Retreats
Inkslingers Cancellation Policy
CANCELLATION POLICY:
If I receive your cancellation notice up to five days in advance of the retreat, (for instance, if the retreat is on a Saturday, I must hear from you by midnight on the previous Sunday) you may choose to apply your deposit to a future retreat or receive a refund (minus a $20 administration fee).
If you cancel with less than five days notice, (in the example above, for instance, it would be anytime Monday or later) and your spot cannot be filled from a waiting list, no refund will be made. However, you are permitted to sell or gift your spot for that date to another person. If you do this, please email or call me right away to provide the contact information of your replacement. Since I provide lunch, it is important that I know of any dietary restrictions etc.
NOTE: *If a Poetry Sanctuary is cancelled for any reason, such as severe winter weather creates dangerous driving conditions, I will call all registered participants as soon as I have made the decision to cancel. In this situation, participants may request a full refund or transfer their payment to a future retreat date.
Inkslingers Writing Retreat – 7 Days Write by Lake Simcoe
A Review
by Theresa Dekker
In 2011 I was looking for an affordable getaway where I could concentrate on my writing when I received a notice describing the Inkslingers weeklong writing retreat at Loretto Maryholme in Roches Point, Ontario. Only an hour’s drive from home, set on an idyllic country property, it offered me a sanctuary from distractions and excuses.
I arrived on a beautiful July Sunday afternoon and after unpacking in my private room took a walk to explore the grounds. From the various flower gardens to the unimpeded view of Lake Simcoe and then through a silent walk of the labyrinth I felt myself letting go of all the day-to-day clamour that had occupied my thoughts.
The group gathered for a delicious meal – the first of many prepared by Chef Deb Rankine – where we had a chance to meet fellow writers and talk about how the week would flow. Our hosts and facilitators, Sue Reynolds and James Dewar, set a comfortable relaxed tone from the first night. I headed off to bed ready to experience silent mornings. Continue reading
IRELAND August 6 to 14, 2016 – writing, yoga, exploration
From August 6th to 14th, Inkslingers will be offering a writing/yoga/discovery retreat in lovely, literary Ireland!
Ireland is the home and inspiration of a number of literary greats, many of whom have influenced the literature of Western civilization: James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, C. S. Lewis, Edna O’Brien, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, Anne Enright, Samuel Beckett, Brendan Behan, George Bernard Shaw, Roddy Doyle, Seamus Heaney, Maeve Binchy, to name some of the best known.
Come and steep yourself in Irish literature and landscape. Slow down and let the beauty and history of Ireland seep into your consciousness, and your writing.
Participants who wish to travel with the group will leave Toronto on Friday evening, August 5th, arriving in Dublin midday on Saturday, August 6th. (Participants are also welcome to make their own travel arrangements and meet us in Dublin).
Optional activities will include visiting sites of significant literary, geological and historical significance in this land that saved civilization during the Dark Ages.
After two nights in Dublin, the group will head off to Sligo (Yeats Country!) for two days, then to Ennis in County Clare for two days, before returning to Dublin for the last days.
Each day will begin with the Radical Restoration model of yoga at 7:00, breakfast at 8:30 and a 2 1/2 hour writing workshop after that.
After lunch each day there will be optional local activities that individuals can participate in or not, as they wish or as they have energy for. (Three of the days will include travel to our next destination in the afternoon. This, of course, is not optional 🙂 ) This is your retreat so each participant is at complete liberty to follow their own inclination or energy level when it comes to planned events.
Please click here to register and to pay the deposit.
Yoga classes will be offered by yoga teacher and poet extraordinaire, Kate Marshall Flaherty.
The writing sessions will be led by Sue Reynolds, with occasional support by Kate and by James Dewar.
Pricing:
Early bird registration for this retreat is $2700 Cdn if you register before April 18th, 2016.
Cost of this retreat is $2950 Cdn after that date.
A non-refundable deposit of $250 Cdn is required at the time of reserving your spot on the retreat. Trip must be paid in full 60 days before August 5th.
