Hearing she was a winner of our recent ‘Wild Atlantic Writing Awards’ creative nonfiction category on the theme of ‘secrets’ could not have come at a better time for Jillian Godsil - just as she prepares to undergo live-saving surgery this week. After sharing the sad news with Ireland Writing Retreat about her recent diagnosis of breast cancer, Jillian, from Arklow in Ireland, said reading the good news about her erotic story ' Research Purposes Only' had lifted her spirits

Creative nonfiction finalists and winner announced on theme of 'secrets' Sex in one way or another was a key subject in many of the stories submitted for the creative nonfiction category of our ‘Wild Atlantic Writing Awards’ on the theme of ‘secrets.’ From a clandestine love affair to erotic literature, from herpes to an undercover policeman posing as a prostitute. Why sex? Good question. Let’s delve into sex in literature a little. First of all, sex is considered ‘the forbid

Flash Fiction finalists and winner announced on theme of 'secrets' Fortune-telling, murder, love affairs, roaming ghosts, a wily bird, authors, organ donations, photographs, even tattoos and silver earrings - such were some of the topics in stories submitted for our Wild Atlantic Writing Awards (WAWA) on the theme of ‘ secrets .’ Wanna know a secret? Some stories were filled with angst, others with surprise and still others with intriguing drama and poignancy. There was also

Danger often wears many disguises: a gunman on the loose hiding in a hotel, the fury of white-water rapids or the smile of a stranger on a lonely roadside.  Three writers, Kathy Judge, Brenda Lightle and Judy Holm, used such varied scenarios to create their stories and become finalists in our Wild Atlantic Writing Awards (WAWA) competition on the theme of ‘danger.’ Brenda Lightle A stranger’s kindness can sometimes hide menace.  For Brenda Lightle who lives near Seattle, it s

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A Canadian woman who survived an experimental bone marrow transplant, an Austrian researcher who studied polar bears and...

2026 writing retreats announced with early bird discount

Two retired Canadian mounted police, an English scientist, an American pastor and a nurse were among interesting participants at our two...

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Meet Julia James Burns , who once lived on an exotic island in the Indian Ocean and VJ Bauer , a proud great-grandfather - winners of our...

Growing up in Belfast and living through what is colloquially termed ‘the Troubles,’ the decades-old war in Northern Ireland, co-founder...

You could win the next WAWA competition . It's on the theme of 'secrets.' Secrets mean many things to many people but one thing is...

Murder, love, family break-up, abortion, dementia, revenge, depression, even ghosts and moonwalking - these were some of the diverse...

Many were sad, some bittersweet, others held a hint of humor. Still others, hope. With the theme being ‘ endings ,’ it was only natural...

Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, succulent chocolate blended with sweet Banyuls wine from vines cultivated on the terraced slopes of the...

A retired clinical biochemist in Dublin, a freelance journalist in Belfast, a poet in Oxford and a pharmacist in Cork are among ....

Being immortalised in poetry is a delightful tribute in life and as co-founders of South of France Writing Retreat we were tickled pink...

WARNING - Some people may find the following text and photographs disturbing.  Why fork out hard-earned money to attend our week-long...

Let’s be quite honest here. We can all agree on one thing. Considering all you’ve been through in Life, the Ups and the Downs, the Ins...

Some call it "a wholesome, refreshing and stimulating week," others "felt both their personal development and writing were well nourished...