible for obtaining any visas, or other travel documents, necessary to enter the country.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
You are strongly urged to carry travel insurance. See our Terms & Conditions.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
- Transport from Dubrovnik to the hotel at 13:00 on October 19, and return
- 7 nights' accommodation in an en suite room, inclusive of breakfast
- Course fee
- Half-day excursion to the Sufi dervish house
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
- Travel to Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Lunch and evening meals
- a small fee for paper and printing
TO BOOK & HOW TO PAY
Bank transfer: To pay a deposit or the full fee, ring 020 7263 0669.
By post: Enrolment will be confirmed on receipt of your course fee. A cheque, payable to "Creative Writing Courses", can be posted with your contact details to this address.
Online: Please click the button below to pay now.
You can ensure your place with a deposit of £300, with the balance due by 24 August. Bookings made after this date must be paid in full. By booking, you agree to accept our Terms & Conditions.
Please do not book flights until you have received an email confirmation from us to do so.
Aerial view of the Sufi house in Blagaj
