Myths and Legends inspire Tŷ Newydd’s 2017 Course Programme with stellar line-up of tutors and guest speakers
“Tŷ Newydd is my favourite writing centre. The welcome is Welsh and warm, the house is so comfortable and the garden, sloping down to the sea-view, is inspiring. It's a home from home.” – Pascale Petit 2016
Literature Wales has announced the 2017 programme of creative writing courses for Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre. The programme offers day, weekend and week-long courses and retreats suitable for beginners and more experienced writers both in English and Welsh. Inspired by the Government’s announcement that 2017 is the ‘Year of Legends’ in Wales, the courses will focus on ancient literature in the landscape, re-imagining familiar folktales and experimenting with the magic of words.
In partnership with Beyond the Border, Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton will encourage beginners to take up the craft of storytelling; and the ever-popular Storytelling Retreat will return to explore some of the world's strangest and most beautiful traditional fairy tales. Former Young People’s Laureate for Wales, Catherine Fisher, will be joined by Kevin Crossley-Holland to tutor a course on myths and folktales in literature for Young Audiences; and Jay Griffiths and Angharad Wynne will combine walking the mythically and archaeologically rich landscapes of Snowdonia and the Llŷn Peninsula with creative writing about place.
The magic will continue on the fiction courses with the enchanting Mavis Cheek returning to co- tutor with Francesca Rhydderch; Niall Griffiths pairing with Julia Bell; and Cardiff based writers Kate Hamer, the author of The Girl in the Red Coat (Faber & Faber), and Holly Müller leading a course on writing a novel from beginning to end. Crossing from the realm of fiction to fact, Horatio Clare and Jon Gower will tutor a course entitled Dazzling Non-fiction: Making the Most of the Real; and literary journalists Arifa Akbar and Alex Clark will give guidance on editing and publishing life stories.
Poetry headliners Gillian Clarke, Carol Ann Duffy and Maura Dooley will return with two exclusive Masterclasses in 2017 for committed poets. Poetry courses in 2017 also include award-winning poets George Szirtes and Deryn Rees-Jones; Pascale Petit and Karen McCarthy Woolf; the Guardian First Book Award winner Andrew McMillan and Helen Mort; spoken word artists Will Burns and Hollie McNish; and Annie Freud and Pamela Robertson-Pearce will combine the practice of visual art with words.
Literature Wales’ Writing for Health and Wellbeing project will continue with courses on Yoga and Writing, Poetry and Dementia and Writing and Mindfulness to offer a range of therapeutic writing approaches through the interactive use of poetry, prose and guided meditation. If you’re a Welsh– learner, the programme includes a Creative Writing for Welsh-learners course, and many of the courses feature a Welsh-speaking tutor who will be able to discuss your work-in-progress.
The list of guest readers is once more made up literary giants including A.L.Kennedy; poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan; Tessa Hadley; Patrick Gale; performance poet Luke Wright, and poet Imtiaz Dharker. Yet more will be confirmed during the year.
Leusa Llewelyn, Head of Tŷ Newydd, said: “We look forward to welcoming so many esteemed tutors to Tŷ Newydd in 2017 to teach courses aimed at developing the skills and confidence of writers in Wales and beyond. By combining interests such as art, yoga and walking with creative writing, we hope to encourage more writers to visit us and to experience the magic of Tŷ Newydd – the perfect place to start your story.”
To celebrate the announcement of the 2017 course programme, Literature Wales is offering a discount of 10% off residential courses until 31 January 2017 with the code TN2017.
To view the 2017 Course Programme in full and for news from Tŷ Newydd visit www.tynewydd.wales, or to request a print brochure, contact Tŷ Newydd on: 01766 522811 / tynewydd@literaturewales.org
Follow Tŷ Newydd on Twitter for information on courses, classes, and latest news: @Ty_Newydd and like Tŷ Newydd on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CanolfanTyNewydd/
Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre is run by Literature Wales, the national company for the development of literature: www.literaturewales.org / @LitWales
