The Best Writing Retreat in Western Europe

We are now taking bookings for writing retreats starting in June 2010 at the inspirational Glencanisp Lodge, which is currently being refurbished, to make it warm, comfortable and luxurious. There are no qualifications required to come and no compulsory activities, just an opportunity for writers or other creative people to develop their work in progress in a peaceful and stunningly beautiful environment.

Six retreat weeks are available from 2010 to 2011:
• 26 June – 3 July 2010
Midsummer in Assynt gives long, long days and the flowers, birds and other wildlife are at the peak of their season.
• 11 – 18 September 2010
Out on the moors the heather is in full flower, while the woods are bursting with fruit and the sea is at its warmest.
• 30 October – 6 November 2010
Late autumn in Assynt is sheer magic. Low-angled light sets the moors ablaze. Stags roar for the rut and flocks of migrant birds steal the last of the berries. Bring your camera, paints or wools as well as your pen. The next week is also available, giving you the option of a fortnight’s retreat.
• 6 – 13 November 2010
This week we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Norman MacCaig, who wrote so much of his best poetry in and about Assynt. There will be lots of opportunities to visit some of the places he stayed and wrote about, to share and appreciate his poems and to meet local people who knew him.
• 8-15 January 2011
After the season of over-indulgence, it’s the perfect time to quieten down and keep your new year’s resolutions to be creative: whether that’s writing, painting or craftwork. There will be a log fire burning at all times and both writing and textile crafts experts on hand to give encouragement.
• 26 March – 2 April 2011
Spring comes quietly in Assynt, but its song is beautiful. It’s the time of primroses and violets, thrushes, warblers and the wingbeats of geese skeins heading north.

This is the fourth year Glencanisp Lodge has hosted writing retreats. Over this time, the retreats have provided space, tranquility and stimulation for more than 40 published and aspiring poets, short story writers and novelists including Margaret Elphinstone, Rodge Glass, Jason Donald, Paula Jennings and Colin Will.

Previous retreaters have said: ‘The best writing retreat in Western Europe…’, ‘I had a wonderful time, thank you so much. I feel refreshed and inspired…’, ‘I adored the peace and quiet, the scenery, the food and the company…’, ‘What did I write? One new poem every day…’, ‘It was great. Being here allowed me to have insights into how to progress my novel…’, ‘Distance from my normal existence has produced work that I’m proud of, encapsulating some of the magic of this place…’, ‘A lovely house overlooking the most wonderful views…’.

Any writers or other creative people are welcome on the retreats, which cost £480 per person (June, September) or £420 (October, November, January, March). The retreats run from Saturday to Saturday, a whole week’s writing time. Everyone gets a private and comfortable room to themselves, many of which have spectacular views out to the iconic mountain of Suilven or into the mature woods around the Lodge. Delicious home-cooked food is included. A facilitator is on hand to give feedback or writing advice if desired.

To reserve a place on a retreat please send a deposit of £200, cheque made out to 'Top Left Corner'. Deposits are non-refundable in case of cancellation by you, but if we cancel, we will repay in full. Full payment is due 8 weeks before the retreat begins.

For more information please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Email: hag@worldforests.org
Phone: +44 (0)1571 844020
Mobile: +44 (0)7734 235704
Address: Top Left Corner, 95 Achmelvich, Lochinver, Sutherland, IV27 4JB, Scotland

New directions

I have spent the day finding out about social enterprises and wondering if Top Left Corner should or conceivably could evolve into a community interest company. This is such a deeply boring question that I am amazed to find myself giving it even 10 minutes of consideration, but on the other hand, I am quailing at the prospect of paying out somewhere in excess of £12,000 to rent Glencanisp Lodge for writing retreats, which I want to run in 2010 and 2011. This is more than I earn in a year. It is simply not rational to take this kind of financial risk on my own. So I turn to face the demon of bureaucracy, and his eyes burn.

Here's something to take our minds off such horrors. My book Paper Trails got a mention ('compelling and terrifying') in the Observer at the weekend. I'm not trying to be a doom-merchant, honest. I am much more cheery in a piece that I have published in a forthcoming book of nature writing called A Wilder Vein published by Two Ravens Press, whose new website is looking great. By the way, the Two Ravens website is much the cheapest place to buy copies of my other books, The Last Bear and Castings. I feel justified in putting these gratuitous plugs in because the links are new and anyway, if I can't plug my books, who can? The Hexham Courant, the local newspaper where I grew up, has done a local girl done good piece about the Last Bear winning the Robin Jenkins prize.

Tomorrow I return to the question of how to help Top Left Corner bring more writers to Assynt. What kind of administrative creature is it? Our discussions today covered organisational values. Mine are simplicity, creativity, love, rahayu and love of the earth. It's not at all clear that these translate in any obvious manner to a standard business model, though I'm happy to be told otherwise.

