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​Discover our 2024 retreat in Norway!
Travel. Culture. Poetry. Writing. Yoga. Photography. Video.
August 16 - 23, 2024
Wind-swept rocks.
Balmy beaches.
The stillness of the fjords.
A colorful, coastal village with rich history.
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​The Setting
Come with us and enjoy pleasant summer days on the Nordic coast. Bask in sea salt breezes and simple, cozy accommodations on the beach with creativity-inspiring masterclasses exploring prose, poetry, music, and movement. Savor the deliciousness of sharing a new culture and learning about local Norwegian authors.
At this time of year, most Norwegians will be done with their summer holidays. The beach will be almost empty and our locale quieter. A perfect setting for basking in the pleasantly warm sun and swimming. A favorite here in Norway: enjoy the sauna and from there, jump right into the sea!
Our Creative Writing Adventure will include plenty of writing time and creative exploration with your muse as well! The curriculum is fresh and unique, focusing on new styles of creative expression, broadening and enriching your repertoire.
Hosted by
Bridget Cook-Burch
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Natalia Kucirkova
Pen name: Eleni Cay, Poet, Author, Professor
Bridget is a New York Times & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Mentor, Speaker, Trainer, and Passionate Humanitarian. She has published five bestsellers and two bestselling anthologies. She specializes in helping others write their own transformational nonfiction and fiction stories.
Our host is a professor who engages in poetry and will share insights on video poetry. She is widely published in academia as Natalia Kucirkova but writes poetry as Eleni Cay.
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Eleni Cay is a Slovakian-born poet living in England and Norway, and writing in English, Slovak, French, Norwegian and Spanish. Her award-winning first collection ‘A Butterfly's Trembling in the Digital Age’ was published by Cakanka in Slovakia, Parthian Books in the UK and Hein Verlag in Germany. Her poems appeared in many journals, including Acumen, Atticus Review, The Cardiff Review, Glasgow Review of Books, Envoi or Poetry Ireland Review. Eleni is known for her filmpoems, dancepoems and multimedia poetry, which have been screened at international festivals and featured on Button Poetry.
Eleni’s debut novel ‘The Love Virus’ was published in spring 2020. In 2021, Poetry Space published Eleni’s chapbook ‘Celestial Heteroglossia’ and Black Spring Press her second collection ‘Love Algorithm’. Eleni is currently working on a sequel to her first novel.
the house & cottage
The House
Built in 1926 and fully renovated in 2023, this is home to our hostess and her husband. All meals and classes will take place here. Rooms are cozy and on the upper floor with great views of the sea! Guests in the house will enjoy extra time with Natalia and her husband Trond and take in more of the local culture.
Choose from small, medium, and large rooms.
The Cottage
Built in 2020 and just minutes from the house, the cottage will be quieter, with more leeway in terms of writing or beach time for you. Bridget will be acting as hostess at this property.
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Choose from small, medium, and large rooms.
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Both properties sit on the coast with plenty of natural beauty and scenic views from every window.
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Local cuisine
Your hosts have prepared a fresh, delightful menu.
All meals served in The House or on Excursions
Breakfasts include a variety of cereals, eggs, fruit, vegetables and bread served with coffee, tea, milk and juices.
Lunch includes a variety, ranging from hot lunches from local producers, organic vegetable soups and fresh baked bread, to traditional sandwich-lunches.
Dinner will be dining in (except for our special evening dining out) based on your preferences. This will usually include two-course dinners with local produce, fresh fish, local meat, vegetarian and vegan options.
Gourmet Evening in Egersund
After a short walk in the center of Egersund (weather permitting), we will enjoy a six-course dinner at Eigra, prepared by the chef with fresh, local ingredients.
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Fresh fruit platters, table water, coffee and a variety of teas are always available at both The House & The Cottage.
Classes & Extras
Writing classes will be taught at The House
Bridget will teach you skills to become a better, more expressive essayist and book writer.
Natalia will help you explore skills as a poet, and even incorporate music, video, and movement into your written word.
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Morning Yoga at the beach
Classes will be offered during three of our mornings together.
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NEW!
Become an International Speaker in an adventurous way!
We've created an amazing opportunity for you to share a piece of your writing at a public-day forum in a historic venue! More details will be announced shortly.
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NEW!
Special Writing Day at a Historic 200 Year-old Lighthouse
We'll spend the entire day listening to our writing muse at a quaint old lighthouse on the beach! Lunch and Dinner enjoyed on site. During writing breaks, we'll do some shrimping and then throw them on the 'barby' for a real Scandinavian BBQ!
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excursions
You can't visit Norway without exploring the wild and rugged country or its charming and idyllic communities! We have three fabulous excursions planned to enjoy its beauty.
Travel logistics
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Travel to and from Norway is not included in the retreat package.
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Transportation to and from the airport is included at specific pick-up and drop-off times - we will let attendees know so they can book travel accordingly.
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Travel insurance is required and each attendee is responsible for purchasing their own policy.
Have Questions?
Click on the chat feature on this website to start a conversation.
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Or, email Bridget@YourInspiredStory.com