The hinge of the day creaks
And a little reminder about the Nest Residency
Hello,
It’s been a while… I’ve missed writing in this space but life, it seems, has had other plans.
St Swithan’s Day arrived last week with a total mix bag of all weathers from pouring rain to rainbows, from wind that rattled the windows to the briefest glimmers of sunshine…. typical Cornish weather really! It felt like a true reflection of how life has been for most of this year for me, a real minestrone mix of emotions and seasons… And, it was a timely reminder of how in the hinge of a day so much can change.
June and July have been a whirlwind of returning to work post surgery and trying to find my feet on somewhat uneven and uncertain ground. The little recovery nest that I built around myself has been well and truly dismantled and repurposed in the face of work, family responsibilities and the needs of others.
As I look around the muddle and mess of my house and desk, I long for a moment to just gather the feathers, fluff and sticks to rebuild another nest. This year has been a wild old time of lots of pain and grief, of having to let go of some precious things and saying goodbye to some incredible souls… There has been so much hat wearing, plate spinning and heart bruising that as I look to the next few weeks, I’m reminding myself of the Small Acts of Attention that I can hold in my hands and heart to carry me through the days.
Yesterday, I held my last summer co-writing session and it was such a wonderful hour, writing in the company of others. I don’t think I’ve realised how much I have missed it since Calliope’s Writers came to an end and how much I longed for those moments. The privilege of holding space for others is something that brings me so much joy and I am so incredibly grateful to all those who joined me over the past month or so. I have truly cherished the regular moments of coming together online and I’m looking forward to running some more sessions in September, I’ll share more on that over the coming weeks.
In the meantime (and because I’ve been rather rubbish at circulating this), I thought I would share a little reminder that there is still time to apply for the Nest Residency. I would love for word of it to reach those who could benefit from the time and space to write, so if you know someone please do share this with them (or maybe you want to apply for yourself!).
The Nest Residency
It has always been my intention to make the Solo Writing Retreats accessible and affordable. I am acutely aware that there is so much gatekeeping that goes on in the publishing industry and that there are so many barriers to creative opportunities for writing, especially for women. So, I want to help others and open up the space to those who would otherwise be unable to access it.
In the future, I really hope to offer fully funded places. Whilst I work on making this a reality, The Nest Residency is the opportunity to apply for a subsidised spot to experience a two night solo writing retreat at our annexe in Cornwall for just £50 on selected dates.
Eligibility
The residency is open to anyone who would otherwise be unable to access a retreat.
To be eligible, you must reside in the UK and not yet have had any writing published by a professional publishing company (if you have self-published you can still apply).
Deadline
Applications will close at 9AM on Tuesday 30th July and successful applications will be informed by 12th August.
Successful applicants will have a choice of attending a residency on either:
Tuesday 8th – Thursday 10th October 2024 OR Tuesday 5th – Thursday 7th November 2024
The residency details
The residency is the opportunity to experience a two night solo writing retreat for just £50 on either 8th – 10th October or 5th – 7th November 2024. You can find out more about the space and see what it looks like here.
Please note, you will need to cover the cost of travel to and from the retreat and the retreat itself self-catered (there are some kitchen basics and some welcome snacks but meals will not be provided).
Please make sure you read all the retreat terms and conditions before applying and the Things to Note section on my website.
Thanks so much for reading.