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Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat is a project in the village of Eyeries, County Cork, Ireland, which provides accommodation and a supportive environment for writers and other creative workers to develop their ideas. It was founded in 1998, and has hosted more than a thousand writers, artists, composers and choreographers since then.
The retreat centre is owned and directed by Sue Booth-Forbes, a teacher, writer, editor [1] and coach, who describes her work with writers, for example, as that of a "literary midwife." [2] Booth-Forbes, an Arts and Politics graduate of Brigham Young University, also qualified as a teacher, and worked teaching English at high school level, later holding several editorial positions, including with the University of Virginia, [3] Cambridge University Press [4] and, from 1984 to 1997, as Editor of the Mormon women's magazine Exponent II , for which she had written since its foundation. [5]
Having led multiple retreats in the US, and a prolonged literary retreat with friends in Connemara, Booth-Forbes decided to seek a new base in Ireland, and then decided to launch a residential creative retreat location. [6] In November–December 1997 she searched with her daughter, and, after a hint from an academic writer friend, Claudia Harris, in December 1997 [1] purchased a property in the small and remote village of Eyeries, on the West Cork part of the Beara Peninsula. [7] This was launched as the Anam Cara Writers Retreat in summer 1998. [6] The retreat name, which means "soul friend," was chosen partly to pay tribute to the works of John O'Donohue. [8]
Over the more than twenty years, over 1,000 creative guests - writers, composers, choreographers, visual artists - [4] have visited, leaving more than 500 works on the shelves and walls in the common areas of the house. [6] Many guests have commented on the benefits of the retreat, and several have included dedications to its director in their issued work. [2] Several have visited multiple times, one on more than a dozen occasions, [2] and at least one has also moved to the Beara peninsula.
The retreat house comprises a set of private rooms, and a number of common spaces, with a library in addition to books in most rooms, and extensive quiet grounds. Within the grounds a wide range of private working locations have been developed, [4] in garden settings, by a duck pond, and on a landscaped river bank, as well as relaxation aids such as a labyrinth, meditation huts, and an accessible island within the small river. There is also a sauna, and a hot tub where guests and retreat leaders can relax and discuss work in progress. [2] Parking is available but guests are encouraged to avoid the distraction of driving, and having remained offline for many years, there is wireless internet for visitors who need it. The location can be reached by a daily private bus from Cork city. [9]
Anam Cara offers two broad types of retreat: guided and self-directed. The guided workshops, usually hosted by 1-2 coaches or teachers, cover a wide range of topics, and occupy several weeks each year. [10] For the rest of the year, creative guests can develop their own work, aided by discussions with the retreat's director, and with fellow guests. [9] In these retreat periods, the house operates on a silent regime from after breakfast to dinner time. [6] It has been commented that guests sometimes come to work on one art, and shift to another, and that some guests continue cooperation after their visits. [4] [9]
Prospective guests are asked to send a summary of their proposed project, [9] but even beginning writers and artists are welcome, in contrast to some more formal retreat centres, which target, for example, a track record of published or displayed work. [11]
The retreat has sponsored competitions for many years, with prizes including free visits to the facility. [12] [1] The location also hosts a range of events. Some of the competitions and events raise funds for charity. [13]
The retreat has published a book, in aid of Pieta House, Diving into the Mystery: Studies in the Creative Process. [14]
Aside from endorsements by guests, listed as a top five retreat by Canada's Globe and Mail, [1] as well as in articles in the Irish Times, and magazines in England and Wales. [1] As a private establishment, the retreat does not publish data on guests but some who have commented on their experiences include Nessa O'Mahony, former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins, [15] [16] Alex Barclay, [17] Man Booker Award finalist Jhumpa Lahiri, [7] celebrity chef Gerry Galvin, Bernard O'Donoghue, Leanne O'Sullivan, [7] Sassa Buregren, Ulf Lindström and Réaltán Ní Leannáin.[ citation needed ]
County Cork is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are Mallow, Macroom, Midleton, and Skibbereen. As of 2022, the county had a population of 584,156, making it the third-most populous county in Ireland. Cork County Council is the local authority for the county, while Cork City Council governs the city of Cork and its environs. Notable Corkonians include Michael Collins, Jack Lynch, Roy Keane, Sonia O'Sullivan, Cillian Murphy, and Graham Norton.
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Eyeries is a village and its hinterland, on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland, near the border with County Kerry. It lies at the foot of a hilly area, with a beach nearby, and is home to several retail and tourist businesses.
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Susan Booth-Forbes, is an American-Irish teacher, writer and literary editor. She co-founded the progressive Mormon women's journal, Exponent II, in 1974, and was its longest-serving editor, from 1984 to 1997. She was involved in its long-running program of retreats. She has operated the Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat in West Cork, Ireland, for over twenty years, hosting and supporting more than 1,000 writers and other creative artists. Before her editorial career, as a high school English teacher, she was one of two plaintiffs in a successful legal action over discrimination against female staff by her employer when she was pregnant in 1971, winning a declaration of unconstitutionality in US Federal court.
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Retreat Anam Cara is a special place for working writers, artists and academics, ... has also been listed as one of the top five retreats in the world.
You'd need to have a reasonable track record (quoting the Tyrone Guthrie Centre)
Two writing competitions, poetry and short fiction
In support of Pieta House Ireland...
Irish crime writer Alex Barclay has spent time at the centre for each...