The Brecon Beacons National Park

Brecon Beacons National Park one of Britains breathing spaces

Creative Writing & Crossword Weekend Breaks

@ The Hill Education & Conference Centre

Set in four acres of countryside and overlooking the town of Abergavenny and the Blorenge Mountain, The Hill is a delightful place for a weekend activity break.

The Hill offers a range of day, weekend and week-long breaks covering a variety of subjects, there is something to suit everyone.

21 – 25 July
JANE AUSTEN'S WORLD
Tutor: Hazel Jones
Jane Austen's novels are known and loved throughout the world, but her writing is packed with contemporary references which are often overlooked by the modern reader. This course focuses on the social and literary context of her fiction and letters, providing a fascinating insight into her life and times. The importance of family and income, marriage, how the Georgians spent their leisure time, estate management and the creation of heroes and heroines, will be some of the subjects studied and discussed in the sessions, complemented by readings from the novels. One whole day will be spent in Bath on a guided walk through streets and along crescents which Jane Austen would still recognise today. By the end of this course, students will be eager to re-read all of Jane Austen's novels with renewed knowledge and enthusiasm.

26 – 28 September
CROSSWORDS FOR BEGINNERS
Tutor: Tim Moorey
Solving crosswords is a very popular activity which is rare to be able to do with others in a friendly atmosphere. Both complete beginners and those with a little more experience will be made most welcome by an experienced adult tutor and crossword setter. Solving skills will be developed and the tricks of the trade discovered.

3 – 5 October
INTRODUCING JANE AUSTEN
Tutor: Hazel Jones
Learn more about Jane Austen's life and times — the importance of family and a good income, the benefits of marriage and the disadvantages of a single life, the popularity of seaside holidays, Georgian reading habits, will be some of the subjects studied and discussed in the sessions, complemented by extracts from the novels and a selection of the Austen family's letters.

24 – 26 October
WRITE YOUR NOVEL
Tutor: Jane Blank
Have you ever wanted to write a novel but didn’t know where to start? Perhaps you have begun your project but need help with planning and organisation? Whether a beginner or more experienced writer, this course will help you progress. The experienced tutor, herself a published writer and qualified teacher, will run sessions on how to research material and how to establish what style and point of view suits your book. There will be workshops on characterisation and how to build a powerful and vivid sense of time and place. The weekend will be practical and ‘hands-on,’ with writers encouraged to try the techniques demonstrated for themselves. The sharing of work will be encouraged at all times and there will be ample opportunity to read your work and seek feed-back. Editing and publishing advice will also be given. The tutor’s novel, The Geometry of Love, published by Y Lolfa press, will be available to purchase over the weekend.

5 – 7 December
CHILDREN'S STORY WRITING & ILLUSTRATING
Tutor: Nicholas Halliday
If you love writing and illustrating children’s stories or would like to know how to start, this weekend is for you. The course is run by Nicholas Halliday, a successful author and illustrator with over 17 years experience in the world of publishing. Along with practical advice to help kick-start and improve your techniques you will receive one-to-one guidance and appraisal. Overall emphasis will be placed on finding the balance in your work and improving the chances of those wishing to be published. If your creative imagination has given you a genuine desire to write and illustrate this is your chance to ask questions and gain a unique insight into a highly competitive industry.

Creative Writing & Crossword Weekend Breaks is in Abergavenny Monmouthshire

The Brecon Beacons National Park

The Brecon Beacons National Park