Woohoo! Far North Queensland here I come! I love FNQ.
My earliest and happiest memories of childhood are from my childhood at Flying Fish Point near Innisfail and our regular family holidays too the sugar cane farm at Shaw’s corner. You can read a short memoir piece, Flying Fish PointHERE. And this more lyrical memoir piece “Storm Birds” from The Linden Review.
I’ve been lucky enough to return to FNQ every year for a while now, running retreats and workshops in the region, visiting family and friends and hiding out on Magnetic Island off the coast of Townsville to write.
Yes, Innisfail is rainy. An ongoing rivalry with Tully for wettest town in the north.
I’m super excited to announce I’m heading north again soon and will be doing a few events in the region. I hope you can make it, to one or other of them FNQ writers!
First I’ll be in Townsville for a Dear Madman launch event at Mary Who? bookstore. Thanks to the lovely Katie for organising.
Monday June 15 at 6pm for a fascinating discussion on the writing of Dear Madman with lots of tips for writing your own story.
Luckily the very lovely and indefatigable powerhouse of creativity and champion of the arts, Eve Stafford, has worked her magic so I’m able to offer two Life Writing Workshops while I’m up there.
KURANDA LIBRARY: Friday 19th June 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – and
CAIRNS, STRATFORD LIBRARY: Saturday 20th June 1pm – 4 pm
These workshops are only $35 for a 3 hour workshop and includes some light refreshments. Come ready to write! Can’t wait to get people finding the heart of their family story and sharing lots of hints and tips for creating a compelling narrative from anecdotes.
Here’s the QR code which will send you directly to the booking page.
Me with my young mother and father, sister Natasha and our brother Matthew. My earliest memories are of Flying Fish Point.
I can’t wait to get back to my old stomping ground again and enjoy the slower pace and beautiful winter sunshine. (No one likes it in the summer up there! But it did prepare me well for my time working in Cambodia)
Hope you can come. Please share with your friends up north.
For more upcoming events including Bundaberg and Gympie, see HERE.
Also, a special deal for the Byron Bay Transformational Writing Retreat (September 19 – 24/2026) is in the works for subscribers to my substack newsletter. You can get a monthly dose of writing advice, publishing opportunities and a lot of writerly love HERE
A glorious weekend of sunshine for our Relax and Write Memoir Writing Retreat this year. Blue skies, towering gums, birdsong and leaves rustling and the feeling of being the only ones left on earth. Peace to write and learn, and best of all, connect with other writers.
Photos by me, and last by Maggie Brown
A recent survey revealed that what most writers crave most isn’t new tech, or writing education or feedback. What writers want most is other writers. A community of writers. Providing a safe place for writers to connect and form solid writing friendships has always been a focus of these retreats. And this retreat was a grand example of how spending a few days away together cements writing friendships faster than years of monthly meetings.
Photos by Maggie Brown
Writing can be a lonely business, but on retreat it’s easy to talk about our stories, to have our ideas heard, to feel seen and valued. Non-writers don’t really understand the dedication and years of work that goes into every book, memoirs in particular, or the courage it takes to say, “My life matters. My ideas count. I deserve to be heard”. Other writers get it! And will keep cheering you on until those stories that have haunted you are finally out of your head and onto the page.
Photos by Maggie Brown – last one by me.
We had a wonderful group, our beloved retreataholics leading the pack, and a whole lot of new writers, testing the waters, trying out their writing chops and escaping the pressures of daily life to hide in the mountains and write. We had a lot of Gold Coast Writers this retreat, who I hope will form their own ongoing writing gang to share work. Our precious Faye came all the way from New Zealand – the retreat a birthday gift to herself. Amelia’s hubby gave her the retreat for her birthday and Angela flew up from Melbourne in search of an affordable retreat.
Relaxing is just as important as writing, which is why gentle morning movement and deep guided relaxations are a part of every retreat. As is nap time! All activities are optional so you can design your own retreat and either attend everything on offer for an intensive learning experience, or sleep in and attend just a couple of workshops to get some ideas, then enjoy a massage, or grab a cup of tea and some of Gay’s delicious treats, head out with a picnic rug and find a place to lie in the sun and journal, read or just lie down and rest. Other writers came along to finish works in progress. Go Georgina go! Happy to report that her first draft is now complete!
