Writing Retreat in the Dordogne – Book Now!

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Dordogne Writing Retreat

Fully Catered Writing Retreat in South West France – 16-21 June 2013

Poetry at Le Manoir de Gurson, Dordogne

Looking for a writing retreat somewhere beautiful and relaxing with a professional writer to guide you? You and your writing are at the centre of this writing retreat in the heart of the Dordogne. 

Prize-winning poet and novelist Ros Barber will inspire you and help you hone your writing in a structured-yet-relaxing week of creative focus. Whether you are writing poetry or prose, bringing a manuscript in progress or beginning a new writing project, Ros will individually guide each participant to help them get the most out of their week and their writing. Ros can also give advice on getting your work published.

After a delicious breakfast, the mornings will be about knuckling down to writing, with a mix of structured workshops where you can generate new ideas and explore new approaches. Alternatively, you choose to work alone on your own writing in your room or anywhere else in the locality. Just before lunch, Ros will facilitate a feedback session, where you will give and receive feedback on any writing you’d like to share with other participants.

The afternoons are your own: for writing in the house or the extensive grounds, gaining inspiration from the surrounding countryside and villages, or just lazing by the pool allowing the ideas to flow to you. You’ll be offered a one-to-one mentoring session during the week, so bring some work-in-progress to discuss with Ros. There will also be plenty of opportunities for ad hoc sharing and guidance.

After the evening meal, we’ll gather together for a relaxed combination of reading and discussion over a glass or two of wine.

Dordogne Writing Retreat

 Relax in Style

Le Manoir de Gurson is the ideal venue for such a venture, nestling in 98 acres of beautiful scenery in South West France.  You will be inspired by all around you, and benefit from Ros’ experience on a first-hand basis while you spend time with like-minded people in a spectacular setting.

When you are not writing, you may like to spend time on the sun terrace, or in the pool which overlooks the hidden valley, fishing lakes and woods.

This is the place with the space to relax, unwind, and be inspired.

Le Manoir has been awarded 4-star rating, and every bedroom has private en-suite facilities.  There is a large fully-equipped kitchen, lounge with tv, front and rear halls, 5 en-suite bedrooms (4 kingsize, one twin) and private pool.

Ros Barber is the author of three collections of poetry, including Material, a Poetry Book Society recommendation.  Her work has been featured on Radio 3’s The Verb and Radio 4’s Saturday Review and Poetry Please. Critically acclaimed verse novel The Marlowe Papers is longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2013, was listed in the Observer’s Books of the Year 2012 and was joint winner of the Hoffman Prize 2011.  For twelve years a creative writing tutor at the University of Sussex, she now tutors for the Arvon Foundation, Ty Newydd, and the Poetry School in London.

For full details of the week, and to book, CLICK HERE

The Marlowe Papers at Wantage Betjeman Festival

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Vale & Download Museum, Wantage

Workshop  1-3pm   £10

Reading      6pm        £6/£4

Ros Barber’s critically acclaimed verse novel The Marlowe Papers has been called ‘the best read, so far, this year’ (Sunday Express), ‘elegant and charmingly playful’ (Sunday Telegraph), ‘a thrilling alternate version of Marlowe’s life’ (Observer) and ‘a gripping addition to the authorship debate’ (The Times).  It has also been hailed as ‘surprisingly accessible’ (Time Out) and ‘as excitingly plotted as any holiday thriller… The Marlowe Papers thunders along like an episode of some Elizabethan 24’ (Literary Review).  
Ros herself is renowned for the entertaining and powerful quality of her live readings.  Come and hear Ros read from, and talk about, The Marlowe Papers at Wantage Betjeman Festival on Tuesday 30 October at 6pm.  Questions on the research behind the novel (e.g. Elizabethan spy networks) and the process of getting a verse novel published by a mainstream publisher are very welcome.   You can hear an extract of Ros reading The Marlowe Papers, and download a free mp3 audio of the opening chapter, at www.rosbarber.com.  More details, and online ticket booking here: http://bit.ly/TfGj6x

The Marlowe Papers was joint winner of the Hoffmann Prize in 2011. It was published by Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton) in May 2012 and will be published in the US by St Martin’s Press (Macmillan) in January.
Ros will also be running a poetry workshop from 1pm-3pm.  Tickets (£10) to be booked separately.

