Posara’s very own Sharon Kendrick is starring at this year’s Cheltenham Literary Festival on Tuesday 13 October.  Together with Katie Fforde, Stella Duffy (who came to Posara in 2008), and Virginia McKenna, Sharon will be looking at Literary Heroes and what makes them unforgettable. Book early to be sure of a place!

Save £75 off your holiday by reserving your place now!

One of the watermill’s Australian tutors and our friend, Terry Jarvis, has just sent us this lovely picture he painted of the church clock in Fivizzano, the peaceful walled Medieval town near the watermill.

Nothing much earth-shattering happens in Fivizzano: life continues in the same quiet rhythms, with the market on Tuesdays, Mass on Sundays and the occasional dance or extravaganza in the main square.

So it is entirely appropriate that in this painting by Terry of the church tower in the centre of town the hands on the clock are eternally still.

Our painting holiday guests come the mile or so from the mill to Fivizzano to paint among the ancient narrow, car-free streets and along the city walls, looking out on fields of sunflowers and the grapes ripening under the Tuscan sun. And in the evening they’ll come up to town on a couple of nights, to sample the home cooking at the Caffé Elvetico or the Ristorante il Giardinetto …

Now is the time to organise joining them next year and to reserve your place on one of our famous painting holidays. You’ll take advantage of our generous Early Bird deal: If you book your place for a 2010 course before the end of the year, there’s a £75 ‘Early Bird’ discount. (Please quote promotion code blog1409 at time of booking.) We’ve a fabulous line-up of painting and creative writing tutors next year and, of course, everyone will enjoy the renowned hospitality of the Posara team.

Don’t forget the watermill holidays are a wonderful example of an all-exclusive deal: from the moment you arrive at Pisa airport on your first Saturday to the moment we drop you back again a week later, you’ll be spoilt rotten and you won’t have to spend any money at all during your stay. (Postcards and the odd extra drink or snack are up to you!)

Yes, everything is included in the cost of your holiday: accommodation (including all linen and towels), pre-dinner aperitifs, all meals (including dinner with wine at charming local restaurants), local transportation (including transfers to Pisa airport; an excursion by train to the marvellous walled city of Lucca) and tuition. All taxes paid. No supplements. No hidden extras. All you have to do is to get to Pisa and we do the rest!

So come on Early Birds! Get your booking in now and take advantage of our special offer. You know it makes sense and that you deserve it!

Email now us at info@watermill.net or call us on (UK number) 01888 568 375.

Thank you, Jo Brown, for this photo of the group enjoying the warm Italian sunshine on the vine verandah during Sharon’s writing course in May.  Lots of notebooks in evidence so some work was done, too!

Sharon Kendrick has just returned from the watermill where she took another very successful, fun-filled creative writing course in Romantic fiction.

She tells us: “We had a wonderful time again at the watermill, even better than last year! The chemistry of the group was excellent and everyone worked — and played  — together really well. They described themselves as 12 fantastic women who love fiction and laughing.”

And we’ve had feedback from one of her students who emailed to say: “I just wanted to drop you a brief note to tell you what a great time I had with Sharon at the Mill last week. The Mill, Sharon, Kirsten’s organisation, Kirsten and Mirella’s cooking, the local restaurants and Paulo’s driving were superb. We laughed our way through a fantastic, excellent value for money, week.”

You, too, could enjoy the delights of a Writing Romance course: Sharon’s course next year runs from 8-15 May 2010. Book NOW to avoid disappointment.

There’s more about Sharon on her website at www.sharonkendrick.com and if you go to her Events section, there’s something about her courses at the watermill.

She writes: “The week-long course is held in a picturesque watermill, situated at the foot of a mountain – in an area of outstanding natural beauty. There’s an abundance of blue skies, flowers and birdsong – as well as a pace of life which will slow you right down, leaving you the time and inspiration to think about your writing.”

She adds: “The programme is interactive, proactive – and just about any kind of active you want it to be! We’ll discuss full-blooded characterisation, believable dialogue and narrative-that-matters – as well as that all-important conflict. And love. Naturally. There is plenty of opportunity to have an ongoing assessment of your progress – as well as a one-to-one session with me at the end of the week. All this, and the chance to explore lots of local restaurants in pretty, rural Italian villages and some of the surrounding countryside. What more could you ask for?”

So we are now taking bookings for Sharon’s 2010 course which, just to reiterate, runs from 8-15 May 2010. Numbers are limited, so do book early if you want to come.

Our picture of Sharon was taken last year at the nearby Al Vecchio Tino restaurant, where students enjoy a morning creative session under the shade of the trees, before enjoying a delicious gourmet lunch …

More pictures of this year’s course will follow.

Hello to everyone!

Bluebells of Scotland

Spring is very much underway in Forglen and here’s a photograph from the nearby bluebell dell to prove it!  In Italy Spring is much further on and they are almost calling it Summer.  The courses began this week, kicking off with Sharon’s creative writing course for romance novelists.  They’re all having a splendid time.

If you would like to book for one of our courses, we still have the following availability on our painting holidays:
- a couple of places with Mike Kitchen, 23-30 May
- one place with Lyn Fraser-Roberts, 4-11 July
- three places with Terry Jarvis, 11-18 July
- two places with Annelise Pio Hansen, 29 August to 5 September
- two places with Charles Sluga, 3-10 October

There are waiting lists on the other painting holidays (and the same for Jessica’s writing course if that’s what you’re after.  We’ve also opened Sharon’s course in 2010 for booking if that’s not too far ahead for you to contemplate!

Merry Christmas to you all from the Watermill at Posara.  Only eight days left to claim your £50 early-bird offer!

Here’s part of a painter’s sketchbook by Bob Henfrey, who was a painting tutor at the mill last year, to remind you of the beautiful mill gardens and gnarled old mulberry trees which must have been there for 150 years or more.  You can see the picture bigger if you just click on it.

We look forward to seeing you in 2009!

Sharon, one of our creative writing tutors at the watermill in 2009, has a great new website.  Sharon’s course is now full but please contact us if you would like to be added to the waiting list.  Alternatively, we still have someplaces remaining on Jessica Hart’s course later in the year, 26 September to 3 October 2009.  Take a look at her profile, to find out more.

There are just 21 days left for you to claim your £50 early-bird discount on our painting and creative writing courses.  All you have to do is make your booking before the end of the year to claim this special offer.  To reserve your place on a painting holiday, go direct to our website.  If you are interested in coming on a writing course, click here.  We look forward to welcoming you to the watermill!

I’ve just spent an unproductive couple of hours trying to dowload a clip for you from the BBC4 programme - but to no avail.  But here’s a pic with a great quote. Stella Duffy on ‘How to Write a Mills & Boon’ says about the the watermill creative writing course with Sharon Kendrick:  “It’s a lot easier than writing at home with the phone ringing, email…and next-door’s builder interrupting you…you could do this all the time!”