SCOTLAND’S CREATIVE WRITING CENTRE 2016 PROGRAMME WWW.MONIACKMHOR.ORG.UK MONIACK MHOR Something is dealing from a deck of cards, face up, seven, a week of mornings, today’s revealing the hills at Moniack Mhor, shrugging off their mists. A sheepdog barks six fields away; I see the farm from here. Twelve-month cards, each one thumbed, flipped, weathered in its way – this the eighth, harvest-time, a full moon like a trump, a magic trick. It rose last night above this house, affirmative. I sensed your answer – hearts. Or a single hour is a smiling Jack, a diamond, or a spade learning a grave; charms or dark lessons. Something is shuffling; the soft breath of Moniack Mhor on the edge of utterance, I know it, the verbs of swifts riffling the air and the road turning itself into the loch, a huge ace into which everything folds. Here is the evening, displayed then dropped to drift to the blazon of barley, bracken, heather. Something is gifting this great gold gathering of cloud; a continual farewell. CAROL ANN DUFFY WELCOME Dear all, Welcome to Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre, based in the beautiful highlands of Scotland. Perched at 1000ft, just a stone’s throw from Loch Ness, the centre commands dramatic views of the mountain ranges of Ben Wyvis and Glen Strathfarrar. Our cosy converted croft is an inspiring atmosphere for doing what we love best, writing. 2015 was a thrilling and creative year in the life of the newly fledged, independent Moniack Mhor. We’ve been visited by many writers from all walks of life, each sharing a different story, breathing energy into the walls of the building. With these celebrations in mind, we turn our gaze to the year stretching out in front of us. Our 2016 programme offers all manner of gemstones including the newly cut Writing and Illustration course led by Mairi Hedderwick, Bob Dewer and Alasdair Gray. Nature Writing with Helen MacDonald, Sir John Lister-Kaye and Kathleen Jamie inspires us for the winter months, whilst the spring blooms with a Fiction Retreat tutored by However we meet in 2016, the Moniack Mhor Michel Faber, Emily Mackie and Michael team will be here to welcome you through the Russell. We’ve added more retreats, the chance doors with Highland hospitality and create an to disconnect and concentrate on works environment conducive to creativity. in progress. One day workshops provide a pipette of inspiration that will fuel writing endeavours. We will be building on our awards RACHEL HUMPHRIES programme from last year, extending our CENTRE DIRECTOR support for writers. We’ll also be delivering a number of events, including our annual fellowship and a ceilidh, in celebration of the centenary of the birth of Jessie Kesson, a writer who lived for some of her life on a croft near the centre and whose work is close to our hearts. 04 CONTENTS 4 Welcome THANKS TO ALL OUR 6 About the Courses PATRONS FOR THEIR 7 How to Choose A Course 9-31 Courses ONGOING SUPPORT 32-33 Retreats 34-36 Day Workshops Carol Ann Duffy 37 Events Mairi Hedderwick 38-39 Celebrating Jessie Kesson Jackie Kay 40 Awards & Residencies Liz Lochhead 43 How to Book 44 Youth Programme Val McDermid 45 Support Us James Robertson 46 Who We Are 47 Calendar of Courses Credits. Photos by Roddy MacKenzie, Nancy MacDonald, James Roberts or Ruth Tauber. Northern lights photo by Graeme Roger. Tutor headshots by the author except Andrew O’Hagan by Tricia Maley Ross Gillespie, Carol Ann Duffy by Michael J Woods, Helen Dunmore by Caroline Forbes, Helen Macdonald by Marzena Pogorzaly, Jane Rogers by Laurent Denimal, Jens Christian Grondahl by Robin Skjoldborg, Jo Shapcott by Rachel Shapcott, Julian Gough by Anne Marie Fives, Kirsty Logan by monkeytwizzle, Margaret Elphinstone by Mike Brown, Michel Faber by Eva Faber, Rachel Kelly by Libi Peder, Rory Maclean credit Nick Danziger, Susie Maguire by Angu Behm and Linda Cracknell by Phil Horey. Brochure design by James Roberts 05 ABOUT THE COURSES “A place of rare space and weather-wildness and beauty. Something magical and good always happens here” ALI SMITH Courses at Moniack Mhor provide an Evenings are spent in the company of the atmosphere for you to fully immerse yourself group. Normally, tutors read on a Tuesday in your writing. The centre is your home for evening and a guest reader visits on the duration, free from distractions and where Wednesday. On Friday the week culminates you will find yourself part of a nurturing with the fire on in the straw bale studio writing community. Residential courses run sharing what you have created through the with up to fourteen writers and each is tutored week in an informal ceilidh event. by two established, experienced tutors. Food is included in the course