About My Writing Me-treats
All of Jo’s Writing Me-treats are firmly rooted in the location of the retreat while carefully curated classes inspire you to learn and grow as a writer. With several hours a day learning and writing we make sure that you also get the chance to do some local sightseeing. Going to market is the perfect way to learn how to develop a lively sense of place. Heading out for ice cream is a great way to practise evoking the sense of taste. Whatever the location your creativity will be expanded by local sights and excursions.
Enjoy four to six hours a day in a classroom setting when you learn an aspect of writing and put it into practise right away.
Writing Me-treats are indulgent, so you’ll receive three-course meals with wine, pre-dinner drinks at feedback time, a break during the day for you to kick back and relax and time to prepare a piece for sharing later. You’ll visit locations that brim with beauty, buildings or stories that trigger the imagination. You’ll make new friends and grow in confidence, while the range of writing genres explored will help you hone your writers’ voice.
Each day comprises a mix of classes, excursions, writing, feedback and sharing, and, the way new friendships with soulmates blossom make a Writing Me-treat something you’ll want to attend again and again.
Writing Me-treats run for three or four nights and include tuition, excursions, one meal with wine a day, drinks at feedback time and all a range of indulgences. Accommodation and airport transfers can also be arranged and included.
Something even more special happens in Italy
In addition to my Writing Me-treats, I run a very special annual retreat at Trulli Bougainville in Puglia. This is a fully-inclusive week-long residential holiday in the home of my good friend Sam Frearson-Tubito and her husband Paolo.
Upcoming Writing Retreats
Javea, Costa Blanca, Spain
WRITE BETTER LIFE STORIES BY THE SEA
Here, lessons will focus on new ways of writing memoir, inspiring you to write more deeply and with a stronger voice than ever. Meanwhile, you will be right on the beach, beside the thriving port and overlooking the rocky bay that so entranced the Spanish artist Joachim Sorolla that it changed his painting fortunes forever. He fell in love with light and the landscape as will you, as you are inspired by this small Costa Blanca town by the sea and its historic town centre.
Download the pdf description here.
13 to 17 April, 2026
Make an Enquiry
Puglia, Italy
TAKE YOUR WORK IN PROGRESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Jo is thrilled to have been invited to run a Work in Progress retreat for writers of any genre – fiction, how-to, memoir, anthology, poetry or even blogs – at an exquisite and inspiring spot in the heart of Puglia, in Monopoli. Your days will be spent in glorious surroundings where you can work on your manuscript, taking it to the next stage of publication. Days begin with a class and end with constructive group feedback on your day’s writing. The retreat takes place in Sam and Paolo’s beautiful home.
All students receive free coursework and motivational sessions in preparation for the retreat.
Download the pdf description here.
5 to 12 September, 2026 (FULL) and 22 to 29 May 2027
Make an EnquiryTestimonials
See what writers say about working with me.
Robin Pascoe
Author of Homeward Bound
“I would like to thank you for the time, effort and commitment you have given to Homeward Bound over the last year. Your vision as an editor has taken a fledgling idea into its current, highly regarded form.”
Mariam Ottomofiore
Author of This Messy Mobile Life
“Thank you once again for being so amazing to work with. In the middle of all the end of year craziness, I paused to look at my book and feel very proud of how it has been written. Truly feel that thanks to your help and advice, I’ll be putting the best version out there.”
Matthew Smith
Author of The Millennial Money Masterplan
“Mentoring with you is perfect for anyone, like me, who wants to write a book and has no idea where to start. Without you I would still be sitting in the garden thinking about it. I could not have done it without you.”
Tanya Crossman
Author of Misunderstood and Thongs or Flipflops
“That’s why you’re worth the money. You just make a book better.”
Ruth Rusby
Author of A Celebration of Breastfeeding
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the How to Write a How-to book course. It has been particularly great to be in a small group, writing about different subjects but doing everything we can to support each other. We have all come a long way in the last few months and I don’t want this journey to end. The whole is so much greater than the sum of the parts.”
Andrea Anstiss
Author of Juicy Life
“Still totally buzzed, thrilled, over the moon. I honestly can’t thank you, Jack and Paddy enough. One client and one friend have already received their copies and it looks GORGEOUS!”
Dave Scarlett
Author of The Soul Millionaire and The Flight of the Soul Millionaire
“A magical week being coached by Jo in this sublime place, Posara, is just such an experience. I’ve created such beauty with my pen, speaking more lyrically, powerfully and piercingly, than I ever thought possible.“
