LONDON OUTSIDE THE LINES
ENJOY A WEST END SHOW, MEET WITH PUBLISHERS AND REVEL IN BEAUTIFUL BOOKSTORES.
SEE LONDON AS A WRITER…
WITH ALLISON K WILLIAMS AND DINTY W. MOORE
DEEPEN YOUR CRAFT IN LITERARY LONDON.
SEE IT... DO IT... WRITE IT
YOUR GUIDES
Allison K Williams
Dinty W. Moore
Travel with Allison K Williams and Dinty W. Moore offers the rare opportunity to step away from everyday distractions and devote sustained, meaningful time to your writing life. With craft talks, personal insight, and a supportive community of fellow writers, you’ll clarify your publishing goals while reconnecting with the reasons you began writing.
This retreat combines structure and flexibility, practical publishing insights, and the curiosity and discovery that make writing exciting.
Allison brings extensive experience as an editor, author, writing coach, and publishing mentor. Her approach can help writers see the larger architecture of a book, strengthen dramatic structure, clarify voice and theme, and offer clear, practical strategies for transforming an unfinished or uncertain project into a focused and compelling book.
Dinty contributes deep expertise in creative nonfiction, memoir and personal essay, and the craft of discovering meaning in lived experience. Known for his direct, honest, and supportive teaching style, his emphasis on perspective, precision, voice, and surprising connections helps you create writing that invites readers to see the subject—and perhaps themselves—in a new way.
OUR BLOOMSBURY HOME
THE GOODENOUGH HOTEL
VIBRANT | BOHEMIAN | HISTORIC
Set across five elegant 19th-century Georgian townhouses, The Goodenough Hotel provides a tranquil escape from the buzz of the city. A beautifully restored boutique hotel in Central London, located in the heart of the historic Bloomsbury district. Classic Georgian charm and contemporary luxury combine with a working college. Breakfast in the Great Hall, relax in the lounge, or write in the 24-hour library.
OUR ITINERARY
Explore London as a writer, with literary tours, charming pubs, a West End show, and meetings with publishing pros to discuss the market and practice talking about your book. Limited to 12 writers.
Literary London includes:
- seven nights’ accommodation
- daily breakfast, three lunches, three dinners
- meeting with agents and editors from UK publishers
- traditional Sunday pub roast
- walking tours of Bloomsbury, Southbank, Camden and Covent Garden
- luxurious afternoon tea
- a West End show
- time to explore & shop on your own
- private coach transfer and guides for Stonehenge at sunrise and a countryside ramble
- all tours, admissions and tickets
- tips for drivers/guides
Throughout our tour, we’ll talk books, share a few craft lessons, and practice some spontaneous writing!
The Goodenough Hotel is a beautifully restored boutique hotel in Central London, located in the heart of the historic Bloomsbury district.
Set across five elegant 19th-century Georgian townhouses, The Goodenough provides a tranquil escape from the buzz of the city with easy access to major attractions, theatres, museums, and transport links.
The hotel is rooted in heritage, education, and giving back. It’s proud to be a not-for-profit endeavor supporting Goodenough College, a renowned postgraduate residence and academic community.
We’re not only enjoying a peaceful escape in one of London’s most historic and culturally rich neighbourhoods – but also contributing to the future of some of the world’s most talented students – including those on low incomes or from challenging backgrounds. It’s a stay that feels good and does good.
Experience authentic London, support a worthy cause, and sleep well, knowing our visit makes a difference.
No endless trudging behind a guide waving a flag!
Our “tours” draw on Allison’s deep knowledge of London neighborhoods, historic bookshops, and haunts of authors old and new. Discover and learn en route to meals, events, and bookshops, or enjoy simply an evening prowl through streets definitely not in the guidebooks.
Enjoy the vibrant cultural hub of spectacular shopping streets, top-notch restaurants and the world-famous theatre district. We’ll take in Allison’s favorite West End Show–you’ll leave laughing.
- Literary Bloomsbury
- Literary Southbank
- Camden Market & Camden Locks
- Charles Dickens’ home & museum
- Our one “official” tour is Behind-the-Scenes tour at the British Library, including the Treasures Room
- Antiquarian Books & Street Theatre in Covent Garden
- a West End show
We’re likely to see some of:
- Daunt Books in Marylebone
- The Wellcome Collection Reading Room
- The Word On The Water Canal Boat Bookshop
- Daunt Books
- The London Review Bookshop
- Foyles
- Cecil Court
- Hatchards
What makes our time together special is Allison’s knowledge and connections in London. Find out…
- Why the British Library has supermarket flyers.