price. You will All courses have one-to-one tutorials except find the kitchen well stocked; we cater for the UNTUTORED RETREATS. You can expect dietary restrictions and we can get additional at least one half hour tutorial with each tutor items if requested. Moniack Mhor staff will during your stay. These invaluable sessions welcome you with a meal on the first night will provide the opportunity to have an in- and once during your stay, you will be part depth look at your work. Most courses, with of a cooking team, preparing a meal for the exception of RETREATS & UNTUTORED your fellow writers. You can help yourself RETREATS, include workshops on aspects of to breakfast and lunch is served buffet style. the genre you are working towards. On most Alcohol is available. courses, there will be the opportunity to stretch your legs in the local landscape, with a On some courses, tutors will read a sample of walk guided by staff. Often, people spend their your work ahead of time to provide more free time doing yoga in the straw bale studio, in-depth feedback on your work. running or reading. 06 HOW TO CHOOSE A COURSE Something for every writer at Moniack Mhor – that is our aim. We suggest you think about what you want from a course, then use the advice below to find the best possible course for you. TIME: Our courses run from Monday to Saturday, providing time to fully ensconce yourself in your writing and the tutors’ guidance. If you have less time, we have a short course in spring and several day events. GENRE: Our courses cover many genres and choosing a genre that you work in can be a good idea. However, if the course that works for your free time doesn’t fit your chosen genre, think around it. We’ve had fiction writers who come on crime courses to get help with plot structure and established novelists attending poetry courses to develop use of HOW TO USE language. THE COURSE GUIDE EXPERIENCE: Most of our courses are suitable for writers with different levels of experience, tutors are adaptable and will OPEN COURSES - WEEK LONG work around the group. If you are new to RETREATS writing, or indeed coming back to it after a SHORT COURSES time, then our STARTING OUT courses will help get you going. If you are already well DAY WORKSHOPS on your way with a manuscript, TUTORED EVENTS RETREATS are designed to give you maximum writing time, with one-to-one tutorial sessions. UNTUTORED RETREATS are the opportunity to come to Moniack Mhor for an intensive PRE-COURSE SUBMISSION OF WORK spell of writing with no tuition. TUTORS: We programme some of the finest WORKSHOP writers in the world to lead courses. They are tutors who understand the needs of ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS writers and are generous with their time and experience. We recommend choosing a course with a tutor whose work you admire, and if SINGLE ROOMS ONLY you are having difficulty choosing, read some of the tutors’ work to help you decide. OPTIONAL GUIDED WALK 07 COURSES SINGLE ROOM £595 SHARED ROOM £540 GRANTS AVAILABLE ON ALL COURSES SEE PAGE 43 FOR BOOKING INFORMATION COURSE 01 MONDAY 11th to SATURDAY 16th JANUARY SONGWRITING WHAT NEXT? BOO HEWERDINE & EDWINA HAYES GUEST: MARTIN STEPHENSON DESCRIPTION On this songwriting week Edwina and Boo will work with you on your songwriting skills. Meter, melody, lyrics, chords…. every aspect of song. Let us give you the tools to allow your inspiration to be realised. But why What Next? It is important to us what you take with you from the week. In recent years attendees have gone on to wonderful things. Albums been recorded, tours toured, awards awarded and songs sung. In one-to-ones we will help you realise any ambitions you have for your writing. Experience has shown us that giving a writer a sense of focus can be transformative. Boo Hewerdine is a singer-songwriter and experienced tutor. He has written songs for Eddi Reader, k d Lang, Chris Difford and many others. His most recent album is My Name in the Brackets. www.boohewerdine.net Edwina Hayes is a folk-Americana artist, born and bred in Yorkshire. Her latest album is Good Things Happen Over Coffee. Her cover of Feels Like Home was featured in the Cameron Diaz film My Sister’s Keeper. www.edwinahayes.com Martin Stephenson began recording records in 1982. His current group, The Dainties, is a folk/rock/pop band. He is a guitarist and songwriter, playing with other bands as well as his own and solo gigs. The Daintie’s albums include California Star and The Haunted Highway. He lives in the Scottish Highlands. www.dainties.co.uk 09 COURSE 05 MONDAY 11th to SATURDAY 16th APRIL CRIME WRITING DREDA SAY MITCHELL & SIMON BRETT GUEST: SUE BLACK DESCRIPTION Good crime fiction makes compulsive reading.