8 Day Creative Writing Retreat in Champagne House, France
Champagne House Condom, Rue Buzon, Condom, France
Up to 8 in group
June 18 - 25, 2024
Retreat Highlights
- The opportunity to focus for a whole week on your creativity and self as writer within a beautiful and relaxing space
- Experience a supportive and encouraging environment with a small group of like-minded individuals from different parts of the world.
- Take away from the Retreat a resource folder of worksheets, literary extracts, strategies and experiences that will help you continue nurturing your muse long into the future.
- Experience Luxury accommodation at Champagne House, a unique character property
- Dine in local restaurants offering excellent cuisine
- Visit some amazing historical places (UNESCO), botanical gardens, Abbeys, vintage distilleries and much much more.
About this Retreat
Your Guides
Mardie has previously attended the Champagne House 'Writer's Retreat' herself, and has experience the whole retreat.
Mardie is a published writer, former university senior lecturer and mentor in the creative arts, and a creativity coach. She also has a penchant for using pseudonyms.
Details of this retreat
Join us for a creative writing adventure in all its forms, at the quirky and magical, yet innately elegant Champagne House.
The Retreat offers new, emerging and more experienced writers in fiction, non-fiction and life writing, an intimate, immersive and supportive environment in which to find your voice, and develop your ideas into compelling stories.
The Retreat offers new, emerging and more experienced writers in fiction, non-fiction and life writing, an intimate, immersive and supportive environment in which to find your voice, and develop your ideas into compelling stories.
Schedule
All guests will be transferred from the airport or arrive via their own transport to Champagne House.
A welcome drink of bubbly awaits your arrival and a chance to meet fellow retreat guests.
Here you will have a chance to have a look around, and meet Mardie and the rest of the group.
To start your day you will have a luxury continental breakfast in the kitchen or out on the terrace, and discuss the plan for the day with Mardie.
There will be small group workshops with peer and tutor feedback, and opportunities to explore and experiment with writing prompts and literary extracts that focus on story arcs, different narrative voices, character development, using all the senses in your writing, and creating the world of your story.
We will break for lunch and experience sumptuous French cuisine and go to a local restaurant/location (lunch including wine, maybe a picnic depending on the afternoon's activity).
In the afternoon, we will visit some of the most admired villages in France, Anciant Bastides, Chateau's, Armagnac distilleries, local fetes, festivals, and much much more.
There will also be blocks of private writing time and to explore the local area or simply relax and enjoy Champagne House.
There will be two one- on-one sessions with the tutor, Dr Mardie O’Sullivan, will be scheduled, during which you can discuss the specific writing challenges you face, such as, feeling overwhelmed with different ideas and not knowing where to start, procrastination and writers’ block.
Before Apero's/meal/snack, we’ll gather for an informal session of sharing and discussion to nourish your journey as a writer.
A welcome drink of bubbly awaits your arrival and a chance to meet fellow retreat guests.
Here you will have a chance to have a look around, and meet Mardie and the rest of the group.
To start your day you will have a luxury continental breakfast in the kitchen or out on the terrace, and discuss the plan for the day with Mardie.
There will be small group workshops with peer and tutor feedback, and opportunities to explore and experiment with writing prompts and literary extracts that focus on story arcs, different narrative voices, character development, using all the senses in your writing, and creating the world of your story.
We will break for lunch and experience sumptuous French cuisine and go to a local restaurant/location (lunch including wine, maybe a picnic depending on the afternoon's activity).
In the afternoon, we will visit some of the most admired villages in France, Anciant Bastides, Chateau's, Armagnac distilleries, local fetes, festivals, and much much more.
There will also be blocks of private writing time and to explore the local area or simply relax and enjoy Champagne House.
There will be two one- on-one sessions with the tutor, Dr Mardie O’Sullivan, will be scheduled, during which you can discuss the specific writing challenges you face, such as, feeling overwhelmed with different ideas and not knowing where to start, procrastination and writers’ block.
Before Apero's/meal/snack, we’ll gather for an informal session of sharing and discussion to nourish your journey as a writer.
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change
Getting Here
Champagne House, Champagne House Condom, Rue Buzon, Condom, France
Directions
We offer a free a pick-up service from Toulouse airport between 3pm and 5pm on the retreat start date. Other airports include Bordeaux, Bergerac and Pau however, we do not off any transfers from those airports. We can arrange transfers from the train Station at Agen which has TGV links, there would be a fee for this service.
Accommodation
At Champagne House we have 3 luxury suites and a large luxury room. The ‘Rose Moët’ has two interconnecting rooms and has a roll-top bath, seating area. The ‘Taittinger’ has three interconnecting rooms including a large en-suite bathroom, it comes complete a large roll-top bath, dressing table and seating area occupying the whole of the top floor with amazing views. The ‘Pommery’ has one large spacious room with a roll-top bath, and also has an en-suite with a shower. All of our suites have; tea/coffee machines, quality bed linen, towels and robes, WiFi, seating, hair dryer and are very spacious. Awaiting you in your room will be a complementary NUXE Essentials Travel Pack. Course only rates: you will need to find accommodation nearby and we can help, this is a god low cost single occupancy option. Shared suite rates: please note - the rates are per person and you will each have a room with a shared en-suite. Luxury single option: reserve the whole suite for yourself for the ultimate retreat experience. Please note: our reviews can be seen on our web-site champagnehouse.fr
Program Price
Price is per person
Luxury Single Occupancy
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
At Champagne House you will find;
A house full of character
An eclectic mix of Champagne/French and Moroccan items
A library
A piano lounge
An upper and lower terrace with plunge pool
A relaxing snug room that is cool even in the summer heat.
A house full of character
An eclectic mix of Champagne/French and Moroccan items
A library
A piano lounge
An upper and lower terrace with plunge pool
A relaxing snug room that is cool even in the summer heat.
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
At CH we aim to provide quality meals including wine
A luxury continental breakfast
A meal at a French local restaurant
A light meal/snack at CH
Apero’s
1 afternoon tea
Refreshments whilst at CH
What's Included
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- 7 nights luxury accommodation
- 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals
- Group excursions/activities
- Transportation during the retreat
- Welcome drink
- Water, tea, coffee served throughout the day
- Specialized workshops
- Free excursions to sites of interest
- Parking
- Wifi connection
- Luggage storage
- Daily meditation classes
- Pre and post retreat support from our team
- Course Manual
What's Not Included
- Travel insurance
- Flights costs
- Visa fee
- Additional activities not included in the itinerary
- Additional treatments