This Aug 16-30 we head off on a 15 day writing adventure in Vietnam.
Drawing on the inspiration of the French author Marguerite Duras, we explore Vietnamese culture, landscape and our own writing, through the Durassian gaze. Read Jan’s blog about MD here.
Our Vietnam Journey.
Our cultural guides, author Biff Ward and tour guide, Tran Dinh Song, have been leading Vietnam tours for many years.
We begin our journey exploring Hanoi ( Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake) before heading out to the verdant rice paddy district of Mai Chau for our first writing intensive, including an introduction to the writing of Marguerite Duras.
Returning to Hanoi we go looking for the house Marguerite lived in when she was four and pay our respects at the Temple Of Literature. Heading south we arrive in the heritage listed town of Hoi An, where we settle in for another writing stint with afternoons free for exploring this charming historical town.
Ho Chi Minh City is our next stop where we discover the Cholon (Chinatown) district where much of The Lover is set. The trail hots up as we travel out into true Duras territory on the Mekong River, staying in a homestay at Vinh Long and visiting the Lover’s tomb at Sadec. We return to HCM City for a farewell dinner in Cholon before departing on our own itineraries.
Your Writing
On this trip you are encouraged to use every travelling moment for your writing. Bring a current writing project or start one a fresh. All genres welcome.r own writing project. Timetabled into our journey are two mini retreats where we concentrate fully on our work with plenty of reading time for critiquing and feedback.
Pre-trip tasks give the opportunity to use your prep and travelling time for your writing. As we travel together, daily writing workshops will revise the essential elements of writing craft in relation to you
From our first welcome dinner to our last farewell feast, the conversation about our writing continues, as we become intimately involved in supporting one another in the writing process. Indeed the conversation continues long after the journey is over, as our new writing friends become our greatest support in the journey towards publishing. See WJ Alumni here.
Bookings and info here.
Our Travel Itinerary
Drawing on the inspiration of the French author Marguerite Duras, we explore Vietnamese culture, landscape and our own writing, through the Durassian gaze. Read Jan’s blog about MD here.
Our Vietnam Journey.
Our cultural guides, author Biff Ward and tour guide, Tran Dinh Song, have been leading Vietnam tours for many years.
We begin our journey exploring Hanoi ( Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake) before heading out to the verdant rice paddy district of Mai Chau for our first writing intensive, including an introduction to the writing of Marguerite Duras.
Returning to Hanoi we go looking for the house Marguerite lived in when she was four and pay our respects at the Temple Of Literature. Heading south we arrive in the heritage listed town of Hoi An, where we settle in for another writing stint with afternoons free for exploring this charming historical town.
Ho Chi Minh City is our next stop where we discover the Cholon (Chinatown) district where much of The Lover is set. The trail hots up as we travel out into true Duras territory on the Mekong River, staying in a homestay at Vinh Long and visiting the Lover’s tomb at Sadec. We return to HCM City for a farewell dinner in Cholon before departing on our own itineraries.
Your Writing
On this trip you are encouraged to use every travelling moment for your writing. Bring a current writing project or start one a fresh. All genres welcome.r own writing project. Timetabled into our journey are two mini retreats where we concentrate fully on our work with plenty of reading time for critiquing and feedback.
Pre-trip tasks give the opportunity to use your prep and travelling time for your writing. As we travel together, daily writing workshops will revise the essential elements of writing craft in relation to you
From our first welcome dinner to our last farewell feast, the conversation about our writing continues, as we become intimately involved in supporting one another in the writing process. Indeed the conversation continues long after the journey is over, as our new writing friends become our greatest support in the journey towards publishing. See WJ Alumni here.
Bookings and info here.
Our Travel Itinerary
| Sat 16 August | Arrive Hanoi | Camellia 4 hotel | |
| Sun 17 | Chi Minh mausoleum and history, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem lake | Camellia 4 hotelbreakfast | |
| Mon 18 | To Mai Chau | Mme Chung homestayAll meals | |
| Tues 19 | Writing and meeting local people with Song | Mme Chung homestayAll meals | |
| Wed 20 | Writing | Mme Chung homestayAll meals | |
| Thur 21 | Writing | Mme Chung homestayAll meals | |
| Fri 22 | Morning workshop, return Hanoi | Camellia 4 | |
| Sat 23 | Fly to Hoi An | Hoa Su Frangipani Villa ResortBreakfast and lunch | |
| Sun 24 Sun | Writing | Hoa Su Frangipani Villa ResortBreakfast and lunch | |
| Mon 25 | Writing | Hoa Su Frangipani Villa ResortBreakfast and lunch | Marble Mtn trip in pm |
| Tues 26 | Writing | Hoa Su Frangipani Villa ResortBreakfast and lunch | |
| Wed 27 | Fly to HCMCity and minibus to the Mekong Delta | Tam Tien HomestayBreakfast and dinner | |
| Thurs 28 | Vinh Long and Sadec where Marguerite Duras lived and loved | ||
| Fri 29 | Return HCMCity | ||
| Sat 30 | Leave for Australia in evening OR travel onwards on your own itinerary | One shared room, Bong Sen Hotelbreakfast |
