Creative Writing in Tuscany with Liz Pearce

Course dates

Saturday 6th July to Saturday 13th July 2024

Enjoy A Week Creative Writing with Liz

Come and join my creative writing course in this beautiful Tuscany setting. Experienced writers and beginners are equally welcome, my approach is to offer an exciting and fun creative process and through this, to encourage you to find and develop your own unique voice as a writer.

This dramatic landscape offers the stimulus and space for those with writing experience, as well as for those who need a place to begin. Join the many artists and writers who have found inspiration here, most famously, the romantic poets Byron and the Shelleys, who loved and frequented the nearby Golfo dei Poeti.

Whilst being immersed in this wonderful setting, you will be offered a series of creative writing workshops and be introduced to material and techniques used by different writers, to encourage you to develop your own writing style. We will have fun working as a group and individually, and there will be plenty of opportunity for one to one tuition and feedback.

The places you will visit during your time in Tuscany, will invite you to access their history or capture a present moment, creating a narrative from an intimate courtyard, a crumbling castle, a beautiful landscape, a conversation between passers-by. I will support you in capturing your personal experience and encourage you to develop your writing into something that you value and which will resonate with others.

Liz Pearce

Liz has 30 years’ experience as a writer, actor and facilitator, working in education, the community, theatre, TV and radio. She has also worked for the British Heart Foundation and Public Health Wales, facilitating workshops in the South Wales Valleys.

Recent work includes creative writing workshops (Finding a Voice), for Abergavenny Writing Festival, continuing throughout 2023 and culminating in a performance of the group’s work, In Another’s Shoes. During 2023, she also wrote her narrative poem, Hydropsyche (Water Spirit), collaborating with two visual artists, exploring the subject of rivers and our relationship with them. The project culminated in a multi-media exhibition at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

Further written work includes a wide range of poetry covering many subjects, play scripts and several series of poetic monologues including: These Foolish Things and While the Kettle Boils. For more information on Liz’s work, please see her website by following this link: www.elizabethpearce.co.uk

Locations & visits

A short drive by car the Medieval town of Fivizzano offers a wealth of interesting things to see, not forgetting the weekly Tuesday market which is when the town comes to life. During your stay you will have the opportunity to enjoy one evening a pizza at Pizzeria Medicea, with its extensive selection of pizzas. On your last evening we will drop you off in the square after dinner. On a warm summer evening Fivizzano comes alive! Go for a stroll, enjoy a gelato or even a digestivi in one of the many local bars.

From Fivizzano a few minutes trip by car takes you to the beautiful village of Verrucola with winding streets dominated by the castle. Here you will enjoy lunch at Ristorante Locanda al Castello. After lunch a visit to the castle with a guided tour, including the opportunity to see many of the models made by Pietro Cascella – famous Italian sculptor, now deceased.
30 minutes drive from Terenzano is Monte dei Bianchi. A small mountain village with remains of a monastery, and a recently restored monastic vineyard, Monastero dei Frati Bianchi , with spectacular views. This small family-run vineyard produces around 12,000 bottles a year. Find out more by visiting www.monasterofratibianchi.it.
Between Terenzano and Monte dei Bianchi is the village of Codiponte where there is a delightful small Romanesque Church, with naïve carved stone column capitals.
5 minutes drive from Terenzano is the now disused Carmelite Convent . The Convent has been recently restored after years of neglect. The complex is now used to host events, weddings, etc.

There will be five days of tuition and one non-tuition day during your holiday, where you will have the opportunity to visit the famous walled city of Lucca, birthplace of the opera composer Puccini. We will drop you off at Aulla railway station where you will take a direct train to Lucca, the journey should take one and a half hours and the ticket is included in the cost of your course.

What to bring

Your tutor will inform you before the course with a suggested list of materials. As for clothing, the weather is likely to be warm but it can rain, so a waterproof will be advisable. Good walking shoes are essential.

Non-participating partners

We would like to welcome ‘non-participating partners’ or friends of people attending one of the courses but who do not wish to participate themselves. You will be able to accompany your partner on their various excursions, which are all to interesting historic locations, and enjoy lunch with them at local traditional restaurants. Or just relax and enjoy the local surroundings and walks.

Getting here

Flights are not included and you will need to book your own flights to Pisa. Many UK airports fly here including Heathrow, Stansted, Luton, Birmingham, Bristol plus many more. We will collect you from Pisa Airport between 11 am and 1pm, a precise pick-up time will be organised closer to the date once we know all our guests arrival times. For guests arriving by train or if you are unable to make it to Pisa in time for collection you can travel to Aulla, which is our nearest mainline train station, where we will collect you. Transfers to Aulla are not included in the holiday. On the day of departure we depart for Pisa Airport shortly after breakfast at around 9 am. It takes approximately one and a half hours door to door. If you need to leave outside of these hours we can arrange transportation for you at an additional cost. If your flight is leaving later in the day, you are able to leave your luggage at Pisa Airport and spend a few hours sightseeing in Pisa. There is a shuttle service (People Mover) which departs for Pisa Centrale every few minutes. For guests wishing to arrive by car, we do not have a car park however there is on-street parking near by.

Cost of the Course

Included in the cost of your Creative Writing holiday:

transportation; including transfers to and from Pisa airport and the mid-week excursion by train to Lucca
all tuition fees and accommodation
all meals including breakfast, lunch at restaurants on location, dinner at The Old Olive Press, aperitivi, drinks and wine

Single: £1550 single occupancy
Sharing: £1425 per person sharing (there is a £250 saving if you share!)