The Marlowe Papers at the Dylan Thomas Festival 2012

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Wednesday, 7 November, 7.30pm

Ros Barber and Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch at the Dylan Thomas Festival 2012

Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch’s acclaimed third collection, Banjo (Picador), commemorates the arrival of Captain Scott at the South Pole in 1912, exploring the way in which music and theatre enabled the ice-bound communities to survive. Ros Barber’s The Marlowe Papers (Sceptre) is an extraordinary novel in verse, telling Christopher Marlowe’s alternative story, in which he is exiled to France and writes plays and poetry under the name William Shakespeare. Both will be reading from their work at the Dylan Thomas Festival 2012.

Ros Barber’s critically acclaimed verse novel The Marlowe Papers has been called ‘the best read, so far, this year’ (Sunday Express), ‘elegant and charmingly playful’ (Sunday Telegraph), ‘a thrilling alternate version of Marlowe’s life’ (Observer) and ‘a gripping addition to the authorship debate’ (The Times).  It has also been hailed as ‘surprisingly accessible’ (Time Out) and ‘as excitingly plotted as any holiday thriller… The Marlowe Papers thunders along like an episode of some Elizabethan 24’ (Literary Review).

Ros herself is renowned for the entertaining and powerful quality of her live readings.  Come and hear Ros read from, and talk about, The Marlowe Papers at the Dylan Thomas Festival 2012 in Swansea on Wednesday 7  November at 7.30 pm.  Questions on the research behind the novel (e.g. Elizabethan spy networks) and the process of getting a verse novel published by a mainstream publisher are very welcome.   You can hear an extract of Ros reading The Marlowe Papers, and download a free mp3 audio of the opening chapter, at www.rosbarber.com.
The Marlowe Papers was joint winner of the Hoffmann Prize in 2011. It was published by Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton) in May 2012 and will be published in the US by St Martin’s Press (Macmillan) in January 2013.

Full Price: £6 Concessions: £4.20 Swansea PTL: £2.40

You can buy tickets online (a small booking fee applies) for Dylan Thomas Festival events or ring  01792 463980.

Reading in Nayland, Suffolk

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Signed copies of The Marlowe Papers will be sale here The Marlowe Papers near Colchester

Ros is returning to her old stomping ground to read from The Marlowe Papers at Stoke By Nayland on Thursday 20 September. The Independent said of her book this month:

“Treason, heresy, espionage, counterfeiting, brawling and some lusty but distinctly illegal ménages à trois are all thrown into the mix, with a spritz of gallows humour.

Themes of identity and self-esteem, of truth and loyalty, give substance to Barber’s enthralling plot in a work that combines historical erudition with a sharply satisfying read. Marlowe’s passion infects the page; Barber’s skill draws the fever.”

– The Independent, Sept 11 2012

Ros will be reading from The Marlowe Papers, answering questions about it, and generally catching up with old pals at this charming establishment of David Charleston’s:

The Open Road Bookshop
Park Street
Stoke-by-Nayland
Suffolk
CO6 4SE

on Thursday 20 September 2012
7pm – 8pm

FREE

Do come along if you’re in the vicinity.

Marlowe Talk & Reading at The Rose Theatre, London

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The Rose Theatre, Bankside, LondonThe Marlowe Papers – London reading

On Sunday Sept 30th, Ros Barber will read from and talk about The Marlowe Papers.  The event will be held in the wonderful historic setting of the excavated footings of the original Rose Theatre, not far from The Globe on the south bank of the Thames.  Ros will read from The Marlowe Papers and talk about her re-imagined life of the Elizabethan poet and playwright.

This is the only reading in London this year since the sell-out launch event at the British Library in May.  Critically acclaimed verse novel The Marlowe Papers, written entirely in iambic pentameter, was joint winner of the Hoffmann Prize 2011.  Described as  ‘a striking performer of her own poems’, this promises to be a powerful reading in the spot where Kit Marlowe’s plays were first performed in London and is not to be missed.

“This is the most complete Marlowe I’ve ever encountered.” – Will Self

“Ros Barber’s work is exquisitely honed in meter and metaphor — she makes the iambic pentameter sound as if she just invented it.  Her voice is an instrument of creativity, intellect and emotion. Her performance at Pure Poetry was one of the most memorable I have seen in fifteen years.” – Patience Agbabi

“Wonderful poetry, incorporating fantastic imagery, and an accomplished direct stage manner.” –  John Agard

“Ros Barber doesn’t read so much as put her whole personal, emotional creativity into sharing her words. From the outset the audience were transfixed. For me, it was a whole new experience in the immediacy of a creative mind connecting with people.” –  Andrew Fitch, “Booktalk”

Organised by The Marlowe Society: contact them for details/tickets.

