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Chez Castillion & RNA Conference

Posted on 1st July, 2023

For the first time in five years I’ll be going to the RNA conference which this time will be held at Imperial College, Kensington, London in August. There was a lot of debate and I must say a lot of grumbling when the directors decided to have the conference in London rather than in some back of beyond University in less than ideal student accommodation. London is where publishing works – every single one of the big five, as well as the majority of the smaller independent presses, will be doing one to ones and talks at this conference which is a first.

Of course, it’s three times the cost but we’re getting three times the value. The accommodation is five-star hotel quality, its central and those of us who don’t want to attend all the excellent workshops, talks and panels can slope off and go to the V&A or to Kensington Palace to see the Georgian exhibition. I’m looking forward to this event even though it means I’m actually away three times during the twelve weeks I have to write the next book.

I’m a successful professional writer and I’m quite happy to pay more to have comfortable accommodation, excellent food, a London venue and a brilliant array of things to attend. What do you think? Is it better to have a conference in some obscure small university campus in the middle of nowhere and keep the cost really low or do what the RNA directors have done this year and move it to London with all the bells and whistles?

I’m also going to Chez Castillion in September with a close writer friend. This is a writer’s retreat near Bordeaux where you meet up with eight other professional writers and can brainstorm, talk shop and generally catch up with what’s going on in the publishing world. They do retreats – which is what we are going on – or something slightly different which is led by a famous writer but we didn’t want this. I’ve no intention of taking a laptop just a notebook and pen, and am going to enjoy a relaxing week with like-minded people in a beautiful part of France. I might come back with lots of new ideas for subsequent books but I might not – what I’ll definitely achieve is a lovely relaxing holiday with a very good friend.

Again, there are other less expensive options – I know of someone who rents a large static caravan in places like Clacton or Southend and so on, and spends a week there writing away from distraction. Others go to farmhouses in the Cotswolds to do the same thing we’re going to do in France for much less money. I love France and even though we all got Covid when we went last year to St Malo we still enjoyed it.

Do you think that these sort of writer retreats are good value for money or just an excuse to do something that’s tax-deductible?

best wishes

Fenella J Miller