That price includes all hotels (double occupancy), all breakfasts, the programmes (yoga and writing workshops) all transfers between hotels, and 4 dinners. Quoted price also includes most of the optional activities available to the group (list to follow).
A VERY limited number of single occupancy rooms are available for an additional $429 Cdn. Single rooms will be available on a strict first come first served basis. Book early!
Not covered: Participants are responsible for their own airfare to Dublin, lunches, and 4 dinners.
Please click here to register and to pay the deposit.
Inkslingers makes time for your writing this summer
Here are the opportunities Inkslingers is offering for June, July and August (and a peek into the Fall too!)
June 20th
Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
Uplands Writing Retreat
June 27th
Writer’s Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
Uplands Writing Retreat
July 5th
WRITE @ THE ROM
Royal Ontario Museum
For more information about this full day Workshop….
July 12th
Writer’s Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
Uplands Writing Retreat
July 16th to 19th
Residential Summer Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
From Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon at the Uplands Writing Retreat
July 25th
Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
Uplands Writing Retreat
August 8th
Writer’s Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
Uplands Writing Retreat
August 20th to 23rd
Residential Summer Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
From Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon at the Uplands Writing Retreat
In the Fall
A Novel Approach to Fiction and to Memoir is back for its 7th year
October 24th & 25th
ELLEN BASS 2 DAY POETRY WORKSHOP
Toronto, Ontario
(Note: includes admission to Ellen’s reading
at the International Festival of Authors on Oct. 25th)
October 4th
WRITE @ THE McMICHAEL GALLERY
The McMICHAEL Gallery, Kleinburg, Ontario
For more information about this full day Workshop….
Please fill out this form to register for Writers’ Sanctuary
When you click “Send” you will be redirected to the payment page. If for some reason your browser has trouble with this, you can CLICK THIS LINK to go to the payment page.
Payment for Residential Summer Sanctuaries
____________________________________________________________________
Please click the appropriate PayPal link
Or pay the full amount at time of booking if desired
Please note that HST is applicable to all payments and will be calculated at checkout. HST #85309 9455
| Private Room – $480 + HST | $480 + HST |
| Shared Room/Shared Bed – $750 + HST for two people ($375 each) (this option must be signed up for together – we will not impose double sleeping arrangments) |
$750 + HST for two people ($375 each) |
| Your Own Tent – $350 + HST | $350 + HST |
| Day Rate for Locals – $325 + HST | $325 + HST |
Follow up Payments and Cancellation Policy:
If you cancel with less than 30 days remaining until the retreat begins, refunds are not possible, although you may apply 75% of this retreat fee to a later retreat. Registration fees are fully transferable to another writer if you can find someone to take your place.
Ellen Bass Workshop Toronto, October 24 & 25, 2015
Photo by Irene Young
Ellen Bass is an extraordinary poet, teacher and author.
Having been lucky enough to study with her in California and in Mallorca, Sue and James dearly wanted to bring her to the writing community in Toronto.
The stars (and the International Festival of Authors!) have finally aligned.
Ellen will be here teaching a 2 day workshop and reading at the IFOA the weekend of October 24 & 25. The way Ellen teaches poetry is not to be missed!
Click here for more information about the weekend, and to register
Biography:
Ellen Bass’s most recent book of poetry, Like a Beggar, was published in April 2014 by Copper Canyon Press. Her previous poetry books include The Human Line (Copper Canyon Press), named a Notable Book by the San Francisco Chronicle, and Mules of Love (BOA Editions), which won the Lambda Literary Award. She co-edited (with Florence Howe) the groundbreaking No More Masks! An Anthology of Poems by Women (Doubleday).
Her poems have appeared in hundreds of journals and anthologies, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The American Poetry Review, The New Republic, The Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and The Sun. She was awarded a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Elliston Book Award for Poetry from the University of Cincinnati, Nimrod/Hardman’s Pablo Neruda Prize, The Missouri Review’s Larry Levis Award, the Greensboro Poetry Prize, the New Letters Poetry Prize, the Chautauqua Poetry Prize, a Fellowship from the California Arts Council, and two Pushcart Prizes.