- How a chainsaw-juggling street performer built a legendary comedy club.
- What guides a bookstore manager’s monthly picks.
- Why Dickens’ characters have odd names.
- Why the Globe has a dolphin, a crab and a bear on the gate.
- How Selene, Goddess of the Night, guards an alley in Soho.
And of course, how this all circles back to your writing, right now.
Even the meals are an adventure.
- Breakfasts in the Great Hall, a Harry-Potter-esque triumph in wood and plaster; or in cozy Freddie’s Cafe.
- Afternoon tea in a flower-banked room named for Mrs. Dalloway.
- Sunday roast in a bang-up British pub…and dinner in Dickens’ very own ‘local’.
- Drinks and charcuterie in a repurposed underground convenience.
- Drinks and snacks beneath Shakespeare’s Oak.
- An oh-so-local takeaway in a secret club.
- And a very posh lunch in literary haunt The Ivy, with publishing pros sharing the inside scoop.
Enjoy a relaxed lunch in a private dining room with London literary agents and editors from publishers like Simon & Schuster, Watkins and Little, Brown. Hear about the industry in the UK and worldwide, and “practice pitch” your book.
Our professional guests will be chosen based on the genres our group are writing. You’ll see their bios in advance.
Very few visitors are allowed among the ancient stones. On our earliest morning (you can nap in the coach!) we’ll greet the sun at Stonehenge with an archeological expert to share their deeper meanings.
After sunrise, we’ll enjoy a cafe breakfast and explore the Stonehenge museum. Then our private tour takes us to the rarely-visited stones of Avebury, through a perfectly preserved village without a telephone wire in sight, and finishes with a bang-up lunch in a glorious local pub.
SINGLE ROOM
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a glorious adventure
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7 nights hotel
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Daily breakfast, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
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Walking Tours
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Craft Lessons
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Literary Lunch
-
West End Show
-
Stonehenge Tour
-
Admissions & Tickets
-
Tips for guides/drivers
SHARED ROOM
book with $900 deposit each)
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in good company
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7 nights hotel
-
Daily breakfast, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
-
Walking Tours
-
Craft Lessons
-
Literary Lunch
-
West End Show
-
Stonehenge Tour
-
Admissions & Tickets
-
Tips for guides/drivers
TRAVEL PARTNERS
book with $500 deposit)
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a shared delight
-
7 nights hotel
-
Daily breakfast, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
-
Walking Tours
-
West End Show
-
Stonehenge Tour
-
Admissions & Tickets
-
Tips for guides/drivers
THE EXPERIENCE
- All
- Books & Writing
- Food & Meals
- Spaces & Places
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Register with a nonrefundable $900 deposit. Your balance will be due February 1st.
Need another payment plan? Get in touch!
Rebirth Your Writing accepts Venmo, Zelle, Canadian e-transfers, US cheques, PayPal and credit cards via PayPal.
You should be reasonably fit and able to walk 3-5 miles daily, on flat-but-uneven ground, cobblestones and sidewalks. One day involves climbing a gentle hill. We’ll pause frequently for stories and photos; you’ll be able to sit down/get coffee/visit the loo, more or less hourly.
We’ll take public transit several times; you’ll tap-to-pay with your phone or credit card.
Getting tired? Pop into an Uber and we’ll see you at the next location!
Exploring on your own? Uber and black cabs are readily available, and a great many attractions are a pleasant walk from our hotel.
These are on your own:
- airfare to London
- transfers from airport to the hotel and back again (but we’ll give you plenty of info on your options)
- occasional bus and Tube rides (you’ll tap-to-pay)
- wine, beer and cocktails
- 2 lunches and 3 dinners on your own (during free time, and on days we have heavy other meals)
- laundry
- additional tips you wish to offer
- personal shopping and souvenirs
This trip is for adventurous explorers (or those who’d like to be!)
We’re skipping things you can easily see on your own. Come a day or two early or stay later for Buckingham Palace. Instead, wind through backstreets, hidden courtyards and leafy canals. Discover unsung literary heroes, dark mysteries, and the deeper craft in your own writing.
