Blooming & Becoming - An Afternoon of Creative Writing

Join me for an in-person creative writing retreat centred around self-discovery, letting go and welcoming the new. Is there untapped potential within you waiting to unfold? Explore your inner world, let go of what no longer serves you, and welcome a new version of yourself this autumn through guided writing and the lens of nature. Whether you're a writer or someone who has never written before, this is for you. Stationery will be provided. What previous attendees said... "I learned a lot using nature as a creative lens for thinking about other areas of my life...." "Salya's workshop was really carefully crafted and well structured. The attention to detail was extremely thoughtful and the theme of nature worked really well as a stimulus and symbol for transformation..." "The hospitality and care was lovely throughout..." "I never thought myself capable of writing one [a poem]. The way the session was structured though, managed to awaken a creative side of me I didn't know existed... I cannot recommend this session enough..." About your host... Salya Alhamdi is a British-born Palestinian writer and poet. Writing and translating in both English and Arabic, she draws inspiration from her love of the Arabic language, Arabic poetry and classical Arabic music. Her writing and poetry is driven by a desire to preserve her mother tongue and history in the diaspora. Shaped by her imagination and endless curiosity, her essays draw on subjects that have long fascinated her, whilst her poetry explores her inner world and themes of longing, love, grief and joy, through the lens of nature. She holds a BSc in Psychology and an MA in International Politics and Security Studies. Her poem ‘I See Myself in You’ was longlisted for the New Writers Poetry Competition 2025. Two of her poems, ‘For the One Whose Infinite Mercy Flows Like the River’ and ‘A Summer Song in Spring’, were also longlisted for the Fish Publishing Poetry Prize 2026. She publishes on Substack at substack.com/@salyaalhamdi. Alongside her writing, Salya curates and facilitates creative writing retreats. For photographs and testimonials from previous retreats, or for further enquiries, please visit Salya's Instagram at @salyaalhamdi