Your Tutor

Rick Harvey is a screenwriter, story design consultant, lecturer and mentor. With an MA Screenwriting & Research qualification from the London College of Communication (2001), he has storylined for ‘Family Affairs’ (Talkback Thames/Channel 5), developed projects for Hewland International, written a slate of short films (including the multi-award winning ‘Alder’), mentored on First Light, Media Box and BFI projects and written a feature screenplay, ‘The School of Night’ for EON Productions. Passionate about teaching his subject, Rick ran a very successful ten-week Introduction to Screenwriting for Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge. His psychological drama / folk horror feature, ‘How Pretty She Sings’ is scheduled to shoot in October 2023 on the North Norfolk coast. Rick is a panel tutor at the Institute of Continuing Education at Cambridge University, and Associate Lecturer at London College of Communication and Anglia Ruskin University.

Your Course

This course is for screenwriters as well as novelists / short story writers looking to adapt their work for the screen. We give you the time and space you need to write in conducive surroundings, with the support of your informed and encouraging tutor. We recommend you to come to Le Verger (the orchard) with a firm idea of what you will be working on (e.g. an outline, treatment, screenplay), so that you can get to work immediately and have a productive stay.

Each morning we meet for an hour to discuss some aspect of screenwriting / adaptation (e.g. designing character arcs, identifying story types / trajectories, visual storytelling), to read out work and get feedback, and to set goals for the day. Everyone writes to a different schedule (or none), so we leave this entirely up to you.

Dates:

July 2025 (TBA)

Prices: (include group transfers to / from Limoges )

£515 shared room or cabin

£565 own room or cabin

About your hosts

David Lambert has an MA in Creative Writing from UEA. He has worked as storyline consultant with Klett Verlag, Germany’s leading educational publisher. He has taught Creative Writing for the Open College of the Arts, The Open University, Hills Road Sixth Form College (evening classes) and until recently was Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing and Writing for the Stage at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. A writer himself, he discovered the transformative creative value of going away on retreat to write with other writers, and has been running his own at Le Verger since 2010. His novel ‘The House in Bacolet’ is due out with Peepal Tree Press in 2025.

Michèle Lambert ably assists in the running of the retreat and ensuring all your material needs are met. Able cooks and natural hosts, Michèle and David have been running successful writing retreats in France since 2010. They have a deep interest in the link between creativity and mindfulness gained in several visits to India over the years.

Accommodation

You’ll be accommodated in your own simple but comfortable room with a desk and lamp. ‘The Piggery’, a separate gite in the grounds, is suitable for two (or more) writers: it has a large open mezzanine space upstairs (4m x 6m) with further accommodation below (5m x 6m) separated by curtains. There is wifi in all the accommodation. Two Writer’s Cabins (3 x 3.5m and 3 x 3 m) each provide simple but comfortable individual accommodation (occupant uses main house bathroom). There’s also a glamping option – a tent ( 3m x 3 m) you can stand up in with a single bed, a lamp, a chair, hanging space, (occupants use main house bathrooms). Subject to availability, writers may have their own room or share accommodation in the main house with another writer, or an accompanying non-writing partner (contact us for rates).

*While we do our best to satisfy your accommodation request, please note that in the event that this is not possible, you will be offered the alternative at the advertised price.

Meals

Breakfast is on a help yourself basis and can be from as early (or late) as you require it. A buffet lunch will be laid out in the kitchen from 12.30-1.30. Tea- and coffee-making facilities are available whenever you require. A sit-down home-cooked dinner with local wines is served from 7.30pm. We encourage all writers to join the group for this (let us know on the Booking Form of dietary needs or other intolerances). Retreaters take turns after one evening meal to help clear away.

Getting there

The course fee includes transfers between Limoges and Le Verger (80km). It is important you are all on the same outward and return Ryanair flight to Limoges to facilitate this. NB. Wait for us to let you know when you can go ahead and book your flight or train.

Travelers by train can be picked up / dropped off at Limoges-Benedictins at a time which coincides within an hour or so with airport collection/drop offs.

If you can’t make the group transfer, a local taxi to Le Verger will charge around 120-160 euros. We will do our best to pick up separate travelers and charge 80 euros.

In the unlikely event of a Ryanair flight rerouting to more distant Poitiers or Bergerac airport, an adjusted pick up /drop off charge will be applied.

What to bring

We recommend you travel light ( we provide a towel and a hair drier) as luggage space in the transfer cars is limited. A warm jumper is recommended in all seasons – at the highest point in the Dordogne (410 m), even hot days can have cool evenings.

Please ensure you bring the dietary essentials you need. We provide vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and soya alternatives.

The nearest pharmacie is 7 km away (and costly) and French supermarkets cannot sell even aspirin so please bring supplies of any personal medication you know you’ll need (travel sickness, hayfever). We recommend you bring an effective anti-tick preparation as there have been reports of ticks in the region. Rose Geranium (pelargonium graveolens) essential oil, or anything with 30% deet is effective.

Please bring your own European plug adapter.