Photos by Maggie Brown
Sunshine for a whole weekend in the rainforest is a rare treat, and we made the most of it. Pademelons grazed undisturbed between writers gazing into the treetops. Daydreaming is an important skill for writers.
We feasted on delicious, healthy meals and treats made with love by our beloved Chief Cookie, memoir author Gay Liddington, whose powerful and uplifting book, Will I Ever Be Who I Am, sold like hotcakes on retreat! (You can buy a copy HERE)
Photos by Maggie Brown (and me)
Monique provided bodywork treatments that left us floating a little above the ground, and miraculously healed Jeanelle’s hip! Thank you Monique, for your gentle touch and the wisdom and healing you bring to these retreats.
Photos of kindy collages by me.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s the people who attend these retreats that make them so special. As facilitator it gives me great joy to watch how women support and nurture each other. We cheer each other on and rush to help those struggling, not with story so much, but with the courage and confidence to tell it.
Each special soul who attended contributed to this beautiful weekend just by being themselves. It is a great privilege to bring these groups together. And in the grander scheme of things, I’m grateful that Dear Madman wasn’t published the first time it went to acquisitions in 2014, because if it had, I wouldn’t have created these retreats, which have become one of my life’s most satisfying and joyful achievements.
Happy campers with their collages. Traditional kindy photo to finish retreat. From top left: me, Anne, Angela, Katie, Faye, Sue, Helen, Liana, Jeanelle, Amelia, Bev, Rebecca and Shannon 🙂
Here’s what some of our retreaters had to say:
‘Edwina’s tuition at the Relax and Write Retreats condenses book loads of info on how to write into a weekend that’s fun, relaxing and, for me, easy to take in.’
Vivienne Wynter, author of the forthcoming Sunny (Hawkeye Press)
‘A soul-warming, inspiring weekend of connection, learning and love.’
Shannon
‘I loved the supportive, inclusive atmosphere and left feeling nourished and inspired.’
Angela
‘I love the quiet setting and variety of spaces to read and write. Meeting so many other writers was a bonus. I was able to disconnect and made progress on my writing.’
Maggie
‘Relax and Write is a rewarding experience. Should to shoulder we sit with authors in all stages of writing and the encouragement is strengthening from uncommon places. You will leave nourished in so many ways, it is unfathomable.’
Helen
‘Edwina is a wealth of knowledge who is extremely generous with her time, suggestions and guidance to help you develop your craft. ‘
Jeanelle
‘Want to write a book? When you don’t think you can, let Edwina prove you wrong. A wonderful retreat in every sense of the word, nurturing, enlightening and filled with love and encouragement.’
Beverley Young, author.
‘Thank you indeed Edwina for a treat of a Memoir Retreat weekend.Everything, really, was a treat – the lush rainforest of Springbrook that surrounded us, our care packages , especially the people on hand to ensure our weekend was filled with care and good times. THE MOST DELICIOUS FOOD to keep up our energy levels catered for all types of dietary needs and was presented so artistically. Of course the reason we were retreating – to write. You guided us with clarity to distinguish what a Memoir includes. Your workshops were motivational, stimulating our creative ideas and also led us through practical strategies for improving our writing. As well you encouraged – our writing , relationships, building groups and maintaining these connections. I loved your enthusiasm and humour, and especially appreciated your awareness and compassion for each of us. Thank you Edwina for a 5 star retreat – both care and content.’
Thank you to all the very special women who came along to this first retreat since my burnout. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better gang to bring me back into retreat mode. Thank you to my darling chief cookie and retreat partner, Gay for all you do with such great love and kindness. Thank you to our special helpers too, Vivienne, Tash and Jill. You made everything run like clockwork. Love you all.
Thank you to all my wonderful, inspirational 2026 memoir retreaters, for your energy, enthusiasm, talents and willingness to share. Thank you most of all for having the courage to write your stories. The world needs the stories of working women, of mothers, grandmothers, wise elders, carers and survivors.
Edwina Shaw 