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Essential information

Dates: Sunday 18 July to Saturday 24 July 2027 

Location: Tara Nature Retreat, near Todi, Italy. 

Group Size: Between 6-10 (female-only)

Price: 

Early Bird (book before 31 Oct 2026): £1880 for accommodation in the main house; £1300 for glamping. 

After 31 Oct: £1990 for accommodation in the main house; £1400 for glamping.

Can be paid in one go, or in instalments. Book before 31 Oct to lock in the cheapest instalment prices. 

5% discount (equivalent to £99.50 for the main accommodation) for annual/founding subscribers to my Substack.

What’s included in the price:

6 nights accommodation; all meals; minivan transfer from Rome’s airports to retreat centre; 5-and-a-bit days of feminist writing workshops, tutorials, discussions and writing time; 2 yoga classes; and full use of the retreat centre’s facilities, including swimming pool, nature trails, private writing spaces. Once you’re at the retreat, everything is taken care of!

What’s not included: 

Your travel (other than minivan transfer). Alcohol is available via a cash honesty bar. There are options for day trips and experiences, such as truffle hunting, a cookery course, or a trip to Lake Trasimeno. The retreat timetable includes a 30-min one-to-one tutorial with Rachel, but there is the opportunity to purchase a further 60-min tutorial, which (if you wish) could include feedback on a submitted piece of writing. 

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What might the timetable look like?

Arrival at the retreat centre. Check-in is available from 3pm onwards. If you are taking the free minivan transfer from Rome FCO or CIA airport, then you will arrive at the retreat centre around 4pm. You’ll receive a welcome drink and snack, be shown to your room, and have some time to settle in, freshen up, and rest.

6pm-7pm: dinner 

7pm-8.30pm: workshop 1. This will be an introductory session in which we’ll meet one another, and details of the upcoming workshops will be provided. We may also do a bit of writing!

7.30-9am: breakfast

9am-11am: workshop 2

11am-12pm: guided reading time (texts provided by Rachel)

12pm-1pm: lunch

1pm-3pm: orientation walk around the Nature Retreat’s grounds, including down to the river. Opportunity for a dip. Also, feel free to take a siesta, swim in the pool, or engage in independent writing time. 

3pm-5pm: workshop 3

5pm-6pm: one-to-one tutorials/ independent writing time

6pm-7pm: dinner

7pm-8.30pm: group discussion

7.30-9am: breakfast

9am-11am: workshop 4

11am-12pm: yoga class (optional, of course!)

12pm-1pm: lunch

1pm-2.30pm: workshop 5

2.30pm-4.30pm: independent writing time (or siesta, swimming, or other independent activities)

4.30pm-6pm: one-to-one tutorials/ independent writing time

6pm-7pm: dinner

7pm-8.30pm: group discussion

7.30-9am: breakfast

9am-11am: workshop 6

11am-12pm: guided reading time (texts provided by Rachel)

12pm-1pm: lunch

1pm-2.30pm: independent writing time (or siesta, swimming, or other independent activities)

2.30pm-4.30pm: workshop 7

4.30pm-6pm: one-to-one tutorials/ independent writing time

6pm-7pm: dinner

7pm-8.30pm: group discussion

7.30-9am: breakfast

9am-11am: workshop 8

11am-12pm: yoga class

12pm-1pm: lunch

1pm-6pm: independent writing time with an optional prompt or mini-project provided by Rachel. Alternatively, you can take a siesta, go swimming, or take part in other independent activities. With this extended free afternoon, there is an opportunity to participate in a cooking course, truffle hunt, or take a trip to Lake Trasimeno. These can be booked and paid for separately. 

6pm-7pm: dinner

7pm-8.30pm: group discussion

7.30-9am: breakfast

9am-11am: workshop 9

11am-12pm: guided reading time (texts provided by Rachel)

12pm-1pm: lunch

1pm-3pm: independent writing time (or siesta, swimming, or other independent activities)

3pm-5pm: workshop 10

5pm-6pm: one-to-one tutorials/ independent writing time

6pm-7pm: dinner

7pm-8.30pm: group discussion

7.30-8.30am: breakfast and farewells

8.30am: free minivan transfer to Rome’s FCO and CIA airports departs

10am: latest checkout time for guests not taking the minivan

Which workshops might be on offer?

The timetable and workshops will be firmed up, and sent to guests, nearer the time.

These are the titles of sessions I’ve given in the past. They are intended to provide a flavour of how I teach, but the actual sessions that comprise the retreat will likely differ.

Magic Eye: Observing the World Through a Feminist Lens

Feminist Approaches to Writing About the Natural World

The Place of Personal Experience in Feminist Writing

The Personal to the Political: Transitioning between Memoir and Context

Researching and Writing Herstory

The Silent Woman: Negotiating Gaps in the Historical Record

Representing Men and Violence 

Writing About Emotion: Personal Experience or Social Symptom?

Broadbrush Beginnings: The Stories We Might Tell

Collecting and Recycling Part 1: Observing our Bodies

Collecting and Recycling Part 2: Collecting Stories in the Landscape

The Survivor’s Voice: Writing About Adversity and Trauma

Mother Tongue: Forging Female-Friendly Language

Changing Scale: Shifting from the Personal to the Political

Any queries?