Writing Workshops

Our summer retreat was so popular we're holding another! This winter, step into a storybook setting with New Zealand best-selling author, Naomi Arnold, as she leads her second Creative Writing & Reading Masterclass at Maruia River Retreat. Creative writing workshops will help you work on writing that feels alive, and gentle mindfulness exercises will help you come up with a plan to tackle any personal and professional barriers to your writing. You’ll leave with a big dose of passion and momentum. In between, hot soaks, sauna, gentle yoga, forest bathing, and guided walks will weave wellness into each moment, while top-class nourishing meals warm the soul. It’s a retreat where writing and nature meets, leaving you refreshed, invigorated, and a little more inspired.

This summer, step into a storybook setting with New Zealand’s best-selling author, Naomi Arnold, as she leads the first Creative Writing and Reading Retreat at Maruia River Retreat. Think “Nature Book Club”. Gentle yoga, forest bathing, and guided walks weave wellness into each moment, while nourishing meals warm the soul. It’s a retreat where books and nature meet, leaving you refreshed, inspired, and a little bit more in love with summer.

In this masterclass Naomi Arnold will provide guidance on how to craft compelling narratives about how places shape people. Presented in collaboration with NZ Society of Authors Top of the South branch.

Journalist and author Naomi Arnold’s first-ever published magazine story was a Listener travel piece on Thailand and she has made writing about people and place her career ever since. Join the award-winning freelance travel, science and nature writer for a masterclass in crafting compelling travel narratives. Learn tips on research and capturing and conveying place, character and experience to bring your adventures to life, whether for publication, family or personal reflection. There will also be a discussion about the freelance publishing landscape today – bring along your burning questions.