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Decency Be Damned – Writing Workshop – Yorkshire, England – 2019

Posted by Kirsten Koza on September 5, 2018 in Uncategorized | 907 Views

Decency Be Damned: a seven-day roving writing workshop across Yorkshire, England, hosted by Writers’ Expeditions and Exploring York – from May 20-26, 2019. Hogwarts Express York England

Writers of any genre of fiction and nonfiction: You are invited to leave your safety nets at home and join us for a rollicking week of writing across Yorkshire, where you’ll be encouraged—and enabled!—to go beyond the bounds of decency. You’ll acquire techniques and exercises used by actors on the stage and apply them to the page. With your pen or keyboard, you’ll improvise, method act and perform dangerous feats. Inspiration will be gleaned from the activities we’ve planned and places we’ll stay. We’ll brave a ghost walk in Europe’s most haunted city, devour an orgasm of chocolates, and hunker down in the very hotel where Agatha Christie hid during the national manhunt for her. We’ll plot mayhem at the Guy Fawkes Inn, sample beer made by sixth generation brewers, and feast on the exploits of the Vikings and Romans—of course, all the while, delighting in English countryside, seaside villages, and stately homes.

Writer’s block be damned! Decency be damned! This workshop is a daring adventure of storytelling and writing!

(Scroll down for itinerary, bios of hosts, and prices. This workshop takes a maximum of 10 participants and we’re sold out for 2019, but there’s always the chance of a cancellation, so if you’d like to be informed of a cancellation, should it happen, message us. If you contact us, please know that we respond quickly by email: writers-expeditions@mail.com, and if you don’t hear back, either we didn’t receive your email, or our reply is possibly in your spam bin. We can also be messaged from our Writers’ Expeditions Facebook page, which seems to work without fail.)  

Yorkshire Tea (photo taken on our 2018 expedition by your workshop host, Kirsten Koza)
Yorkshire Tea (photo taken on our 2018 expedition, by Kirsten Koza, your workshop host)

TOUR ITINERARY

Monday, May 20th, 2019

2:00 pm: check in at our hotel (owned by Hilton) at Monk Bar, which is a 14th century gate (not a bar) and is also the largest and most ornate entrance to the walled city.

Afternoon & Evening: meet & greet at our warm-up writing workshop, in the hotel bar (an actual bar), before we head to dine at the Guy Fawkes Inn. This medieval inn is the birthplace of the infamous plotter, Guido Fawkes.

Guy Fawkes painting by Henry Perronet Briggs (c. 1823) titled Discovery of the Gunpowder Plot (public domain)
Guy Fawkes painting by Henry Perronet Briggs (c. 1823) titled Discovery of the Gunpowder Plot (public domain)

9:00 pm – Ghost Tour: York is home to some of the world’s more notorious ghosts. It was named the most haunted city in Europe, and tonight our guide promises to give us the creeps as he reveals York’s spooky secrets around each dark corner of the cobbled streets.

York, Shambles
York, Shambles

(Dinner, Overnight in York)

Tuesday, May 21st 

Morning: After enjoying an English breakfast (or something lighter if you prefer), our guide will take us on a tour (imbued with quirky trivia) of York Minster, the world’s third largest medieval gothic cathedral and York’s most acclaimed historical site.

Then we’ll indulge in York’s Chocolate Story. Chocolate has resulted in renown and fortune for York for near 300 years. We’ll learn the art of the chocolatier and how to eat chocolate too – yes, we’ll receive a chocolate eating lesson. (Free time for writing and lunch.)

Yorkshire Rarebit, in York (photo by Kirsten Koza, Writers' Expeditions)
Yorkshire Rarebit, in York (photo by Kirsten Koza, Writers’ Expeditions)
Yorkshire Fat Rascals (Photo by our local guide and expert Matthew Greenwood, Exploring York)
Yorkshire Fat Rascals (Photo by our local guide and expert Matthew Greenwood, Exploring York)

Afternoon: We’ll meander the  streets and alleyways of the walled city with our guide. Roman York became the birthplace of Western Christianity, but the Romans’ achievements were brutally exsanguinated when the Vikings transformed Jorvik into an international trading hub centuries ahead of its time, making Medieval York the capital of the North.

Statue of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, York Minster
Statue of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, York Minster

Cocktail Hour Writing Workshop: in the hotel bar or courtyard patio and then free time for dinner.

(Breakfast, Overnight in York)

Wednesday, May 22nd  

Morning: breakfast – and then we’ll take the steam train along the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Pickering to Goathland (film location for the Hogwarts Express), and of course we’ll discuss the success of J.K. Rowling – the whys and hows – and how this relates to stories going viral on the Internet.

Goathland's train station was a film location for the train station at Hogwarts. (photo by Kirsten Koza)
Goathland’s train station was a film location for the train station at Hogwarts. (photo by Kirsten Koza)
Whitby, Yorkshire (photo by Kirsten Koza, Writers' Expeditions)
Whitby, Yorkshire (photo by Kirsten Koza, Writers’ Expeditions)

Afternoon: We’ll visit the coastal town of Whitby, the birthplace of Captain Cook. Also, it was while visiting Whitby, after an exhausting theatrical tour, that Bram Stoker got inspiration for Dracula. Then it’s down (or should we go up?) the 199 steps from Whitby’s gothic abbey, culminating in the reward of award winning fish and chips (gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options available).

Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire (photo by the fabulous George Hodan)
Whitby Abbey, Yorkshire (photo by the fabulous George Hodan)
Fish & Chips at The Magpie (photo by Kirsten Koza)
Fish & Chips at The Magpie (photo by Kirsten Koza)

Free time this evening back in York to dine, explore, and write.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Overnight in York)

Thursday, May 23rd

Castle Howard
Castle Howard

Morning: breakfast – then we’ll check out of our hotel and travel through the countryside to Castle Howard where you’ll be given a “Decency Be Damned” writing assignment. This Yorkshire stately home is one of Britain’s finest. It’s resplendent in world famous art and opulent architecture. You might recognize Castle Howard as it was used in both the TV and film adaptations of Evelyn Waugh’s book Brideshead Revisited.

Writing time outside on Castle Howard’s spectacular grounds or at one of its patio cafes.

Driving through the Yorkshire Countryside in the Spring (photo by Kirsten Koza)
Driving through the Yorkshire Countryside in the Spring (photo by Kirsten Koza)

Afternoon: We’ll take our private mini bus to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where we’ll be dining and spending the night at The Buck Inn, in the perfect picture-postcard village of Malham. At this evening’s workshop, if you have bladder issues, you might want to wear Depends, because you’ll be laughing so hard you won’t just be crying.

(Breakfast, Dinner, Overnight at The Buck Inn/Malham)

Malham Cove was a film location used in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” (photo by George Hodan)

Friday, May 24th

Morning: We have an exciting creative adventure planned for you today. Our writing workshop will be held in the courtyard of Richard III’s ruined castle.

Middleham, Yorkshire, So English (photo by Kirsten Koza)
Middleham, Yorkshire – So English (photo by Kirsten Koza)

Afternoon: lunch at a country pub – and then we’ll traverse the limestone scenery and the unique valleys known as dales. You’ll see stone-built villages, field barns, drystone walls, Swaledale sheep, flower-laden meadows, plus the Aysgarth Falls (you might remember these waterfalls from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), and the North Yorkshire village of Kettlewell (of Calendar Girls fame).

Kettlewell, Yorkshire (photo by Kirsten Koza)
Kettlewell, Yorkshire (photo by Kirsten Koza)

Evening: We’ll check in at the Old Swan Harrogate which is surrounded by idyllic English gardens and is just a three-minute walk from the spa town’s centre. Our hotel “combines Victorian splendour with contemporary luxury.” It was here where Agatha Christie hid in 1926, resulting in an 11-day national manhunt for her.

Free time for writing and dinner in Harrogate. Your hosts are both foodies and will happily make recommendations.

(Breakfast, Overnight at the Old Swan in Harrogate)

Yorkshire Dales (photo by George Hodan)
Yorkshire Dales (photo by George Hodan)

Saturday, May 25th

Morning: breakfast in the Old Swan’s glass-ceilinged Wedgwood dining room – and then we’ll travel to a secluded valley to explore Fountains Abbey, one of the biggest and best preserved ruined (which sounds like an oxymoron) Cistercian monasteries in England.

Yorkshire, Fountains Abbey (photo by George Hodan)
Yorkshire, Fountains Abbey (photo by George Hodan)
Fountains Abbey (photo by Kirsten Koza)
Fountains Abbey (photo by Kirsten Koza)

 Afternoon: pub lunch – followed by battle of the breweries in Masham. We’ll pitt the beers of Black Sheep against T&R Theakston in our own private tasting with our guide, so we can enjoy the bitterness of an internal family feud along with their brews.

Beer Tasting (photo by George Hodan)

Evening: three course dinner and readings back at the Old Swan in Harrogate.

(Breakfast, Beer Tasting, Dinner, Overnight at Old Swan in Harrogate)

Sunday, May 26th

Morning: breakfast in the Wedgwood – followed by our farewell writing workshop in the library.

(Breakfast)

BIOS OF HOSTS – FOLLOWED BY PRICES

Kirsten Koza at "Wake Up and Smell the Shit" book launch at Book Passage, in San FranciscoKirsten Koza (writing workshop host): is the author Lost in Moscow published by Turnstone and dubbed by CBC radio Canada “the ultimate what-I-did-last-summer essay ever.” Kirsten edited the Travelers’ Tales (USA) humour anthology, Wake Up and Smell the Shit, and read thousands of stories for that book before narrowing it down to the 31 writers she selected for the volume. She’s had over 75 stories published in books, magazines and newspapers around the world and has repeatedly been invited to speak at the American Society of Journalists and Authors annual conference in New York, on the power of social media for writers and making stories go viral.