Her non-fiction books include Free Your Mind: The Book for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Youth(HarperCollins), I Never Told Anyone: Writings by Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse(HarperCollins), and The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse(Harper Collins), which has sold over a million copies and has been translated into ten languages.
She currently is teaching in the low residency MFA program at Pacific University and has taught poetry and creative writing in Santa Cruz, CA and at other beautiful locations nationally and internationally.
Click here for more information about the weekend, and to register
2015 INKSLINGER Retreat and Workshop Dates
We’ve just finalized the dates and locations for most of our Retreats and Workshops in 2015.
Click HERE to go to the registration page!
Unless specified, all retreats and workshops are at The Uplands Retreat and are on Saturday or Sunday.
January 11 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
January 17 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
January 24 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
February 7 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
February 8 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
February 21 – Soul Collage with Sue Reynolds
February 22 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
March 7 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
March 8 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
March 21 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
March 22 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
April 11th to 21st – Radical restoration Retreat in Umbria Italy
(That’s right, it was so beautiful and inspirational that we’rre going back to Le Torrace!)
Visit http://radicalrestoration.ca/for more information.
May 16th – RHYMES AT THE ROM Toronto workshop (Back by popular demand) (Facilitated by both Sue Reynolds and James Dewar)
May 17 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
May 23 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
May 24 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
May 30 & 31 – Soul Collage near Parry Sound
June 14 – Soul Collage with Sue Reynolds
June 20 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
June 27 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
June 28 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
July 12 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
July 16 to 19 – Residential Retreat at Uplands (Facilitated by both Sue Reynolds and James Dewar)
July 25 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
August 8 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
August 20 to 23 – Residential Retreat at Uplands (Facilitated by both Sue Reynolds and James Dewar)
September 19 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
September 20 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
September 26 – Soul Collage with Sue Reynolds
September 27 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
October 4th – Autumn Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop – at the McMichael Gallery (Facilitated by both Sue Reynolds and James Dewar)
October 17 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
October 18 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
October 24-25 – Ellen Bass Weekend Workshop in Toronto
(One of America’s most loved and respected poets brings her exceptional 2 day workshop to Canada)
November 21 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
November 22 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
November 28 – Poetry Sanctuary with James Dewar
November 29 – Soul Collage with Sue Reynolds
December 5 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
December 6 – Sanctuary with Sue Reynolds
Poetry Sanctuary Days with James Dewar
James Dewar is pleased to announce that starting in January, 2014, he will be leading a monthly poetry writing sanctuary at the Uplands Writing Retreat. This full day retreat will include a lesson on a specific aspect of the craft of poetry, provide writing prompts to inspire participants to explore these aspects, and provide lots of silent time for writing and/or revision.
Participants will also have the opportunity to share their work in group readings, and receive private feedback from James if they choose that option. The objectives are to learn something new about the craft of writing poetry, write new poems, work on revision and share poetry together in a welcoming and inclusive group setting.
Uplands is located in a beautiful, secluded valley on the Oak Ridges Moraine only twenty minutes north of Whitby, and less than an hour’s drive from downtown Toronto.
James Dewar is the publisher of Piquant Press and Stone’s Throw Publications. He has edited and published several books of poetry for both established and emerging talents, and co-edited many poetry anthologies. He has taught advanced creative writing at Durham College, and has been leading workshops on poetry writing and performance for several years. His poetry was published in The Garden in the Machine and many anthologies and literary journals. He has performed his poetry on CBC radio, Rogers TV and several university radio stations. He enjoys organizing and hosting his monthly poetry reading series in Toronto, Hot-Sauced Words, now in its eighth year, and co-leads, with Sue Reynolds, the Inkslingers monthly poetry workshop, also in Toronto.
He is a past president of the Writers’ Community of Durham Region.
