Creative Writing Workshops in Italy, Russia, Kenya, Lithuania

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Live the Life

Write the Book

with

Francine Prose

Robert Coover

Mary Di Michele

Vittorio Rossi

Many More

for

Two Weeks of

Summer Literary Seminars

&

Creative Fiction & Non-Fiction Writing Workshops

on the Adriatic Coast

Vasto, Italy

15-30 May 2009

www.sumlitsem.org

 

Behind SLS lies an exciting concept in literary seminars. Whereas in conventional writing retreats, writers isolate themselves from the world to find inspiration, SLS is built on the premise that one’s writing can and does often benefit considerably from the keen sense of displacement created by an immersion in a thoroughly foreign culture and street vernacular; that one’s removing oneself from the routine context of one’s life tends to provide for a strong creative jolt, and offer a wholly new perspective on one’s writing.

 

The seminars engage the participants in workshops in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, playwritings, translation, travel writing, lectures and readings with leading writers from around the world, as well as include exploratory excursions of the surrounding areas.

 

Workshops are being held:

 

Nairobi and Lamu Island, Kenya, Dec. 13-28, 2008

Vasto, Abruzzo, Italy, May 15-30, 2009

St. Petersburg, Russia , June 2009 - dates TBA

Lithuania, July 2009 – dates TBA

 

SLS Italy is the newest addition to the roster of programs, representing the broadening of the scope of SLS offerings, further implementing the idea of establishing a series of SLS programs in different parts of the world. These programs will all be premised on the belief of the commonality of writerly experience, thereby creating a larger and single literary space - to discover Italy, not as a tourist in a packaged tour, nor as a foreigner in a sea of other foreigners, but as a writer in a community of other writers immersed in literature, good food, wine, sun and sea in an idyllic corner of the Adriatic, Vasto, Abruzzo, a three-hour drive from Rome and Naples, or forty-five minutes south of Pescara Airport.

 

A similar program in Lithuania is in the works for July, 2009. Other programs are being considered beyond 2009.

 

SLS is affiliated with Montreal’s Concordia University, the venerable Herzen University in St. Petersburg, and, in Kenya, with the remarkable dynamic and innovative Kwani? Literary Trust and journal.  Registrations are now being taken for Kenya and Italy: visit www.sumlitsem.org where three very different and distinctive worlds await you to discover and make your own.

 

 

ENDS HERE...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ENDS HERE

 

Nota Bene:

Because we aim to be a creative hub for artists and writers working on individual or collective projects, both Villa Monteferrante and Casa Corradi are available for short/long-term stays for creative practitioners who require live/work space wherein to focus on their opus.

Casa Corradi, our family's own Country Retreat, is near Parma (Emilia Romagna), Terra di Matilde de Canossa, and can be seen at:

http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/canossa/32517

In the past, Villa Monteferrante was HQ to the Arts Workshop with American Visual Artist Rachel Citrino. The creative odyssey began in ROME, sauntered to the Abruzzo National Parks, namely Santo Stefano di Sessanio, then east to the Adriatic Coast and VASTO, in Abruzzo, whose contrasting locations inspired many: from Ovid to Fante, the region was and is a land of talents as diverse as Rossetti, Silone, Flaiano, D’Annunzio, Tosti, Palizzi, Cascella, and many more.

Read related article below.

 

 

RICKY SABLOVE ARTICLE - JANUARY 2007, PHILADELPHIA, USA.