Kirsten has taught both postgraduate and 3rd year acting at the University of East London and East 15 Acting School (famous for method acting), in England. She did her BA in theatre at Dalhousie University, in Canada, and her postgrad in the UK at E-15. The final production of her postgrad was staged in Yorkshire. Prior to becoming a professional writer, she worked in theatres across Canada and was the Artistic Director of Canada’s oldest professional summer theatre. Her theatre background has had a massive impact on how she writes, and she looks forward to sharing these methods and other tips with you on the Decency be Damned writing workshop, in Yorkshire.

You can read a few of her adventures (published in books and magazines) by following these links, and you’ll probably surmise why the management at Travelers’ Tales publishing house affectionately call Kirsten “the Canadian lunatic”: “Chasing Tornadoes” published in the ninth volume of The Best Women’s Travel Writing books, “The Mountain Men Who Don’t Exist in Kyrgyzstan” and “Hiding the Cannoli in Sicily” both published by Perceptive Travel magazine.

Matthew Greenwood of Exploring YorkMatthew Greenwood (your local guide & expert): created his tour company, Exploring York, in 2004, out of a love for his native county of Yorkshire and his lifelong passion for travel. He has guided a wide variety of groups ranging from policemen from Sudan to venture capitalists from New Mexico and adores showing visitors from around the globe his home city and county.

When Matthew was a child he wanted to be a hotel manager and had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of international hotel chains. His interest in all things travel continued through life. He says the reason we embark on journeys is for the unknown, to make discoveries outside our realm of imagination. His own travels have circled the planet. A chance-meeting with a charity worker led to a lifetime dream-trip to Rwanda where he walked among the mountain gorillas, something he couldn’t have imagined coming true when watching Gorillas in the Mist as a child. That trip also fed Matthew’s appetite for learning about war and atrocities and how humanity can endure and overcome. This passion has led to him taking self-study trips (what he calls holidays) to Bosnia, Serbia, Cambodia and Vietnam, where he and Kirsten met in Hanoi outside Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum.

Matthew has a keen interest and knowledge in all aspects of history, British and American politics and world affairs.

PRICES AND INCLUSIONS: prices include hotel accommodations – full breakfasts daily – three three-course dinners –  one lunch – daily tours and transportation while on tours – private guide – tastings – and writing workshops.

The price per person based upon a twin shared room is £1665. If you prefer a single room – there is a £150 single supplement for the entire trip duration.

A deposit of £300 reserves your place. Canadians and Americans can pay the deposit in dollars (CAD and US) – the currency conversion will be calculated on the day you make the payment.

The group size for this trip is just 10 participants! Please email Kirsten at  writers-expeditions@mail.com (and to make sure we get it please cc kirstenkoza@gmail.com), or message from the Writers’ Expeditions Facebook page with any questions you might have. We respond quickly, so if you don’t hear back from one of those, please do try an alternate, and please check your spam bin.

EXCLUSIONS: international flights and transportation to and from the first and last hotels – alcohol except where listed in itinerary

2018's participants reading their indecencies at the Old Swan. (photo by Kirsten Koza)
2018’s participants sharing their indecencies at the Old Swan. (photo by Kirsten Koza)
Bettys Cafe Tea Room, and that's not a typo - Bettys has no apostrophe however much you'd like to add one (photo by our guide, Matthew Greenwood, Exploring York)
Bettys Cafe Tea Room, and that’s not a typo – Bettys has no apostrophe however much you’d like to add one. (photo by our guide, Matthew Greenwood, Exploring York)

 

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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged England, Tour, Writing Workshop, York, Yorkshire

About the Author

Kirsten Koza

Kirsten Koza

Author, Adventure Travel Writer, Humorist, Speaker, Mountain Biker, Photographer, and Writers’ Expeditions Organizer and Host.

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In bookstores!

wake-up-and-smell-the-shit

Wake Up and Smell the Shit: Hilarious Travel Disasters, Monstrous Toilets and a Demon Dildo edited by "the Canadian lunatic" Kirsten Koza.

"A hilarious journey to the other side of travel - A collection of rollicking tales by veteran travel writers who share the common, horrific side of travel. You'll laugh, shudder and wince. A must read." - Deston Nokes (Travel Writer)

"Forged in a Den of Scum and Villainy..."
Read this review and a sample at Amazon.



lost-moscow-bonus Lost in Moscow: A Brat in the USSR by Kirsten Koza

CBC Radio Canada declares Koza’s Lost in Moscow “the ultimate what-I-did-last-summer essay ever.”

CHRY radio Toronto says “Kirsten Koza is like Judy Blume on acid.”

Lost in Moscow is now available as an e-book from Kindle and Kobo internationally.


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The Best Womens Travel Writing on Amazon Kirsten’s adventure “Mare’s Milk, Mountain Bikes, Meteors & Mammaries; a nipply night in nomad’s land” has been published by Travelers' Tales in The Best Women’s Travel Writing, a collection of the best travel stories from 2012.

Click here to see photos from Kirsten’s cycling expedition in Kyrgyzstan.

leave-lipstick-cover Kirsten’s story “Easter Island and the Chilean with the Brazilian” is in Leave the Lipstick, Take the Iguana.

Click here to see photos from Kirsten’s Easter Island bike trip.


Women Travel 9

Kirsten’s story “Chasing Tornadoes” is in The Best Women’s Travel Writing Volume 9.

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