I’m very excited to announce that I will be supporting and co-operating with Alma College, Michigan to deliver a ‘Winter Residency’ programme for writers in January, 2024. The residency will take place in Italy at the historic Villa Franceschi, a country house hotel, located on the mainland, half an hour from Venice. The event will be hosted by Sophfronia Scott, MFA Program Director at Alma and myself Janet Simmonds, as the European end of the partnership.

The residency is aimed at students studying for a Master’s in Creative Writing. It is open to all Alma MFA students, both past and present. Check out the Alma website for more details: Alma College – Master’s in Creative Writing

Our rather fabulous residence for the event is: www.villafranceschi.com

Don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at Alma College if you have any questions.

BACK STORY

Sophfronia and I met in Chicago in 2015. She from Harvard and me from Oxford. We bonded instantly over a shared love of writing, history, libraries and learning. I actually wrote about the start of our friendship here: When Janet met Sophfronia…..

Early on in our friendship Sophfronia shared with me her dream to teach a writing course in Italy. As I work in Italy frequently as a tour guide and I run a specialist travel company, I was able to confidently inform my new friend that I could make her dream a reality. So a year or so later Sophfronia and I found ourselves delivering a ‘Writer’s Retreat’ to a dozen aspiring writers. Our chosen location, as you’ve probably guessed, was the green and pleasant countryside of the Veneto region, just outside Venice.

In 2019 we ran our inaugural Writer’s Retreat. Then in 2022 our Second Edition of the Writer’s Retreat was a sell out success, of which we are very proud. Now we are planning the 4th Edition of the Writer’s Retreat which will take place in September, 2024 at Villa Margherita (sister hotel to the Villa Franceschi). More details here: Writer’s Retreat, Italy – 18-24 Sept, 2024

The Veneto region, just outside Venice – our base for The Writer’s Retreat, 18-24 September, 2024

Don’t hesitate to contact Sophfronia or myself for more information on the writing opportunities available.

STOP PRESS – In July 2025 there’ll be another international residency – this time in Oxford, England.

Reach out to Sophfronia or me to find out more!