July 3rd 2009
Dinesh Allirajah
Exciting news! We have our first confirmed tutored writing holiday- it will run from Friday 3rd July 2009 and will be taught by Dinesh Allirajah. Dinesh has been teaching students at the University of Central Lancashire for two years which is how I have come to know him. The students Dinesh has taught never fail to tell me how inspirational and supportive he is. Asked what was the best feature of a fiction class, one student wrote:
Dinesh! His enthusiasm, encouragement, professionalism and experience
and his amazing attention to detail, which he documents so helpfully and
positively in reams of treasured feedback. I feel as though I have
changed immeasurably and for the better due to Dinesh.
Another wrote that ‘Dinesh is by far the best tutor I have had.’
He has the ability to bring out the best in writers of all abilities.
Take a look at Dinesh’s website where you can find out more about his writing and performances and read excerpts from his stories.
Dinesh’s latest publication is his short story ‘A Different Sky’ which appears in The Book of Liverpool forthcoming from Comma Press:
The Book of Liverpool features ten specially commissioned stories set in and around the city, by some of its best loved writers.
Spanning the last five decades of its history (including Hillsborough, the Dockers Dispute, Merseysound, European Cup glory, the regeneration of the city…) every milieu, every shared, city-wide moment is depicted in TThe Book of Liverpool.
Featuring: Beryl Bainbridge, Dinesh Allirajah, Margaret Murphy, Clive Barker, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Tracy Aston, Brian Patten and more...
Dinesh also has a collection of short stories A Manner of Speaking published by Spike Books
The stories take place in a variety of locations, from Toxteth and Streatham, to Rome and Arizona and feature a plethora of vividly drawn characters – including members of the author’s family – whose exploits make for compelling reading. (Rachael Ogden, The Reader)
Dinesh brings his stories to life with a poetic language which
paints vivid images that draw you inside. (Levi Tafari)
You can listen to two stories from this collection 'Dirty Feet on the Saint' and ‘Microdrama’ here These stories appeared in Liverpool Stories 1 published by Comma Press.
Dinesh has performed in France, Germany, Poland, Bangladesh and Nigeria. He is a founder member of the North West writing group ‘Asian Voices, Asian Lives.’ He has been featured on BBC Radio Merseyside and Radio Four, most recently when his short story ‘The Prisoners’ was read on 04 Mar 2008 .
'Ruin' by John Robertson
The structure of the course
Before you arrive
You will have the opportunity to send Dinesh a sample of your work so that he can give you some one to one feedback during the course.
Friday
You will arrive on a Friday and will be picked up from either Granada or Malaga airport. If you are flying into Malaga we ask that you choose a flight that arrives in the morning. See the link for details of budget flights.
After we have shown you to your accommodation and you have settled in we will meet at the main house for lunch and a chance to get to know each other. In the afternoon we will show you some of the sights of the town and then you are free to explore or rest. We will meet at 7.30 in the main house for drinks and a shared evening meal. Dinesh will introduce himself and outline the plan for the week’s work. If you haven’t already sent him a sample of your work to be discussed in the one to one sessions you can give him this now. You will also sign up for your one to one session with Dinesh. If you haven’t got anything to bring don’t worry, we will schedule your session for the end of the week and you can discuss the progress you have made in the workshops.
Saturday
After breakfast we will meet at the main house for our first tutored workshop. These will run approximately from 11 am until 2.00 when we break for buffet lunch. After lunch, if you don’t have a one to one with Dinesh, you are free to carry on with your writing, take a walk in the beautiful countryside, explore the town or just take a siesta. We will all meet back together at about 7.30 for a few drinks either at the Carmen de Pepita or one of the other town houses and then go into town for a night of tapas.
Sunday
On Sunday you can have a lie in or if you are inspired by Saturday’s workshop you might want to work on your writing. At (late) lunchtime we will all go to a local restaurant and have Sunday lunch together with the afternoon free for a walk or a siesta. In the evening we meet up for drinks and snacks and a light hearted writing activity. (Dinesh will read from his work?)
Monday and Tuesday follow the same pattern as Saturday with further tutorials and one to one sessions.
Wednesday is a free day and there is the option to go to the historic city of Granada where you can explore the twisting streets of the Albaicin- the Arab quarter with its jumble of cave like shops selling Moroccan lanterns, rugs, slippers and trinkets. You might want to try a mint tea or a bubble pipe in one of the many tea rooms. Alternatively you could explore the Cathedral, the ancient cave area of Sacramonte or if you want some retail therapy Granada has all the top shops you would expect in a major city. After lunch we will be able to visit the magnificent Alhambra palace and Generalife gardens and then there will be more free time to explore the many bars and restaurants of Granada.
If you do not wish to take this trip we can arrange alternative activities such as a day at a spa, cycling, a guided walk or a tutored photography day. Of course you can choose to stay in Alhama and write- the choice is yours!
We haven’t included the cost of the trip in the price as we want to give you the freedom to choose how to spend your free day.
Thursday is our last day and after one final workshop and lunch you will have a chance to finish any pieces you have been working on. In the evening we will gather in the garden of the main house for our final meal and reading of our work (reading not compulsory for the shy!). If the mood takes us we might light a camp fire and see where the storytelling takes us…
On Friday we will reluctantly take you back to the airport for your flight. Of course you may choose to stay on another week- see our writer’s retreat rates, or you might choose a later flight giving you the opportunity to explore the rest of this beautiful region of Andalucia.
Prices
The price of the holiday depends on the accommodation you choose:
The cheapest option is if you choose to share a room with another guest, either a friend you choose to travel with, or we can match you up with someone who wants to share. This holiday will cost £550
If you want a bit of privacy you can have a room to yourself but share a bathroom (usually with one other room). This holiday will cost £599
If you would like your own bathroom you can choose to pay a supplement which is £7 per night = £648.
This price includes transfers from the airport, accommodation as chosen, workshop tuition, one personal feedback session, breakfast every day, six lunches including one in a local restaurant, two evening meals with wine beer or soft drinks, and drinks on the terrace most nights.
Not included are flights, lunch on the free day, dinner on 5 nights and drinks in bars. Optional activities or trips are extra.
