Ah, Venice! The city of shimmering water, gliding gondolas, and pastries and cappuccinos before 11am. The city of alleyways leading you past cafés, trattorias and storefronts with colourful displays of gelato, handmade books and iconic Murano glass – it’s impossible not to get lost. An old city filled with stories and boasting a rich literary history, one that inspired Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and was the stomping ground of many writers from Byron to Hemingway.
It’s here that I’ve booked a week-long writing retreat, something that has long been on my bucket list. A combination of an unfinished novel in my office drawer and a well-timed newsletter arriving in my inbox that read: ‘Ever dreamt about being a writer at work in Venice?’ has been the catalyst to me finally being here.
There’s only one way to arrive in Venice and that’s by water taxi. While buses and vaporettos (water buses) travel from the airport and train station, a private water taxi with its gleaming wooden deck is what will ultimately navigate the maze of canals to effortlessly deliver you as close to your hotel as you can get. In this case, I’m taken to Ca’della Corte, a charming 16th century Venetian palazzo. The hotel is occupied entirely with participants for the retreat’s duration – 15 of us housed in 12 rooms. While retaining the essential flavour of Venice, the hotel has been tastefully renovated by its passionate owner, Caterina Pensa. The en-suite bedrooms are simple with a touch of Venetian décor and either look out onto their own courtyards, or offer a tantalising peek into the neighbourhood.
The palazzo’s location in a quiet street in a less busy part of the city means it provides the necessary sanctuary for writers seeking a serene space to work. Many popular tourist destinations are, however, a comfortable walking distance away. A 15-minute stroll, for instance, will take you to Rialto Bridge and San Marco Square.
On arrival, there’s a one-on-one meeting with the two writing coaches, Jo-Anne Richards and Richard Beynon, who run the All About Writing retreat. The hour-long informal consultation is an opportunity to talk through your goals for your writing project. Later, all participants gather on the first floor of the palazzo for a glass (or two) of prosecco. Our group is a wonderful mixture of people from around the world – England, Canada, the US and South Africa – who all have one thing in common: the desire to write. As we move around the room, we hear from those working on memoirs, others on a collection of essays or a screenplay, and a number of us who are either starting or are mid-way through a work of fiction.
We are assigned a mentor for the week: half of us are with Jo-Anne, while Richard takes care of the other half. Jo-Anne is a South African author of five novels. Her most famous, the bestselling The Innocence of Roast Chicken, has been reissued as part of the Picador Africa Classic Heritage series. Richard Beynon is an award-winning film and television scriptwriter who lives with his partner, Trish Urquhart, on a houseboat in England. Trish is the writing retreat’s organiser and is on hand to answer any travel enquiries or issues that may arise. Jo-Anne’s partner, Fred de Vries, is also a multiple published author and offers guidance specifically around non-fiction.
The days fall into a predictable pattern. For those so inclined, there’s a sunrise walk through Venice, a magical hour offering a peek into a city stirring at the first light of day: traders unpacking fruit at the market, delivery men pushing carts along bridges, and water buses ferrying people to their workplaces in the city.
Breakfast is at 8am, a continental spread of croissants, baked bread, boiled eggs, cheese and fruit. Afterwards, the group gathers for a discussion on a particular writing theme. From the courage to write and how to plot to genres and writing styles, the schedule is designed to provide skills, tools and inspiration every writer needs to craft a story.
Afterwards, the day is yours to write and explore. There are numerous coffee shops from which to work like Caffè Florian, a historic coffee house in Piazza San Marco, famous for being the oldest café in continuous operation in Italy since its establishment in 1720.
Or you can while away the hours in the famous Harry’s Bar, the place where writers, painters, artists, aristocrats, kings and queens were known to meet, among them Katharine Hepburn, Gary Cooper, Peggy Guggenheim, Orson Welles, Joe di Maggio and Ernest Hemingway.
If yours is a more solitary process, writing in your room or one of the communal spaces in the palazzo is also an option. But perhaps the most valuable part of the retreat is the daily one-on-one session with your writing coach. This offers vital feedback on your writing but is also useful in developing your story, fixing any plot holes and providing the inspiration to keep going even when doubt about your work invariably creeps in.
Each day ends with aperitivos at 6pm where you can share notes on the day with fellow writers. The evenings offer further opportunity to explore Venice. One evening we wander along the canals under the moonlight and visit the Venice Jazz Club where we sip limoncello and listen to jazz music. Another night we eat traditional Venetian cicchetti, small savoury bites rich with flavour, at a traditional wine bar. There’s a night of baroque music in the historic Scuola Grande dei Carmini, known for the incredible frescos adorning its ceilings and walls.
In between writing, it’s easy enough to pop out for pizza or gelato or to visit a museum or art gallery. On Sunday morning, we wander down alleyways in the rain to experience a traditional Roman Catholic mass under the opulent vaulted ceilings of St Mark’s Basilica.
Afterwards we enjoy coffee and croissants overlooking San Marco square. There is also the option of a custom guided tour to the nearby islands of Murano, with its traditional Venetian glass factories, and Burano, famous for its lace-making heritage (both organised by the hotel).
American writer Truman Capote visited Venice in 1948 and said that the city was ‘hopelessly beautiful’ and ‘the most enchanting thing on earth’.
I would only add that being in a walkable city surrounded by such historical beauty, stories and words is a life-affirming experience and one I will be doing again. Now best I get back to finishing that book!
