Idyllic setting for inspired writing - Bill Manhire Poetry Workshop

If there was ever a chance to write in paradise then Bay of Many Coves resort is providing it. The exclusive 5-star resort in the Marlborough Sounds is holding a Poetry Workshop early in May hosted by prize-winning poet and fiction writer, Professor Bill Manhire.

The resort has long believed that its idyllic setting in Queen Charlotte Sound could be the inspiration for the next great New Zealand poem or book of poetry. Owners, Nigel Gould and Murray McCaw, say many of the milestones in their own creative journey have taken place in the beauty and seclusion of the Bay of Many Coves.

They’re delighted that one of New Zealand’s pre-eminent literary figures Professor Bill Manhire has embraced the synergy of creative writing in an inspiring, pristine setting.

In the intimate weekend workshop from May 4-6, Professor Manhire will present readings – including an evening recital “Beyond William McGonagall – the greatest bad poems of all time “; writing challenges and much stimulation of the creative juices. Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss their work in one-on-one sessions with Professor Manhire.

“The Poetry Workshop is for anyone who thinks their words are musical, who pays attention to the world around them, who has an inner life and sees writing poetry as a way of exploring the world,” says Professor Manhire. For him the satisfaction of the workshop will be to watch people produce work they didn’t know they were capable of, writers who are astonished with what they’ve achieved. “ I want them to have a very big creative afterlife,” he says.

However he assures people that “writing in paradise” isn’t all hard work. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the native bush walking tracks and pristine waterways that surround the resort and to indulge in the resort’s acclaimed regional fare.

The Poetry Workshop is one of a number of exclusive event weekends this year at the Bay of Many Coves resort. Other events include the Autumn Jazz and Champagne weekend in late April, a 60’s and 70’s revival weekend in June that features food and music of those two decades, photography weekend retreats and a mid-year weekend of sublime opera.