Kamila Shamsie

Kamila Shamsie

Dates: 24 – 29 November 2024

Writing Masterclass

Kamila Shamsie is the internationally-renowned author of eight novels. Her novel Home Fire won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2018. It was also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2017, shortlisted for the Costa Best Novel Award, and won the London Hellenic Prize. Burnt Shadows was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and A God in Every Stone was shortlisted for the Women's Bailey's Prize and the Walter Scott Prize. Her work has been translated into the thirty languages. A vice president and fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, she was one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists in 2013. Kamila Shamsie was born and grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. Her most recent novel, Best of Friends, was published in 2022. She is professor of creative writing at the University of Manchester.

Schedule

  • Panoramic view of Marrakech and old medina, Morocco

    Sunday

    Welcome!

    Participants arrive in Marrakech

    After settling in, meet the Silk Road Slippers Team and fellow participants for the first of many conversations about the art of writing. Embark on lifelong creative connections with fellow writers at a friendly and relaxed dinner amid the honeyed Moorish arches of our magical venue.

    Famed for its paradisiacal gardens tended to by a passionate ethnobotanist, the name JnaneTamsna means Big Garden and dinner is prepared using the freshest ingredients largely sourced on their 22 hectares of landscaped grounds.

  • Library

    Monday

    STORY & STRUCTURE - Unpack the principles of storytelling; learn how to structure your work and create a compelling narrative.

    CHARACTER & VOICE - Learn how to find your voice, how to create and grow your characters, and write dialogue.

    CREATIVE PRACTICE - Use this time for writing practice, nurture your imagination on the grounds of Jnane Tamsna, or take a trip to the city.

  • Dining by candlelight in Jnane Tamsna gardens

    Tuesday

    FIND YOUR VOICE with Kamila Shamsie. Kamila explains her process and shares how to find your creative style.

    DRAFTING & REDRAFTING - Conquer the fear of the blank page. Learn to revise and refine as you redraft. As Ernest Hemingway said ‘writing is rewriting’.

    CREATIVE PRACTICE - Use this time for writing practice, nurture your imagination on the grounds of Jnane Tamsna, or take a short trip to the city.

    Celebratory Dinner with Kamila Shamsie - A reading by Kamila will be followed by an elegant candlelit dinner at Jnane Tamsna with the whole team.

  • View of grounds at Jnane Tamsna

    Wednesday

    A CRUCIAL ELEMENT with Kamila Shamsie and the Silk Road Slippers Team. Kamila will discuss an element she considers essential to her work. This may include Character, Dialogue, Sense of Place, Language, Research, or any other aspect of writing, to be determined by Maggie.

    EXPLORE THE MEDINA with the Silk Road Slippers Team. We take you to lunch in an enchanting rooftop venue, to stimulate all your senses.

    This is a wonderful opportunity to explore Marrakech’s medina, founded 1070-72, one of the most wondrous places on earth. It is filled with stunning monuments including the sublime Madrassa Ben Youssef, mosaics, ornate courtyards, and secret gardens. Covered spice, textile and leather souks line the maze of cobbled lanes leading to the fabled Jemaa el-Fnaa square, which teems with snake charmers, dancers and street food vendors.

  • The Jnane Tamsna library by Jean Cazals

    Thursday

    Guided walk at Jnane Tamsna - a tour through the beautiful organic gardens with ethnobotanist Gary Martin.

    PERSONAL FEEDBACK SESSIONS - Each participant will have a one-on-one session with a member of the Silk Road Slippers team. This is a unique opportunity to discuss your personal progress and future aspirations, to get tailored advice on how to achieve them, and to get advice on how to find an agent and publisher.

    FINAL SESSION - with the Silk Road Slippers team.

    Farewell Dinner at Jnane Tamsna with the Silk Road Slippers team

  • Jamaael-Fna market, Marrakech at sunset

    Friday

    Participants depart for the next step on their writing journey!

Enquiries are now open for our Masterclasses in Marrakech

For more details of our Masterclasses in Marrakech, please email us.

Kitten sitting on rugs outside a shop in an alleyway in the medina of MarrakechKitten sitting on rugs outside a shop in an alleyway in the medina of Marrakech (Shutterstock.com)

Included in the Price

  • All tuition and class materials

  • Light lunches at Jnane Tamsna from Monday to Thursday

  • Welcome Dinner, Celebratory Dinner and Farewell Dinner at Jnane Tamsna

  • Writing With Six Senses Medina excursion and transport

  • Soft drinks

Price

  • £3200 per person.

  • £1000 deposit, payable on acceptance.

  • Please note that this deposit is non-refundable (except under circumstances where Silk Road Slippers cannot run the course, as detailed in the FAQs below). We advise all participants to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy to cover any eventuality that might prevent them from travelling.

  • £2200 balancing payment, due by 1 September 2024.

If you pay in full on booking before 1 August 2024: £3000 total, including deposit and balancing payment.

Participants book their own accommodation and transport. We encourage participants to stay at Jnane Tamsna, where Meryanne Loum-Martin is graciously offering special deals for Silk Road Slippers: this allows groups to develop a closer relationship. Limited spaces are available, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

However, if you prefer to arrange your own accommodation in Marrakech, that is no problem. Please note that you will also need to arrange daily transport to and from Jnane Tamsna to attend classes and meals.

To enquire further or book a place, please email us, we’d be really happy to help you!