Writing courses in Cuba
| country: | Cuba |
| departures: | 2010: 14 Nov |
| price: | From £1145 (10 days) excluding flights. |
| more info: | Includes shared accommodation and breakfast, Writing course, yoga, talks on Cuban culture and history and visits to historical sites/places of interest. Optional single supplement £295. Extra nights available |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Writing courses in Cuba
Havana, a Unesco World Heritage site, is one of the oldest, grandest and safest cities in the Americas. It is also one of the loveliest. Its beguiling ice-cream coloured colonial buildings, the high concentration of museums and galleries, the stunning vibrancy of Cuban music and dance and the charismatic habaneros give it a cultural punch well beyond its size and economic status. Add to all this the tropical climate and you have a potent cocktail.
The influence Cuban insularity has exerted on its people's myths, fantasies and national psyche, makes the country a unique place for writers and artists. Great Cuban writers, from José Marti to Alèjo Carpentier and José Lezama Lima, and more famous non-Cuban ones, from Earnest Hemingway to Gabriel Garcia Márquez and from Jean Paul Sartre to Günter Grass, have found a source of inspiration here. Join this tradition on one of our writers’ courses.
Outside the course hours, Clem Axel, our man in Havana, will help people gain a good understanding of Cuban history and culture. The programme also includes a half day Havana city tour and optional excursions to beaches, a traditional cigar factory and local beauty spots. Evenings offer balmy weather and a chance to walk the many and varied shopping streets of La Habana Vieja, the Old Havana, visit dazzling nightclubs and shows, and even dance Salsa in the streets!
The Cubans, even when life comes with plenty of grit, gripes and its share of inequalities, have never lost their passion for partying and the nightlife of their capital is legendary.
Writing for Life with Helena Drysdale - departs: 14 Mar 2010.
This wide ranging course will cover the interests of many writers. Helena has published many novels including Looking for George and written for a wide range of newspapers. She is currently a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Exeter University.
Fiction Writing with Romesh Gunesekera - departs: 14 Nov 2010.
course is about the essential elements of good fiction. Romesh’s first novel, Reef, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and his second one, Sandglass, was awarded the BBC Asia Award. These books were followed by Heavens Edge and The Match.
The influence Cuban insularity has exerted on its people's myths, fantasies and national psyche, makes the country a unique place for writers and artists. Great Cuban writers, from José Marti to Alèjo Carpentier and José Lezama Lima, and more famous non-Cuban ones, from Earnest Hemingway to Gabriel Garcia Márquez and from Jean Paul Sartre to Günter Grass, have found a source of inspiration here. Join this tradition on one of our writers’ courses.
Outside the course hours, Clem Axel, our man in Havana, will help people gain a good understanding of Cuban history and culture. The programme also includes a half day Havana city tour and optional excursions to beaches, a traditional cigar factory and local beauty spots. Evenings offer balmy weather and a chance to walk the many and varied shopping streets of La Habana Vieja, the Old Havana, visit dazzling nightclubs and shows, and even dance Salsa in the streets!
The Cubans, even when life comes with plenty of grit, gripes and its share of inequalities, have never lost their passion for partying and the nightlife of their capital is legendary.
courses
The day is easy-going. It begins with some gentle yoga followed by a delicious breakfast, the community meeting and then a talk on Cuba. Participants can stroll leisurely through the city, where they can get a glimpse of life without McDonald’s, and enjoy Havana’s rebel nature, which is a crucial part of its allure. The Writing courses are held in the afternoon. Writing for Life with Helena Drysdale - departs: 14 Mar 2010.
This wide ranging course will cover the interests of many writers. Helena has published many novels including Looking for George and written for a wide range of newspapers. She is currently a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Exeter University.
Fiction Writing with Romesh Gunesekera - departs: 14 Nov 2010.
course is about the essential elements of good fiction. Romesh’s first novel, Reef, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and his second one, Sandglass, was awarded the BBC Asia Award. These books were followed by Heavens Edge and The Match.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
When you book our writing holiday to Havana – a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest, grandest and safest cities in the Americas - you’re not just honing your writing skills in a uniquely inspiring location, you'll also be joining a 30-year tradition of working together to maintain a responsible lifestyle. We aim to create a total living experience which can lead to changes beneficial both to the individual and to the world we live in. Our commitment to positive action is not restricted to our holiday destinations. At our administrative offices various environmental policies are in place, including all single sided printed material is stapled into booklets and re-used for notepaper, all staff living within a 3 mile radius have elected to walk to work, we have made available downloadable versions of literature from our site to reduce reliance on printed brochures and encourage online booking as an alternative to paper-based methods. Waste materials are sorted for recycling wherever possible. Staff, guests and suppliers are also actively encouraged to suggest further ways in which we can increase our environmental responsibility. Community: As part of your booking, you will be provided with a copy of the company philosophy which emphasises being rather than having, doing rather than consuming, and cooperating rather than competing. Community meetings give the whole community a chance to talk to each other and to give participants a say in the structure of their daily life. You will be provided with pre-trip information on the host community to raise cultural awareness and help you to make decisions on how to integrate responsibly. Your host, John Harris, will give you a Responsible Travel briefing including practical advice on social interaction with the local people and during your holiday you will have opportunities to learn some local language and eat locally-sourced organic national cuisine. The Havana Libre Hotel employs all local staff and is a collaboration between Spain’s Sol Melia and the Cuban government. Our Cuba sessions also feature sessions on Cuban History and culture from Cuban national Clem Axel – participants have said that this gives a valuable insight into what life in Cuba is really like. Guests visit historical sites and places of cultural interest to further help raise awareness of Cuban history/culture and encourage integration with the host community. We offer excursions to local small scale industries – almost the entire fee for these directly benefits the Cuban economy with its unique combination of welfare and social projects. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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