Writing Venice: 5-day Writing Retreat led by Demi Anter

Join award-winning writer and facilitator Demi Anter for five full days of writing, discussion, exploration, and community in Venice. Please note: We recommend booking directly with us to avoid the Eventbrite fee. You can find out more at www.writingvenice.com. Early bird spaces (€565) are available until June 30th. The Workshop: Jan Morris, Italo Calvino, Joseph Brodsky… Venice has captured the imaginations of writers throughout history. Join writer and facilitator Demi Anter from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5 to explore poetry and prose inspired by La Serenissima, and discover ways of telling your own stories of place. Over five enriching days during the evocative winter season, we invite up to ten participants to engage in lively discussion, dedicated reading and writing time, constructive critique, and eye-opening creative foraging walks—while experiencing the beauty of the historical city at their fingertips. Take part in deep textual analysis, identify strategies that help writers communicate a sense of place, and learn to access all the senses as we write and adventure through Venice together. The outcome is a new way of looking at the world, engendering confidence for every new piece of writing you approach, whether poetry, travel writing, prose, or memoir. This course is suitable for writers, artists, students, and the creatively curious of every genre and level. Though the workshop is intensive with 20+ hours of teaching time across five days, you will also have a chance to explore the city and get to know like-minded writers from around the world while sharing un’ombra di vino, a taste of cicchetti, and a gorgeous view (or twenty). To keep costs affordable, you may book a place in shared accommodation with other members of our group. View the options and find out more. Who can join: The workshop is open to adults over the age of 18, and to writers and artists of all experience levels. Beginners are more than welcome. The workshop is suitable for writers of all genres. What is included in the workshop fee: • 20+ teaching hours • Digital and printed workshop materials • A guided architectural tour • A group museum visit • Welcome dinner on the first evening • Tea and coffee during our indoor sessions What is not included: • Travel costs to or on the island • Accommodation (can be booked with our group or separately - scroll for options) • Additional tours or museum tickets • Catering Additional information: There are a total of 10 spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note: If you are traveling to Venice with a friend or a partner who is not taking the workshop, we kindly ask that you arrange your own accommodation as space in shared accommodation is reserved for workshop participants. Refunds: The full workshop fee will be refunded if the workshop is cancelled for any reason. Individual refunds are unavailable for any other circumstances. The workshop must have a minimum of five participants to proceed. Payment by installments is available and can be arranged directly with the facilitator. Please contact her for more information. Visit our frequently asked questions section here. Schedule: Sunday, Nov. 29: Arrival and Welcome Dinner Followed by brief Italian lesson & reading circle Monday, Nov. 30: Day 1 Topics: Peggy Guggenheim & Historical Fiction, Venetian Atmosphere, Accessing the Senses Tuesday, Dec. 1: Day 2 Topics: Writing & Walking, Personal Histories, The Flâneur & Sophie Calle Wednesday, Dec. 2: Day 3 Topics: Open Morning, Writing From Photographs, Sharing Session Thursday, Dec. 3: Day 4 Topics: Myths, Absurdity, Fantasy & Dreams Writing Interiors, Open Afternoon Friday, Dec. 4 Day 5 Topics: Architecture Tour & Museum Visit, Final Sharing Session Saturday, Dec. 5 Departure About your guide to Venice: Demi Anter is an award-winning writer and performer, with work spanning poetry, memoir, fiction and screenwriting. Her teaching focuses on the power of writing from personal experience, and she regularly teaches for institutions around the world, including London’s Irish Cultural Centre and the Royal National Theatre. She has been published in the US, Europe, and UK by Magma, Banshee, and The Times, and has performed at Glastonbury Festival, Bristol Old Vic, Poetry Ireland, and more. Demi is the creator of the course “Writing Berlin,” a deep dive into contemporary Berlin literature, and of the “Tempelhof Write-In,” a workshop series focused on protecting one of the world’s most unique public spaces. Demi partners with the Hoxton Hotel to present Creative Fruits Mornings, a monthly meet-up for creative folks, and FRUIT SALON, a seasonal literature and arts event. Demi fell in love with Venice on a solo trip in 2019 and never looked back. What other participants have to say: "The Venice Workshop was a total gift to myself." "Demi’s hard work and commitment to make it a great experience for everyone showed in her curation of texts and exercises, but also in her ability to listen and adapt to different paces if needed, and to create a safe and welcoming space for anyone to share their work." "As a sporadic writer, I felt incredibly welcome in Demi’s Venice program. Both the group, destination, and literature examples were so inspiring. Demi did a fantastic job gluing it all together to one memorable week." "A brilliant week that left me feeling alive, engaged, and present in my writing in a way that had been absent from me for months. A writer’s block cure-all, 10/10."