Novel Writing Retreat in France May 10-17

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CIRCLE OF MISSE INTRODUCTION

Let’s start by saying that each course at Misse is an individual journey, we don’t believe in a “one size fits all” approach. Our goal is to meet you where you stand, to find out and identify where you want to land and to help you plot a journey there. To this end our courses are small with no more than six writers; this allows us to focus on your needs.

COURSE INTRODUCTION

During the week you will look at how to use in emotion in your writing, how to create memorable characters and how to edit your work. Paul will lead writing exercises, give talks using concrete examples from texts and help you fill your writer’s toolbox with skills you can apply to your work. There will also be plenty of time for questions and a session on how the industry works.

PRACTICALITIES

Course Length: One week. The week starts with a welcome introduction after you have settled in on Sunday evening, then wraps up with our open mic night on Saturday evening (7 nights).

Schedule: Morning: Teaching and one-to-one feedback sessions. Sessions can include excursions to a nearby market, chateau or other adventures. Writing/free time in the afternoon and early evening each day.

Travel Details: 

Free pick-up (Sunday) and drop-off (Sunday) at:

  • Saumur Station. Saumur is accessible by train from Nantes Atlantique International Airport, Tours airport and CDG airport in Paris.
    Full details here.
    • Pick-up 17:15
    • Drop-off 12:00 (or earlier if necessary)
  • You can also take the train to Thouars, our nearest town, and we’ll collect you
  • You can also drive. We’ll send directions and GPS coordinates.

Meals & Drinks: Misse is also home to the Loire Kitchen cooking school, so food is of a very high standard. Breakfast, lunch & dinner each day, including wine & cocktails. Coffee, tea, juices, soft drinks and snacks available all the time.

Accommodation: Misse guest rooms have been designed to be the perfect writer’s space year-round: you’ll have comfort, quiet, privacy and a wonderful view over your surroundings. All of our guest rooms have en suite bathrooms, good lighting, a desk and a comfortable chair. For more details see our rooms pagee.

Check out the website here.

Circle of Misse logo

Winner of The McCrea Literary Award 2025

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I Hear You, my collection of BBC Radio 4 short stories, is the joint winner of The McCrea Literary Award 2025. I would shout out to the other winner but they didn’t tell me who it was.

Here’s what the judges said about I Hear You –

“A fascinating collection of post-Troubles short stories, rich in characters, fine observation, memorable and moving images. He handles his subjects with compassion and humour. This is a real page-turner of a collection. It is hard to put the book down or to unglue one’s eyes from it. A compelling, rewarding, and uplifting read.                

Faced with the challenge of producing a chain of interlinked stories (in one part of the collection), McVeigh ingeniously creates a kaleidoscopic series of tales that reflect more of the diversity of Belfast life than ever used to be seen in writing from the north of Ireland.”

You can buy it here…

The Winners of Paul McVeigh Residency

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The winners of the Paul McVeigh West Cork Residency are Carol Farrelly, Greg Thorpe and Stephanie Torrance. Thank you to the judges Cathy Galvin and Hilary White who had an extremely difficult job.

The winners will work with Yvonne Battle-Felton, Louis de Bernieres, Martina Devlin, Patrick Holloway, Eilis Ni Dhuibhne, Kirsty Logan, Robert Olen Butler, Leone Ross and visit Bantry Bookshop and Patrick Cotter in Cork.

ALL APPLICANTS WILL GET THREE FREE EVENTS IN JANUARY AND MORE ON THAT AFTER CHRISTMAS.

Patrick Cotter Joins Paul McVeigh Residency

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We’re delighted that Patrick Cotter has joined the residency. The three winners will go to Cork to meet with Patrick where they can ask him about the industry. Patrick is Director of Munster Literature Centre and Cork International Short Story Festival and has invaluable advice about approaching festivals and what’s expected of you when you’re there.

Patrick Cotter has published many books of poetry, most recently Quality Control at the Miracle Factory (Dedalus, 2025). He is a recipient of the Keats-Shelly Poetry Prize and has been short-listed for many others. His poems have been translated into twenty languages. His poems have been published in the Financial Times, London Review of Books, Poetry and over twenty anthologies. He lives in Cork.

For more info on the Paul McVeigh West Cork Residency click here.

ARTS COUNCIL NI AWARDEE

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What a relief! I’m very lucky to have received an Arts Council NI grant to fund my writing.

I applied through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Project Funding for Individuals Programme for time to write a new collection of stories.

I’m very grateful for the support for my writing but as most writers struggle with their finances it makes such a huge difference to the financial stress.

Thanks again ACNI and National Lottery.