Writing
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The Artistic Legacy of Gorodets: Carved Stories and Women’s Voices
When I look at a wooden, hand-carved plaque in my home, I think of Gorodets, Russia. I wonder how this handmade object could preserve hope across decades of political change. In the ’90s and the early ’00s, I worked on the community use of technology to foster cohesion across people and networks. I spoke in Moscow’s House of Soviets, sometimes informally translated as the White House about the possibilities the internet might bring to all nations. Back then, the hope for democracy was strong among the people I met in Russia. I often wonder how they are doing. My sense is that some are probably distraught, having to send sons…
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Ireland – May 2026 – Hill of Uisneach – Bealtaine Festival
My birthday present in May 2026 was a visit to my father’s ancestral home in Westmeath, Ireland, timed for the fire festival on the Hill of Uisneach. After a tough year, Jim’s cancer treatments weighed heavily. We questioned whether we could climb the hill together, but hoped the journey would restore us. Locals claim the Bealtaine fire festival on this hill is the oldest in Ireland. Fires are ignited on sacred hills, creating a single “fire eye” over the island, symbolising the country’s emergence from the cold darkness of winter into the light. On Bealtaine eve, every household fire across Ireland was extinguished, and people waited in the dark for…
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Why attend a travel writing retreat?
Retreats do several things very well. First, they give us permission to be slow. Instead of stealing an hour between jobs and appointments, we are allotted tidy blocks of time to try, sometimes fail, and try again. That’s when the odd, stubborn, creative sentences arrive. The ones we couldn’t have written if we were rushed. Second, being in a place that asks us to look, really look, sharpens our senses. We notice the small shop windows with jars of salted lemons and crocheted blue booties, the fishermen mending their nets in conversation with their sons, the women donning aprons and straw hats as they hang out washing in the bright…
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Join us in Portugal on 18-21 May 2026 for our Travel Writing Retreat
For me, travel writing is about connection and community. It is about exploring myself as much as it is discovering new and challenging places. Stephen and I, are inviting you to a journey. This retreat is not just about improving writing skills. It is also about discovering why travel writing matters. We draw inspiration partly from 19th century English art critic John Ruskin, for whom beauty was key. Ruskin taught drawing to working men and he wanted to go beyond technique. His fundamental aim, he said, was to develop in his students a deeper appreciation of beauty. Writing works in much the same way. To describe a place well, a…
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4 day Travel writing retreat 18-21 May 2026
My neighbour Stephen and I are both writers. During my last writing workshop in 2025, we discussed the possibility of a shared Travel Writing Retreat and created an event page on Facebook.We both live on Monte Agudo, near Tavira, in the Eastern Algarve. I live at Casa Alexandra and Stephen at Casa Anatôlio. Both venues will be used for workshop sessions during the retreat.We created the following text: Could this work as a spring treat – a four day travel writing course in the sunny Algarve? This course aims to give you the tools and the mindset to bring your ideas to life. There can be so much richness in…
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Celebrating Connection at the Open Mic Night
Last month, towards the end of an autumn day, some of the artistic community in the Eastern Algarve, came together to transcend borders, languages, and backgrounds. The Open Mic Night, held on November 20th, was a celebration of neighbours and an opportunity for us to weave our individual stories. We paid homage to Tela Leão who brought us together under the umbrella of the Álvaro de Campos birthday party celebration. (FAAC) Jay Artale a local artist and I created a running order for the participants who had let us know they wanted to perform. We tried to accommodate everyone who arrived with songs and poetry on the night. This meant…
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Your neighbour – Seu Vizinho-Celebrating Creativity and Connection – Open Mic Night
Update: Many of you may have heard Tela Leão who co-ordinated the Alvaro de Campos Birthday Party each year in Tavira and supported me in organising the English side of the Open Mic Night passed away last Saturday 8 November. I visited Tela on Wednesday 5 November and she was pleased the Open Mic night was still coming together with local artists performing and reading. We will pay tribute to Tela at the event with words and music. The event starts at 18:00 at Casa Alvaro de Campos on Thursday 20 November 2025. More information – written before Tela passed.Every year, as the nights darken and the air cools in…
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Next Writing Workshop Thursday 4 September 10:00am – Join us
Portuguese Somersault, published in 1934, is a travel story in the vagabond style by two eccentric Brits, Jan and Cora Gordon. I have been thinking about the September workshop and the stories we write, and this book came to mind. The book sits in the Portugal section of a bookshelf in my home. It is old with a fading red cover and bound. I must have picked it up at a car boot sale about 20 years ago. The married couple wrote an intriguing preface that conveys their voice. They were both artists and musicians. I have photographed the preface to illustrate several considerations we may choose to incorporate into our…
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Blue Eyes and the Secret – A Novella
Coming soon on Kindle Blue Eyes and the Secret. A novella – Venture into the heart of the Algarve with Blue Eyes, a Balinese-spirited feral cat, as she uncovers ancient secrets and fights to protect her home on Monte Agudo. In a land where olive groves meet modern orange farms and water is scarce, Blue Eyes speaks with plant devas and heeds the whispers of the earth. When a devastating threat emerges in the form of disappearing trees, poisoned lands, and a foretold prophecy of end times, Blue Eyes must embark on a transformative journey. Guided by the wisdom of Ceres of Old and aided by a motley crew of animal…
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Writing Workshops begin again in September
Over the last 12 weeks, I’ve enjoyed hosting six writing workshops at my home in Santo Estêvão, near Tavira. The sessions attracted writers from across the Eastern Algarve. Some of us will be away from home for the very hot months of July and August, so, we decided to start again on a Thursday morning in September, and thereafter, we will meet once a month. The format will be similar, as we usually agree on a topic and write about a specific aspect of the chosen theme. As the group has built some trust, we’ll prepare beforehand so that the time can be used for sharing our work, reflections, and…
