Yaddo, yo! Did I ever tell you about the time I got drunk with John Cheever's ghost?

Who: a panel of experts: Kathrin Lake, Sean Cranbury, and Tami Reilly

What: Getting the Most from a Writer’s Retreat

When: 7-9pm Monday, July 19th, 2010

Where: The Shebeen, behind the Irish Heather, 212 Carrall Street in Gastown

Why: to learn what to expect, how to prepare, and how to wring every precious drop of experience out of attending a writer’s retreat or conference. And also to enjoy some of the best literary company in Vangroover!

Details:  $20 includes dinner and a drink

Come out and join us and our panel of forward-thinking retreat specialists (not as much of a contradiction as you’d think) as they teach you their tips and tricks for getting the most out of a retreat with your fellow literati. This would be the place for me to mention that registration opens soon for our own Shebeen Club retreat for the 3-Day Novel Contest over the Labour Day long weekend, so I will indeed mention it. There: done!

Our panelists are:

Kathrin Lake: Kathrin is an award-wining playwright and teacher of writing. Her first non-fiction book is From Survival to Thrival, which has become the basis for a network of support groups for people dedicated to positive change. She is currently working on another non-fiction account about her experiences in Mexico and the town that she owns property and lives in with her partner for part of every Canadian winter. Kathrin is also a Certified Human Resources Professional in which training, speaking, and coaching are key components of her work, and has a history of collaborating with up and coming entrepreneurs to help them create a thriving organization that loves to work together. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and has been a Toastmaster for over 10 years in various leadership roles.

Sean Cranbury: Sean Cranbury is a Vancouver writer, editor, broadcaster and social media consultant.  His radio show/blog, Books on the Radio, is broadcast on CJSF 90.1 FM.  He also writes for the Vancouver Biennale and the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative. Sean is co-creator of the ridiculously successful viral, community-based book recommendation site, the Advent Book Blog, and is also working on the real-time collaborative fiction experiment called Eyes of Vancouver.

Tami Reilly:  Tami is the president of the Association of Women Business owners, and has long experience in organizing retreats. Tami is also the founder of GO Get Organized, an award-winning office organization company. She started Get Organized because she believes that with effective office management and up-to-date cash management, entrepreneurs have a much higher level of success. Tami has spent the last seven years developing products and services that organize an entrepreneur´s office to work more effectively yet more simply.

7-7:30: mix and mingle
7:30-8: listen and learn
8-9: discuss and digest

Join us on Facebook: The Shebeen Club on Facebook