Loutro, Crete - Espirita

Loutro, Crete
Poetry & Writing Courses
June & September 2012
David Harsent
John Stammers
in a spectacular mountain
and sea setting
David Swann
Ruth Padel
Jemma Kennedy
Clare Pollard

Wed, June 13 - Sun, June 17 2012
Meet for Dinner - Tues June 12 - 8.00pm
On Screen Writing Course with David Harsent Course Fee - £275
This course offers advice and guidance from an experienced screenwriter. Over five days, those attending
will progress a screenplay by means of workshops and one-to-one tutorials. By the end of the course,
writers will have developed pitch-documents and treatments and have screenplays well underway.
The course is open to all who want to write for screen in any genre, not least those with a strong interest
in crime-writing.
David Harsent is well-known as a prize-winning poet and librettist. He
teaches extensively - at Arvon and as visiting professor at Sheffield Hallam
amongst others. As a screenwriter for all major broadcasters and many
major production companies; he has written many hours of TV in most
genres. Writing as Jack Curtis and as David Lawrence, he has published
twelve highly-acclaimed and internationally published crime novels.
Did my poems love till now? Poetry with John Stammers Course Fee - £275
The poetry of love is unlike any other; in it English poetry finds its most characteristic and celebrated
expression. On this course we will consider all aspects of the love poem, both historical and modern and
we will identify key features of love poems. Embraced by the sun, the stars, and the wine dark sea, we
will work on themes and ideas for producing love poems and how to develop them to their fullest intensity.
John Stammers’ first collection, ‘Panoramic Lounge-bar’ (Picador), won the
Forward Prize for Best First Collection. His other collections are ‘Stolen Love
Behaviour’ and ‘Interior Night’. He recently edited ‘The Picador Book of Love
Poems’ (2011). He teaches poetry at City Lit and the Poetry School and lives
in Oxfordshire with his wife and their two sons.
For just a few weeks each year, not for profit travel
organisation Espirita is dedicated to exploring the
world of Poetry and Writing within the inspiring natural
resource of South West Crete - one of the most
beautiful parts of Europe. The village of Loutro is
intimate, ancient, friendly, and tranquil - equally
good whether alone or in company. Loutro and
its surrounding environment, serves as our centre.
Bounded by this positive, nurturing energy, our writing
courses bring together people, experts, ideas and
artistic creativity. As writing is an individual activity,
respect for individual space is central to the Loutro
proposition. All clients are accommodated in their own
rooms, situated variously around the small village.
Courses take place over five days, and have
a maximum of eight clients. Morning sessions
(c 3 hours) focus on content, as directed by the
course leaders. Afternoons are free - for further
writing or for relaxing, hiking, swimming,
sunbathing, reading, chatting etc.
Course based feedback & work in progress
sessions ( 1-2 hrs ) take place in the evenings,
with one afternoon / evening as a designated
writing day. At the discretion of the course leaders,
short private tutorials may be offered. Within these
arrangements, Espirita supports whichever way
a tutor conveys their ideas, whether highly
structured or deeply intuitive.

Evenings are leisurely and sociable, with course
participants tending to meet up at various of the
local restaurants and bars. At the end of each
course, we normally arrange a night time boat trip
to a nearby bay for readings of course work, food,
wine, moon, stars etc…
Fortnight’s Writing Holiday - The course dates
and contents offer maximum flexibility for those
staying for two weeks. You can choose between
Poetry & Poetry, Writing & Writing, Poetry &
Writing or Writing & Poetry. For those booking
two consecutive courses, there is a £50 discount
payable on site.
Wed, June 20 - Sun, June 24 2012
Meet for Dinner - Tues June 19 - 8.00pm
Take Wing Writing Course with David Swann Course Fee - £275
Is it time you kicked on with that tantalising idea for a novel or a short story ? This course is designed to
help your project take wing, and soar like the eagles that cruise the Cretan skies. In a series of stimulating
workshops for writers of all levels, you will be given techniques for unlocking your imagination and finding
the form that will carry your idea to completion. Expect high standards, good humour and to return from
Loutro with a suitcase full of ideas for finishing your project.
David Swann born just up the street from the novelist Jeanette Winterson,
his short stories and poems have been widely published, with five
successes in the Bridport Prize. 'The Privilege of Rain', based on his
experiences as a writer-in-residence in a high security jail was shortlisted
for this year's Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry. He is a Senior
Lecturer in English & Creative Writing at the University of Chichester, where
he has tutored a number of successful novelists.
Knocking On Silence Poetry with Ruth Padel Course Fee - £275
"To make a sound," said the 3rd century Chinese poet Lu Ji, "The poet knocks on silence.”
For those experienced in writing poems, a chance to work with the presenter of BBC Radio
4’s landmark series ‘Poetry Workshop’. An advanced poetry course for those who wiish to
shape a body of work or for those who may have published poems already, the focus will
be on polishing, pruning and listening to the ways in which words and poems speak to each
other. Since reading poems well is essential for writing well, working on your reading of other
poets will deepen your understanding of how words behave.
Ruth Padel an award-winning British poet, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, has written several
much-loved books on reading and writing poetry. Her recent collection ‘The Mara Crossing’ is a mix of
poems and prose around the story of migration from cells to souls : “...full of the wonderful material stuff
of life.... a poet's book to the core.....proving that pressures on cells, bodies, and the planet itself, are fit
and essential matter for poetry.” (Jo Shapcott)
Writing Week - In order to stay with their writing.
writers might consider an additional week in Loutro.
Depending on the exact requirement, a small admin
fee may apply.
Budget Guide ( excl. flights & transfers )
Course fee £275
Accommodation E175 - E245 - 7 nights
Food E125 - E200 - 7 days
Local boat trips E10 - E15
Terrace fee E5 - E10
1 Course - 1 week £275 + E315 - E470
2 Courses - 2 weeks £500 + E630 - E940