Benefit gig and other diary dates

Tonight I'm part of a charity ceilidh at Lochinver Village Hall, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care - I never thought I'd hear myself saying 'I'm doing a benefit gig tonight'. But I am.

The week after next I will be teaching a creative writing course on Iona. Its theme is 'sense of place', and it is being organised by Steph Green. I believe there are still places available. I'm particularly looking forward to the boat trip to Staffa and hope we have the weather for it. I've only been to Iona once, in 2002, and it remains in my memory for two reasons. The first was a stunning clarity of light. The second was a good bookshop where I discovered 'The Artists Way', a book by Julia Cameron which recommends a methodology for creativity involving daily stream-of-consciousness writing and weekly self-indulgent treats. It worked for me.

The following weekend, 19-20 September I'll be at the Black Isle Words Festival at Cromarty, where I'm doing poetry on Sunday morning.

Then on 24 September, I'll be reading from The Last Bear at a Highland Society of Authors event at the MacPhail Centre Library in Ullapool. On Saturday 27 September, it's Hidden City, a poetry walking extravaganza in Glasgow as part of the Merchant City Festival. On 14 October I'll be in Dunoon, Ballimore House as part of the Cowal festival, wearing my 'Robin Jenkins' prize rosette. Hopefully I'll get some time for writing in between trips away.

First Prize for The Last Bear

It has taken a week to sink in. Last Monday, at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Minister for Culture Mike Russell opened the envelope containing the name of the winner of the Robin Jenkins Literary Award, and read out 'The Last Bear' by Mandy Haggith. Blow me down with a feather. Wow. I was speechless. Fortunately, rather than having to extemporise, I was asked to read from the book and managed not to stumble too badly through a page or so of sleepy-old-bear from page 42-3. I'm still pretty much struck dumb by it. And absolutely delighted.

I am now faced by two difficult questions. Firstly, what should I do with the £5000 prize money? Share it with the other excellent authors on the shortlist? Give it to some deserving cause? Blow it on a trip somewhere exciting? Buy all those books I want? Stash it away in the hope of one day accumulating enough money to upgrade from a caravan to a house? Or live on it, thereby stretching the time, currently being paid for by the Scottish Arts Council (thank you, thank you, thank you), I can spend on writing instead of having to do other stuff to earn a pound?

Secondly, how do I make the most of winning? The novel hasn't exactly been a bestseller so far - is there any way that being deemed the best environmental writing in Scotland this year might garner it a few more readers? The news release does not seem to have generated much interest in the prize from the press. It seems to have sold out at Amazon, which is perhaps encouraging, though it's cheaper to buy it direct from the publishers here. Suggestions much appreciated.

Loose Tongues

That's me grinning on the right side of the longest line-up ever of 'Loose Tongues' - a women's poetry performance group that I've been a member of since Steph Green formed it a few years back. We performed as part of the Edinburgh Free Fringe, on Tuesday 11 August. The audience was as warm as any I've ever experienced - heckling, laughing and clapping. There was even the odd cheer, and some book sales, always gratifying. It was great to meet the new members of the group. From the left: Lynsey Calderwood, Stephanie Green, Irene Brown, Patricia Ace, Janie McKie, Elaine Feeney and me.

I'm looking forwards to my next Edinburgh event on Thursday 20 August (Blackwell's South Bridge, 6-8pm), and finding out who has won the Robin Jenkins Literary Award on 24 August.

Edinburgh Events

I have just heard that The Last Bear has been shortlisted for the Robin Jenkins Literary Award, and we'll find out who the winner is at an event on 24 August at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Very exciting.

I am due to be in Edinburgh then anyway, as I am due to give a reading from the Bear at Blackwell bookshop on South Bridge at 7pm on Thursday 20 August, after which I'll spend a few days festivaling.

I also have another Edinburgh gig, as part of Loose Tongues, a bunch of feisty women writers, and we're performing at Fingers Piano Bar, Frederick Street at 7.50pm on Tuesday 11 August, as part of the Underword free festival.

Assynt Mountains

the row of crones
rugs on knees
watch the coalfire dawn

Canisp, nearest the blaze, grins

the sun rises
between blackened stumps
in ancient Lewisian gums

This poem is being included in the Edexcel GCSE English poetry anthology, with a print run by Pearson of 100,000 - a mindblowing concept for a poet! There's no financial benefit, but it's a great feeling to think that tens of thousands of teenagers may soon be reading about Canisp.

The poem was one of the first I ever had published, way back in 2002 by Northwords. It was included in my 2005 pamphlet letting light in, proceeds of which helped in their tiny way to enable Canisp, along with three other Assynt mountains, to become community-owned. One of these days I'll get round to bringing letting light in back into print.