We welcome Author Dawn Garisch to The Cradle of Humankind, to facilitate “The Art of Writing” retreat FARMHOUSE 58 from 17-20 November 2022.

Dawn is a medical doctor and the author of Once, Two Islands. Her book Matron was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize in Africa under the title Trespass. This retreat is for writers and enthusiasts who are interested in literature and writing, from the novice to the ultra-passionate.

The retreat will include workshops/discussions, focused on free writing and establishing a daily practice, where participants will be able to share work in a safe and supportive environment. 

Discussions on the neuroscience of creativity, the history of South African literature, as well as contemporary writers will also be included. Throughout the retreat, participants will have time to write, as well as the option to share their writing with the group. 

Participants will be able to explore their own creative process through an engagement with place, and one or more of the three primary components of creative life in the Cradle of Humankind – nature, bones and art – within an understanding of ourselves and our creative work as being part of a sustainable ecosystem. 

The retreat experience will be punctuated with hiking, time to rest and welcome inspiration from nature and art.

Facilitator: Dawn Garisch (Life Righting Collective)

“Writing has always helped me understand myself and others better. Since I started teaching life writing in 2009, I have also seen how beneficial regular creative practice can be. Also, there is such good writing coming out of the courses that I had to find a way to grow the number of people that the course could reach and to find ways to bring the richness of our human experience to readers.”