This trip isn’t for you if prefer a concrete plan far in advance. The itinerary will be finalized in early 2027. Our agents, editors and publishers will be chosen based on what genres YOU are writing.
This trip IS for you if you trust Allison’s deep knowledge of London, literary connections and ability to find meaning in moments, and Dinty’s powerful craft teaching, equanimity, and wicked humor.
Our preferred travel providers are Travel Mate Pros. Dave Williams and Karen Ballard bring the best airfare deals, additional tours and activities, airport transfers, and all-around travel insight to make your voyage smooth from door-to-door.
Once you register for the event, your confirmation email will include next steps.
Need to know more before you register? Contact karenballard@travelmation.net to schedule a call.
Travel Mate Pros are part of one of the largest umbrella agencies in the country, Travelmation, giving access to discounts and perks you won’t find anywhere else!
This is a great trip for writing friends! But if you don’t have a roommate in mind, let us know, and we’ll do our best to help you match with a same-gender writer.
Our time with the editors/agents in London and New York is your chance to connect with publishing pros and hear about the market, ask how they approach acquiring books, and practice your pitch. Even if your book is a work-in-progress, talking about it confidently and concisely will also help focus your own work. And we will practice those pitches before the lunches!
Probably not (sorry!) In our previous publishing lunches, some writers have been invited to query or submit full manuscripts, but it very much depends on what the pros are looking for and how ready your work is. You’ll still hear valuable insights and writing inspiration.
ETA, which stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation, is a new digital registration scheme for travelers who don’t otherwise need a visa to enter the UK.
Who needs an ETA?
The ETA–“electronic travel authorization” –pre-clears you for entry to the country before travel. This is the UK equivalent of the United States’ ESTA — a mandatory, paid-for authorization to travel, with security clearance done in advance.
The scheme debuted in 2024, and applies to the six million travelers from the US, Canada and Australia who enter the UK each year.
The scheme is for “short” visits to the UK of less than six months for tourism and business.
How do I get one?
The cost is a non-refundable £10 (just under $12.50), and you can apply through the official app listed on the UK government website, or directly online.
The apps — for iPhone and Android — boast of being quicker, with 10-minute processing times. Be sure to apply through official channels, rather than through third-party websites, which may charge extra fees, and are less likely to handle your data securely.
You will need to upload a photo of your passport, scan and photograph yourself as you apply, upload the photo, and answer various questions about your plans. Applying online takes around 20 minutes and you must complete the process in one go — there is no chance to save as you go.
A decision will normally be given within three days, though the government warns it could take longer. You are allowed to travel to the UK while waiting for your decision, if you need to visit urgently; however you must have made the application before you travel.
Note that having an ETA doesn’t guarantee entry to the UK. You must still go through passport control and Border Force officials still have the final say over whether you can enter the country.
How long will it be valid?
Validity lasts for two years and multiple entries — so you can visit as often as you please. However, note that it will be digitally linked to your passport — so if you get a new passport during those two years, it will no longer be valid and you must apply for a new one.
We strongly recommend travel & trip-cancellation insurance.
Commit with a nonrefundable $900 deposit to hold your place.
- Balance is due February 1st.
- We recommend you buy a plane ticket by March 1st
If a writer decides not to travel after all AND we can fill their place from the waitlist, after a $350 administrative fee, they can apply their balance to future retreats/intensives.
If our destination closes to travelers or we must cancel for circumstances beyond our control, we will attempt to reschedule the retreat or relocate to a comparable destination. You will have the option to join the new plans, or we will apply your deposit minus any PayPal fees to a future retreat/intensive, and refund any additional payments.
THE FINE PRINT
Refunds will be sent within 30 days of receipt of notice of cancellation.
Rebirth Your Writing reserves the right to cancel the retreat in the event of civil unrest, natural disaster, pandemic or Act of God. In the event of cancellation of the retreat in its entirety, you will receive a full refund of any fees paid, less bank/PayPal/transfer fees. You agree to release Rebirth Your Writing and its agents and/or representatives from any liability, including consequential expenses you may have incurred in planning to attend. We will provide you with documentation to support a claim to your travel insurance provider for flights and other expenses not paid to Rebirth Your Writing.
