The Heart of Memoir Writing Workshop
May 27 - June 2, 2012
in the Abruzzo Region of Italy, in the medieval hilltop burgh of
Santo Stefano di Sessanio,
a UNESCO World Heritage site,
awarded in 2007 for Conservation of Cultural Landscapes.
- Experience travel in the grand tradition of times past when great
American writers sought inspiration in unspoiled European cities and villages.
- Allow yourself time and seclusion to create literature from your life
experience as you craft creative nonfiction essays— memoir, food and travel writing.
- Join The Heart of Memoir Writing Workshop if you are just starting out
or already a seasoned writer. Instruction and writing activities will accommodate those of all experience levels.
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Santo Stefano di Sessanio |
Engage in a sense of restoration of place and self as you witness Santo Stefano’s ambitious work recovering from the earthquake in L’Aquila in 2009. Afford yourself the space for both solitude and collegiality. Enjoy Abruzzo’s countryside of haunting loveliness and spiritual depth. It’s an ancient place where artisanal cheese is made from the milk of local sheep, pure oil from olives grown on small family orchards, and stories seem etched into worn stone walls, cobbled lanes and winding stair steps. |
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The Heart of Memoir Writing Workshop
Writing Instruction Reading Writing Focus and Theme
Please bring your favorite writing materials. A laptop computer is ideal for the workshop as it allows writers to share writing via email during the week, but it’s not necessary. While free wifi is available to hotel guests, printing is not, so we will do our best to share—whether or not you have a laptop. Instructor Kathryn AbajianCultural Enrichment and Fieldtrips Linda ProsperoOur cultural enrichment and field trips will be led by Linda Prospero, a Princeton, N.J. writer who has lived in Italy and traveled to Abruzzo many times to visit family and explore the region. Linda's background and fluency in Italian offer participants valuable insight into the local culture. She spent her career as a journalist, and her articles have appeared in publications ranging from The New York Times and Los Angeles Times to the Times of India. But her real passion is Italy -- its art, literature and food -- and sharing that love with others. She is author of the popular blog, Ciao Chow Linda. |
Accommodations
Enjoy six nights in a private room in Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, Santo Stefano’s award-winning hotel offering
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Feast on traditional Abruzzese cuisine and local wines—breakfast and dinner are included
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Workshop Rates and Registration
The registration fee of $2950 includes van transport from Rome and return, five days of workshop instruction and materials, six nights single occupancy accommodations in Albergo Diffuso, full daily breakfast, afternoon activities and excursions, and all evening dinners. Airfare to Rome and mid-day meals are not included.
We limit the workshops to small groups so we can provide an optimal experience for everyone. Thus, while we accept up to eight participants, we will run the workshop with fewer. It may be possible to accommodate companions who do not attend workshop sessions or receive instruction; these companions will benefit from all other activities, meals and accommodations. If interested in this option, please inquire early on as double rooms have a limited availability.
Getting Started
- Reserve your place in the workshop by filling out the Enrollment Form and making the non-refundable deposit of $500 due to be paid via PayPal or by U. S. check. The deposit, to ensure your place, is due by March 10, 2012.
- The deposit and subsequent payment of the remainder of the workshop fees will be refunded only if IIOW cancels the workshop.
- The remainder of the workshop fee is due by April 14, 2012.
Please wait to purchase non-refundable airline tickets until we confirm workshop enrollment. At the latest, we will confirm the workshops by April 16, 2012. If enough participants enroll earlier, we will confirm sooner. Once a workshop is confirmed, but space remains available, new participants can register at any time.
Although it's not required, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel and trip cancellation insurance, in case of illness or any other unanticipated circumstances.
Payment options
Questions?
Contact Kathryn here or, if you prefer to talk by phone, leave your phone number for a call back.




Kathryn Abajian
Linda Prospero



