FINDING YOUR PLACE IN ORTIGIA
Writing Workshop with John S. Summerfield Jr., MFA, Goddard College, USA
Inspiration, intimacy, and singularity are the foundations of writing practices. Translating them into forms and words, writers share their emotions that come from the deepest well of their souls. Nobody else knows that place. Readers need permission to unlock the entryway to that place.
Departing from the lectures and tools of Richard Hugo’s Triggering Town (1979), John S. Summerfield Jr., MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, author and publisher, will lead new and seasoned writers alike to their triggering town, their hometown, “not just any town […] though […] never seen before, it must be a town you’ve lived in all your life. You must take emotional possession of the town and so the town must be one that […] you feel is your town”.
Participants will work on their own, outside and inside the classroom, in pairs and in groups. They will receive peer feedback, experience collective reading sessions and, at the end of the workshop, individual consultation. From drafting to creating and publishing, participants will be coached to succeed in finding their writing place.
Held in breathtaking Ortigia, a place which has itself ‘triggered’ many writers, the workshop is sure to be an invaluable adventure on the unforgettable path toward self-discovery, productivity, and networking.
The workshop will be held in English but with English/Italian interpreters available.
The workshop will be held at Palazzo Francica Nava, via S. Landolina 5, Siracusa, at the heart of beautiful Ortigia. This medieval palazzo, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake in baroque style, has large rooms for classes and workshops, a small library and wifi in all teaching areas.
During their free time, participants will have an opportunity to experience Italian culture as well as enjoying the local cuisine and lifestyle.
You may want to stay on in Ortigia for a few days after the workshop to enjoy the opening of the 13th edition of the international Ortigia Film Festival – 12-18th July OFF 2021 – when Ortigia becomes an open-air cinema with screens set up in various squares and courtyards around the island. You’ll find more details here https://www.ortigiafilmfestival.com/.
N.B. Covid 19
Exedra is well-equipped with spacious rooms to enable social distancing.
Numbers will be limited to avoid overcrowding.
Depending on the guidelines of the Italian government in July 2021, participants may be required to wear a mask indoors.
Course costs
Full 3 days – 90.00 euros (student / unemployed rate 60.00 euros)
One day – 35.00 euros (student / unemployed rate 20.00 euros)
The cost includes coffee breaks, attendance certificate. It doesn’t include accommodation or travel costs.
