APRIL 2016 – I met Sophfronia for the first time when we were room mates at an event in Chicago. We’d both travelled long distances to be present at the annual retreat of a women’s group known as ‘Women on Fire’. Sophfronia had travelled from Connecticut and I’d travelled from England.

THE START – I’d joined the ‘Women on Fire’ group the previous October and had immediately spotted Sophfronia’s poetic and thoughtful ‘Thanksgiving’ insights, delivered daily during the month of November. A few months later when I’d decided to attend the Chicago event Sophfronia was the obvious choice of room mate. She’d studied English Literature at Harvard, whilst I’d done Geography at Oxford. I felt like we’d have plenty in common. However it wasn’t until we both arrived in Chicago that we actually met for the first time. We got on immediately. Sophfronia is thoughtful, considered and eloquent. I’m gregarious and conversational. We had no problem in finding common ground. Harvard and Oxford did just fine together.

At the time Sophfronia had just completed the manuscript for her second novel, she was trying to find a publisher. Never an easy task. I volunteered to read the manuscript and suggest it to any friends in England involved in the publishing world. Several months later when the manuscript arrived as an e-mail attachment and I pressed the print button I was slightly taken aback to realise that the document was 550 pages long (admittedly it was double spaced). However when I started to read the content, the quality of the writing and the character development was so good that I didn’t concern myself again with the length of the tome. I read it from start to finish over the next few days. A year or so later Sophfronia’s novel ‘Unforgivable Love’ was accepted by publishers William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins. It was published to considerable critical acclaim in September 2017.

A YEAR LATER – The next time Sophfronia and I met was in Nashville, Tennessee at another ‘Women on Fire’ event. We talked about Sophfronia’s book and her writing plans for the future. I was telling her about my love of Italy. In 2014 I’d started a travel blog called ‘Educated Traveller’ writing about my travel experiences and observations from several decades of wanderings in Europe. For longer than I care to remember I’ve also run a travel company and worked as a tour guide, specialising in Italy. Over the years I’d lost count of the numerous itineraries I’d planned and delivered for clients travelling to Venice, Rome, Florence and Naples. Italy had always been and continues to be my great passion. I love Italian history, art and culture.

In one of our Nashville conversations Sophfronia told me that she’d love to host a writer’s retreat for her students and followers. I thought this was a brilliant idea and immediately suggested a country house hotel about 20 minutes from Venice. The property I had in mind was Villa Margherita, a 20 room country villa, standing in a large, private garden. Just across the road the River Brenta meanders its way gently towards the Venetian Lagoon. I just knew that this would be a wonderful location for a Writer’s Workshop event. During our Nashville stay we developed an outline for the trip. One week in length, long enough to really help participants to develop and move forward with their writing. We decided on daily morning workshops, taught by Sophfronia. Then each afternoon, Janet the tour guide would be unleashed on the group to deliver fascinating and inspirational tours and visits, designed to encourage creativity. Thus ‘The Write of Your Life’ event was born.

TWO YEARS LATER – I’m sitting in my room at the Villa Margherita contemplating ‘The Write of Your Life’ event that will happen in September, 2019. I feel proud of the collaboration between myself and Sophfronia. I’m looking forward to welcoming the writers and aspiring writers to this magical and historic part of the Veneto region. I’m very excited to say that we will probably be taking over the whole hotel, which is going to give the event a very exclusive, private house party atmosphere. I’m also feeling very satisfied, and I’m sure Sophfronia will share this sentiment, that we’ve created a unique event together. We’ve pooled our skills to optimal effect. It is our intention that ‘The Write of Your Life’ event will become an annual fixture on the calendar.

THREE YEARS LATER – we’d completed the very first Writer’s Retreat in Italy. It was a great success. The synergy and dynamism created within our group was electric!

FIVE YEARS LATER – In September, 2022 we created and delivered the ‘Second Edition’ Writer’s Retreat based once again in the glorious Veneto region of Italy, near Venice.

THEN our friendship and collaboration gets even more exciting. Sophfronia is appointed Director of the MFA Program at Alma College, Michigan. It’s her job to develop and deliver a Graduate Program in Creative Writing. The course is low residency, which means that aspiring writers with domestic responsibilities, family, work, households can still study part-time to develop their writing skills.

JANUARY 2024 Sophfronia and I create a ‘Winter Residency’ for the Alma students in Italy at Villa Franceschi, Veneto. This was an incredible ten day event filled with workshops, lectures, fascinating visits and (of course) amazing food and wine! Sophfronia and three faculty members from Alma travelled to Italy to teach, guide and enrich a group of twenty graduate students. The setting of our event was truly inspirational, a Palladian villa, Italian gardens and the city of Venice on our doorstep. We even had four students graduating. We arranged laurel wreath garlands for the graduates to wear (a tradition for graduates in Italy). Each garland was made by hand for each of the graduates. The whole event was a delicious concoction of learning, writing, conversation and inspiration. A perfect example of synergy!

NOW in 2025 we’ve got OXFORD – the next Sophfronia and Janet collaboration. This is truly incredible. The next overseas Alma College Residency is at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford (my old college). We are making plans now and are delighted to be welcoming students to St Hugh’s in August of this year. If an MFA in Creative Writing might be for you then check out the Alma College website (in the notes below). St Hugh’s is famous for its gardens, let’s hope for sunshine in August and wonderful balmy days in the shade of the magnolia tree.

…..Oxford University is a collection of 35 colleges that make up ‘the university’. It is probably the most famous and respected academic institution in the world. Each of the colleges that make up the University of Oxford is unique and individual. Our ‘residency’ will be based at St Hugh’s College, my old college, where we will stay in student accommodation and live as if we were students at the university. St Hugh’s is famous for its beautiful gardens and friendly atmosphere. St Hugh’s was founded by Elizabeth Wordsworth, great niece of the famous poet William Wordsworth. The college was founded as a Women’s college in 1886.

St Hugh’s is located between the Banbury Road and Woodstock Road, north of the historic centre of Oxford (about a ten minute walk). Students will have their accommodation, teaching and meals on site. St Hugh’s College is small (by American standards) and typically houses a maximum of about 300 under-graduate students at any one time. This means each year the college only accepts about 100 new under-graduate students. To stay here and to study here is an honour and a privilege.

It’s been an exciting journey over the last decade with my friend and partner and collaborator. Who knows what future opportunities we might conjure up. From Chicago to Venice and Michigan to Oxford with a little bit of Nashville along the way it’s all about being open-minded and ready to say yes. We decided to have a go, to work together and accept the outcome. I’m so glad that we did!

---

NOTES:

Here’s the pdf of the ‘Oxford Residency’ – August, 2025

• For readers who might be interested to learn more about Alma College’s Creative Writing program – check out the web site: www.alma.edu
• If you have any questions about writing or developing your creativity don’t hesitate to reach out to me at: janet@grand-tourist.com
• We have about 5 places left for the Oxford residency.
• Meanwhile enjoy my meanderings at: www.educated-traveller.com
• Sophfronia is available at www.sophfronia.com

• Written: December, 2018
• Updated: December, 2021
• Updated: January, 2025