CORDOBA WRITING WEEKEND
Explore travel writing with Wanderlust magazine
"You covered things that had not been taught in my three-year university degree in this field." – Danielle
SPEND TIME with top professionals in the loveliest city of Moorish Spain,
a haven of whitewashed medieval streets and grand baroque squares, home to the dazzling Mezquita – one of the world's finest mosques.
EXPLORE travel writing with Wanderlust editor Dan Linstead.
LEARN key creative skills live on location.
ENJOY an insider's view of a little-visited city, with a group of fellow spirits.
What's in the trip?
DAY 1 We rendez-vous in the historic city of Seville, a mere 45 minutes away from Cordoba. You can check in any time from noon onwards at our delightful hotel in the old quarter, and spend solo time exploring its baroque streets and grand monuments, including the amazing Moorish palace. In the evening we gather together for a tapas meal outdoors – a mouth-watering way to meet the group.
DAY 2 We take an early train to Cordoba and check into our Moorish-style boutique hotel (pictured right). Then we spend the morning on a working writer's walk through the winding streets of the medieval Jewish quarter, famous for its flower-filled patios. Here we learn about observations, details and characters – the building blocks of travel writing. We return to base to write it up and comment on your work, and then learn how published authors have approached the same skills. We take a well-earned break for evening drinks at a real insider's sherry bodega, its walls lined with photos of bullfighters and politicians who have visited over the years. Dinner is in a funky local pizzeria noted for its cocktails, followed by fiery flamenco.
DAY 3 In the morning we make a working visit to the magnificent baroque colonnaded plaza, where we discuss how travel books are written and published. In the early afternoon we enter the Mezquita, a profoundly moving experience for many visitors. This is a perfect setting to practice the higher-level skills of capturing atmosphere and using symbols. In the evening we dine at a grand old restaurant, sampling the haute cuisine of this region.
DAY 4 The focus today is on writing travel articles. We look at how to write and structure them, and what editors are looking for. Then you write a travel article based on this trip, for comment by the group. Finally we discuss what everyone has learnt and your next steps in travel writing. We wrap around 3pm with drinks in the pretty gardens of Cordoba's finest hotel.
Expert tuition is provided by two tutors. Dan Linstead is editor of Wanderlust, the leading independent travel magazine. Jonathan Lorie is former editor of Traveller, the UK's most literary travel magazine. Together they offer the inside track as seasoned writers and hands-on editors.
One-to-one advice sessions are not available during this course, but you are welcome to grab a tutor at any time to show them your past work or discuss your personal questions and plans.
You are free to attend or miss whichever training sessions you like, so you can slip off and wander the city whenever you want. And you are most welcome to bring along a non-attending partner or friend to join in the social side of things.
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OCTOBER 16-19, 2009
A Wanderlust Weekend
Browse all our travel writing and photography holidays
and courses
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Subscriber price £630
Subscriber price with a single room £750
Subscriber price with a non-attending partner £750
Availability
Places available today
(Wednesday, 08 September 2010).
Learning level
Suitable for all levels, from absolute beginners to Travellers' Tales veterans.
Booking notes
- An early booking discount is not available on this trip.
- Price excludes flights.
- We do not operate a deposit payment system.
- What the price includes.
Includes 3 days' tuition, 3 nights’ accommodation and breakfast.
Includes travel by train from Seville to Cordoba if you are with the group.
Excludes flights, travel from airport and insurance.
Excludes lunch and dinner (pay as you go, at modest levels: any group meals will be split equally).
'Standard price' and simple 'subscriber price' books a twin room shared with a same-sex fellow student.
'With a single room' books a room on your own.
'With a non-attending partner' book you both a shared room and breakfast and any in-country transport that is part of the course. Your partner does not attend teaching sessions. - You must have travel insurance.
It is an absolute condition of booking that you have full travel insurance, including medical cover, cancellation, losses and public liability. This is to protect yourself, as well as ourselves. - To pay by cheque.
- To use a currency converter.
- By booking you are accepting our terms and conditions.
Getting there
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Full joining instructions and hotel details will be emailed to you 4 weeks before the course. We do not give out venue names or details until after booking.
We ask you to book your own flights because this allows you maximum flexibility on dates, times and costs.
Budget flights run on the relevant dates and cost around £90 return from London.
Suggested travel plan is to fly to Seville airport (direct from London with Ryanair, indirect with Iberia). Alternatively there are many flight options to Malaga, from where you can travel by train or road to Seville.
On Day 1 you should aim to arrive on the afternoon or evening, which is when our accommodation starts. You can check in from noon, and we will meet informally with whoever is around for a tapas meal that evening. If your flight gets in later, that's fine, but please note we will leave early next morning for Cordoba.
If you prefer to join us at Cordoba on Day 2, that's fine, so long as you let us know in advance. You will need to be there by 0930 hrs. There is no reduction for this.
On Day 4 our course and accommodation end in mid-afternoon, when you can depart. You will need to arrange your own travel onward from Cordoba: trains to Seville run all day, taking 45 minutes.
Extra nights should be booked direct with the venue. We can provide their contact details, on request, after you have booked onto the course.
Non-attending partners
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You are welcome to bring a non-attending partner or friend along. They can join us for our evening fun, or you can go off together to explore the sights when you're not attending course sessions.
The price 'with a non-attending partner' provides you both with bed and breakfast and any in-country transport that is part of the course. Your partner does not attend teaching sessions.
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