Retreat Reviews

My time with Aga and Shine Retreats was simply fantastic. I expanded my abilities as an artist and writer. I discovered things within myself. I established new friendships. The balance of relevant lectures and creative writing exercises led by Aga helped to provide a foundation for discussions. The exercises were carefully curated and built on the previous day's work, establishing a codified writing approach which was then adapted for each of us. Aga created a trusting and comfortable environment within the group meetings, so we were able to share with one another freely. Aga provided amazing mentorship during our time together, particularly in the one on one sessions. She inherently knew what types of questions to ask and when to ask them. She was generous with her time. I went away from my work with Aga with fresh ideas, new direction and a plan for next steps in my writing. I cannot stress enough the enormous, positive impact that Aga made on not only my specific projects and screenplay but also on my approach to writing. She's such a gift!

Thank you so very much to Aga, Sophie, Georgie, Andy, and Lily…and Jola too…for a wonderful retreat! You all were so warm and welcoming. A perfect backdrop for writing, thinking, talking, and eating. Forever grateful.

To the amazing Natalie, Sophie, Aga & Georgie (and Andy, Lily, and Carla!) Plus, Yola!! Thank you for making my writing retreat at Siliano Alto one of the most wonderful weeks of my life. I have been inspired to write by Aga, to cook by Natalie, to do more Pilates by Georgie and to be a better person by Sophie –(to have more patience anyway, you’re a Saint – “Saint Sophie”) The house is divine and La Coste is so beautiful. Apprezzamento from Lara xxxx

To Aga, Georgie, Sophie, Natalie, Andy and Lily, thank you so much for opening your hearts and home to us for the special retreat. It was a very inspiring and restorative time and a great pleasure to be in the company of such a talented, kind and special group of women writers! Thanks to Aga and Georgie for the intellectual, emotional and physical care! And thank you to Natalie and the team for fabulous food, wine and environment. Lastly thanks to Sophie who will always Shine!! Love Sheryl. Xxx

Aga is a sharp, kind, engaging person, who sets the tone in her workshop immediately with calm and focused energy. She easily navigates the range of personalities in the room, encouraging us to discuss our differing opinions and styles in a constructive manner. Aga is widely read and well-versed in many films and television shows that she easily integrates into the conversation to serve as examples for topics we covered, such as conflict, character development and point of view. Her instructional style does not feel like lectures, but open discussions of the building blocks of storytelling. After learning about a certain topic, we were invited to practice with a writing prompt and then share aloud with the group. In my own prior fifteen years as a writing educator, I’ve never seen a more inventive or effective set of writing exercises. They gave us freedom to use different voices while also slyly requiring us to look inside and tap into our core selves. I’ve attended many workshops, seminars and conferences and have taken graduate courses in creative writing, and oftentimes the instructor’s ego has steered the focus on him/herself. However, Aga was more than willing to talk about her own writing and teaching journey with humility and heart. She made us feel that we were the most important people in the room. In the one-on-one sessions, she asked the bigger questions about concepts in my novel. Working through the questions has allowed me to get over some stumbling blocks in my manuscript. She took the time to get to know me as a person as well as a writer, really digging into what I was trying to say in my work as a whole. I came away from the experience energised and ready to keep writing.

What an absolutely wonderful space to relax and be creative. Thank you so much for everything. Natalie and Andy for having us, Sophie for putting it all together and Georgie for keeping us relaxed and strong. And a massive thank you to the wonderful Aga, you are amazing!!! Lots of love, Christiani.