Sunday 30th September

11am

Edinburgh Book Festival 2012 – The Marlowe Papers

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John O'Connell at Edinburgh Book Festival 2012Edinburgh Book Festival 2012 highlights.

INSIDE THE MINDS OF CONAN DOYLE AND MARLOWE

Sometimes, taking a risk on the less well known authors pays off.  In what promises to be one of the Edinburgh Book Festival 2012 highlights, Ros Barber (The Marlowe Papers) and John O’ Connell (The Baskerville Legacy) talk about recreating the inner lives of famous authors.

Ros Barber’s novel in verse gives voice to Christopher Marlowe, allowing him to tell his version of the events that led to his ‘death’. John O’Connell’s The Baskerville Legacy tells of the encounter between Arthur Conan Doyle and Bertram Fletcher Robinson, which led to a writing collaboration that would become The Hound of the Baskervilles. Join the authors to learn how it felt to occupy another author’s mind.

Chaired by Kirsty Lang, presenter of Front Row on BBC Radio 4

Venue: Writers’ Retreat

Price: £7.00/ £5.00

Details and Booking:  http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/ros-barber-john-o-connell

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The Marlowe Papers at Ledbury Poetry Festival

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http://www.poetry-festival.com/live-readings.html

Ledbury Poetry Festival Event 67

Marlowe expert and poet, Ros Barber,  introduces The Marlowe Papers – hotly tipped to be the read of the summer.

‘Immensely clever, capacious, ingenious and imaginative.’ (Hilary Mantel)

‘Not only a homage to Marlowe but a celebration of poetry – and of its power to allow the dead to speak.’ (Blake Morrison)

Date: Saturday 7 July

Time: 2.30pm – 3.30pm

Venue: Burgage Hall, Ledbury

Tickets: £8/£6

Book here: http://www.poetry-festival.com/bookings.html

Poets In Person, London 27 May 2012

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Following on from the encounter started in Munich at the W-ORTE literary festival in 2010, Aprilia Zank and Anne Stewart, poet and ‘poetry p f’ tutor, are very pleased to announce a significant literary event on 27 May in London. TIME: from 3 p.m. onwards.

The event will bring together ‘poetry p f’ members and other prominent poetic voices such as George Szirtes, Ian Parks, Ros Barber, David Cooke and many more.

Further poets and friends of poetry who are interested in participating are welcome – the event is free, but ‘it is hoped that participants may spend about £10 on food and drinks.’

Date: Sunday 27 May 2012
Time: 3pm – 8pm
Venue:  The Glassblower, 40-42 Glasshouse Street, Piccadilly, London, W1B 5DL
Tel:   020 7734 8547
More details below:

The Marlowe Papers Sneak Peek @ Forest Row Festival

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Saturday 1st October
Forest Row Festival
Venue: Garden Room, Community Centre
Time: 6-7pm
Cost: £3/£2.50

At this event, Ros will be giving a sneak preview of ‘The Marlowe Papers’, a fictional autobiography of the 16th century playwright Christopher Marlowe, due to be published by Sceptre in 2012. As the Forest Row Festival states, “This promises to be a particularly special literary highlight and not to be missed.”

Go to the Forest Row Festival website for details of how to get to the venue.

From reading Hell to reading Heaven…

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Poetry South East 2010 Launch Reading - Ros Barber

Last Friday’s reading at The New Venture Theatre was something special.  It was a very strong bill for starters – in Brighton and the surrounding area (I’m including Hove, Lewes, Seaford) we are blessed with an extraordinary amount of poetic talent, as the launched volume, Poetry South East 2010, testifies.  And giving a reading (or performance, depending on venue and audience) is one of those things I enjoy beyond pretty much any other part of being a writer. Including even writing itself.  But Friday was spectacularly good, enjoyable beyond pretty much any other reading I’ve given, with the exception of a couple of big-audience events I’ve done (I really like 200-750 people, when they’re warm).

I love that sense of connecting with people, sharing something meaningful with them. I love that the more I do it, the easier it is, so that now I only have to breathe deeply, let go of any tiny flutter of fear that might surface as I am being introduced, relax completely and connect with the words.  The work is already done – the words are written, I only have to speak them, one human being to another, just as I am.    And something happens on stage. A magic.  That thing performers go back and back for.

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