Accommodation - E25-E30 (budget) or E30-35
(standard) per nt. For personal privacy and
individual ‘creative space’, all clients are spread
around the village in different houses, in separate
‘Greek Island style rooms’, simply appointed with
sea view balconies, en suite bathrooms, towels &
bedding provided. Upon Course reservation, we
book a room for you, changeable on site by
arrangement, which you pay for and manage on
an independent traveller basis. Espirita does not
offer the sharing of rooms by clients that do not
know each other beforehand. Regrettably, the
steep inclines and steps around the village are
not appropriate for wheelchair use.
Wed, Sept 19 - Sun, Sept 23 2012
Meet for Dinner - Tues September 18 - 8.00pm
Writing Retreat Mentor in Residence - Jemma Kennedy Course Fee - £400
Writers have always come to Loutro to write and this is an opportunity to combine an undisturbed focus
on your project with personal tailored guidance by a skilled writing coach. Clients present a short synopsis
and extract from their work-in-progress on day one, and receive feedback in private one-to-one tutorials
during the week. Writers and tutor also get together socially on various evenings to share ideas and
practice. A follow up mentoring session within 90 days of the course is included in the course fee to help
support the writing process. Six applicants maximum.
Jemma Kennedy is a playwright, novelist and screenwriter with extensive teaching
experience at City Lit, the Arvon Foundation and various universities. She also works
as an independent consultant and script editor in theatre and film. Her first novel
‘Skywalking’ was published in 2002 by Penguin. She has been Playwright in residence
at the National Theatre and is currently writing mentor for the Koestler Foundation.
The Feel Of You Poetry with Clare Pollard Course Fee - £275
Heaney claims that: 'Finding a voice means that you can get your own feeling into your own words and
that your words have the feel of you about them.' With lots of individual feedback, this course will look at
how we create the poetic ’I’ and help you to gain confidence in your voice – a perfect course for those
who want to push their poetry to the next level.
Clare Pollard has published four collections of poetry, the most recent of
which is ‘Changeling’ (Bloodaxe, 2011), a Poetry Book Society
Recommendation. Her play ‘The Weather’ premiered at the Royal Court
Theatre and her documentary for radio, ‘My Male Muse’, was a Radio 4
Pick of the year. She recently co-edited the Bloodaxe anthology ‘Voice
Recognition: 21 poets for the 21st Century’ and is on the board of Magma
poetry magazine.
Etc - Numerous tavernas offer an extremely
good level of cuisine with vegetarian options at
reasonable prices, ( E15 -30 per day ) Loutro being
still mostly a cash society. A gift shop and a couple
of well stocked mini-markets provide fresh food,
beach wear, basic commodities etc... Those on a
tight budget should bring basic eating utensils for
snacks and light meals during the day, whilst
mostly eating out in the evenings. Mobile phones
work in much of Loutro, there is a small Internet
facility and wifi works in many of the tavernas and
cafes. Various stylish bars with laid back music
offer a mellow starlit nightlife......

Course Reservation
£25 / $40 deposit ( non refundable ) per person
Please make payable to: ‘Espirita’
To: Espirita, 12 Vale Road, Bowdon, Cheshire,
England, WA14 3AQ
No of
Places
Name/s:
Address:
Tel:
Mobile:
Email:
Course Title
Writing - David Harsent
Wed, June 13 - Sun, June 17
Poetry - John Stammers
Wed, June 13 - Sun, June 17
Writing - David Swann
Wed, June 20 - Sun, June 24
Poetry - Ruth Padel
Wed, June 20 - Sun, June 24
Writing - Jemma Kennedy
Wed, Sept 19 - Sun, Sept 23
Poetry - Clare Pollard
Wed, Sept 19 - Sun, Sept 23
Postcode:
Flight Arrival Time: Date: / /
Airport: Flight No:
Emergency Contact Person:
Tel No:
Accommodation Budget E25 - E30
Standard E30 - E35
Deposit
Amount
Situated in a small bay, accessible only by sea, and
surrounded by the rugged mountains of southwest
Crete, Loutro is a destination of outstanding natural
beauty. It is well worth the extra effort in getting there.
Climate - Apart from an occasional windy cool day,
there is a 90-95% chance of perfect weather with highs
of 27-33˚C in both June & September. Evenings and
nights can be cooler in June, for which jackets,
sweaters and scarves might be appropriate.
For a small fee, £15.00, World Spirit can research flight
options for you and arrange your taxi transfers in Crete.
Getting to Loutro is a three stage affair
1- Flights
2 - Transfer
to
Sfakia
From Chania From Iraklion
Airport Airport
Taxi - E80 - E90*
11 Taxi - E130 - E140
/4hrs
2
Bus - E5 - E10
3 hrs
Last Bus 14:00
1 Charter flights ( £200 - £250 ) from various
cities in the UK, go direct to the nearest
airport, Chania, or to Iraklion. mostly on
Tuesdays (daytime) and Fridays (evenings)
Scheduled flights ( £200 - £350 ) a few
direct flights to Crete, otherwise via Athens.
/4hrs
Bus - E10 - E15**
5 hrs
Last Bus 12:30
3 - Boat to 30mins - E5.5 return 10:20 - 12:30
Loutro 16:45 &18:45 (2 deps) or 18:30 (1dep)
Taxi Boats - Sfakia to Loutro - E30-40 (depends on sea)
* Taxi sharing from Chania can often be arranged
** all Iraklion to Sfakia buses change at Vrises (see map)

www.espirita.org.uk espiritaorguk@aol.com
Tel/Fax: 00 44 (0)161 928 5768 mobile: 00 44 (0)7973 394921