Retreating

Bridge over Afon Dwyfor, Llanystumdwy. © Copyright Bill Harrison and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence


A few weeks ago I booked myself a retreat in North Wales, in a self-catering cottage which is part of the Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre, run by Literature Wales. The grounds of Tŷ Newydd - formerly the home of David Lloyd George - look out over Cardigan Bay. Lloyd George's grave stands on the banks of the Afon Dwyfor.

https://tynewydd.wales/nant/

I’ve been on several writing retreats – two were run by the Arvon Foundation, at their Totleigh Barton centre in Devon. One was held at Penhurst Retreat Centre, in November 2015, with four awesome ACW members: Tony Collins, former literary agent, and gifted authors Philip Davies, Penelope Wilcock and Claire Dunn. Pen is the author of the Hawk and Dove novels (huge favourites of mine) and her spiritual writing has also been a great source of enrichment and encouragement to me. Claire is the author of the Realms of Darkness series, and I’ve just ordered The Tarnished Crown, the first volume in her new historical series Wheel of Fortune. I enjoyed Philip’s YA fantasy series Destiny’s Rebel, Destiny’s Revenge and Destiny’s Ruin.

I learned a lot, and the company was absolutely excellent, as one would expect. I've often been to Penhurst for Quiet Days and longer retreats. (Support your Christian retreat and conference centres, folks – I know several which had to close because they lost so much revenue post-pandemic.)

But this upcoming retreat is purely for me. I know this part of North Wales well. Tŷ Newydd is in the village of Llanystumdwy on the Llŷn Peninsula, where I spent so many summer holidays as a child. I’ve been back to Snowdonia and the Llŷn countless times over the past decades. I love this region with a passion. The hills, valleys, beaches, rivers and waterfalls will be a glorious inspiration.

I also feel rather daunted. I’m a strong introvert and am drawn to solitude and stillness. But I also like company, and the retreats I’ve been on, including the silent ones, have always been guided. This solitary retreat will demand discipline on my part to use the time creatively, to focus on my writing. I hope to do some work on preparing for a competition (run by Mslexia) and I hope too to recover my poetry muse. But above all I want to surrender this time to God, to listen to his Spirit, to be aware of his Presence … to stir up the writing gift within.

As most of you will realise, several ACW members are organising the Kingdom Writing Retreat, also on the Llŷn, from 15-18 June. I couldn’t make those dates, sadly, so I checked the Tŷ Newydd website … and their dates were perfect.

So may God richly bless the upcoming Kingdom Writing Retreat – and mine.

I’m an Anglican lay minister: my day job is administrator for the education and learning department of the United Reformed Church. I wrote a devotional for the anthology Light for the Writer’s Soul published by Media Associates International, and my short story ‘Magnificat’ appears in the ACW Christmas anthology Merry Christmas Everyone.