FROM ITALY'S BEST-KEPT SECRET TO A HAVEN FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Luigi Monteferrante's retreats help creative spirits relax, recharge, and enjoy the view
 
      The first time I visited Abruzzi, I fell in love. Everywhere I went, I found something to make me smile. Lovely towns with charming houses. Silvery-green olive groves. Beautiful beaches. Rugged mountains topped with snow. Hospitable people who couldn't do enough for you. Wine as good as any I'd ever tasted. And the kind of rich, hearty food you'd have to stand in line for back in Philly. There was no question about it: this region, situated on Italy's Adriatic coast, would be my little secret. Unlike Tuscany, Abruzzi had not been popularized by mass-marketed books or Merchant-Ivory films. Unlike Umbria or Le Marche, it remained relatively undiscovered by those who thought they knew all the undiscovered places. Few people I knew had ever heard of Abruzzi, much less had any interest in renting a villa there. It belonged to me.
      So I had mixed feelings when I was invited to hear writer Luigi Monteferrante speak at the DaVinci Art Alliance a few weeks ago. Monteferrante, a Canadian native now living in the picturesque Abruzzese town of Vasto, runs a unique service: workshop retreats that give other writers and visual artists the chance to soak up the scenery and recharge their creative batteries. Here he was in South Philadelphia, spilling my secret to everyone. How could he? Then I met him, heard what he had to say, and then I thought, how could he not? Abruzzi is fabulous, and his retreats are too wonderful not to share.
      Monteferrante's unique get-aways   which he runs with Philadelphia-area artist Rachel Citrino   provide tours, studio space, and as much   or as little   structure and interaction as each guest might require or desire. It all started when Monteferrante was a child. Growing up in Montreal, he vacationed with his family in Italy. It became a second home, and after graduating from college, he decided to make it his first. In between teaching English to corporate clients and wind-surfing, he wrote, married an Italian woman, and decided to stay. That was twenty-two years ago. The environment proved to be an ideal incubator for his own writing (he has published stories in the Chicago Quarterly Review as well as a novel, At the Heart of the Devil's Lair), and now he wants others to bask in this source of inspiration. This is not the typical touristy tour; it is, in Monteferrante's words, "A chance for me to show people the Italy I know." And he knows it well.
      Held twice each year, the retreats consist of up to ten participants, who rendezvous in Rome for a three-day introductory period. From there, they see an Italy that's not on the usual tourist routes. A bus takes them to the little village of Fontecchio, where they'll view the imposing castle and the lovely Romanesque church of San Francesco. Then it's off to the medieval town of Vasto for the next eight days. While on Monteferrante's home turf, guests have lots of inviting options; Monteferrante and Citrino tailor the activities to the wishes of their guests, and Citrino even distributes a questionnaire to determine their preferences. You might wish to relax on the pristine beaches. You can visit the picturesque historic town, with its distinctive architecture. Or you might chose to spend the morning cycling, and the afternoon exploring the resources of the Rossetti House (the home of Gabriel Rossetti, father of the famous Dante Gabriel), now an archive. You might also hop on the minibus for a visit to a vineyard, a trip to the Trimiti Islands, or a jaunt to Venice for the Biennale.
      And while play is strongly encouraged, there are plenty of opportunities for work, too. Artists can attend Rachel Citrino's workshops on drawing, painting or photography, or work privately in one of the spacious studios. Writers can enough find peace and quiet to crank out that book or polish that screenplay. And this is Italy, of course, so in between, there are wine tastings, wonderful dinners, and lots of pleasant surprises. At the end of the stay, all artists are welcome to display their finished pieces or their works-in-progress at a special exhibition and reception. (Last year's drew some nearly 60 visitors!)
      The 2007 retreats will be held May 28 through June 10, and from June 18 through July 1. The price is $2,850 per person, including the accommodations, transportation to and from Rome, all breakfasts, most other meals, and tour guides. The optional excursion to Venice (June 10-13) is an additional $495.
      With the gregarious and gracious Monteferrante and Citrino leading the way, it's hard to imagine that my private Abruzzi will remain a secret much longer. The books and movies are sure to follow, and so are the tourists. But it's also likely that the visiting artists and writers will also fill the world with works of true beauty inspired by their travels to this magnificent region. And that's not such a bad thing.

      For more information, visit www.vm-plus.com or www.villamonteferrante.com.

        E-mail Luigi Monteferrante at info@luigimonteferrante.com.

      For information about future Da Vinci Art Alliance events, visit www.davinciartalliance.org.