James Dewar’s Poetry Sanctuary Outline
| 10:00 – 10:15 | Greet and settle in |
| 10:15 – 11:00 | Poetry Innovation Lesson |
| 11:00 – 11:40 | Silent Writing to prompts based on the lesson |
| 11:40 – 11:55 | Bio Break |
| 11:55 – 1:00 | Sharing the fresh poems together. Participants will indicate the form of feedback that they wish to receive, from reflections on the strengths of the poem, to analysis and suggestions for revision. |
| 1:00 – 1:45 | Delicious lunch (provided) |
| 1:45 – 2:00 | Additional prompts on the topic of the day |
| 2:00 – 4:00 | Silent writing and individual feedback sessions(All participants may send one poem in advance of the workshop to James for individual feedback. During the afternoon session, James will meet for 10 minutes with each participant who chooses this option, and discuss the strengths of the poem and make any recommendations that might make the poem stronger) |
| 4:00 – 5:00 – | Participants each share a one page poem with the group. This could be either a new poem written during the day of the retreat, or another poem further along in the revision process. Sharing work is never mandatory. Participants may pass on this aspect if they wish. |
COST: $80 per retreat (all taxes included)
Each retreat is limited to 9 participants
RETREAT DATES
Saturday, January 4th… FULLY BOOKED
Sunday, February 16th… FULLY BOOKED
Sunday, March 30th… FULLY BOOKED
Saturday, May 24th… FULLY BOOKED
Saturday, July 26th… FULLY BOOKED
Sunday, August 24th… FULLY BOOKED
Saturday, September 20th… FULLY BOOKED
Sunday, October 19th… ONE SPOT LEFT
Saturday, November 15th… THREE SPOTS LEFT
Sunday, December 14th
Click here to register.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
If I receive your cancellation notice up to five days in advance of the retreat, (for instance, if the retreat is on a Saturday, I must here from you by midnight on the previous Sunday) you may choose to apply your deposit to a future retreat or receive a refund (minus a $20 administration fee).If you cancel with less than five days notice, (in the example above, for instance, it would be anytime Monday or later) and your spot cannot be filled from a waiting list, no refund will be made. However, you are permitted to sell or gift your spot for that date to another poet, but I must be notified that you are doing this and given the contact information so I can contact the person and ask about any dietary restrictions etc.
NOTE: *If severe winter weather creates dangerous driving conditions, I will call all registered participants by telephone to advise that the workshop will not be held that day. I will also advise the rescheduled date.
Pat Schneider Ontario Writing Retreat Autumn 2013
Pat’s 2012 Retreat was fully booked within 2 days of confirming the details. Pat has just agreed to come back to Ontario in Autumn 2013
October 20-25th
Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity!
Limited to 12 participants. .
“The wisest teacher of writing I know.”
—Peter Elbow author of Writing Without Teachers, (from the foreword of Pat’s Writing Alone and with Others)
“Honesty is creative oxygen.
Generosity is creative fire.
Pat Schneider is a fuse lighter. Her work is gentle, playful,
brilliant, and revolutionary.”
— Julia Cameron author of The Artist’s Way
To visit Pat’s website, click HERE.
In May of 2011 Pat Schneider led a five day retreat/writing workshop on the shores of Lake Simcoe in the beautiful Loretto MaryHolme Retreat Centre. (Loretto Maryholme Centre)
Inkslingers is thrilled to announce that Pat will be returning in fall of 2013 from the evening of October 20th to after lunch on October 25th. This retreat will consist of writing with Pat for four hours every morning. The rest of the day is given over to each retreatant continuing to write, read, relax, walk, meditate or whatever needs to be done to support your writer’s soul, in community with other writers.
A manuscript may be sent ahead of time for one on one consultation with AWA facilitator Sue Reynolds who will be aiding and supporting Pat during the retreat.
To register for Pat’s Ontario retreat, please fill out the contact form below. As soon as the details have been confirmed as to venue, we will contact you to pay a deposit of $500.
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Sue Reynolds and James Dewar are both certified in the AWA (Amherst Writers & Artists) method of leading workshops.
Celebrating our 14th Year!
