This takes place in the Clore Learning Space every other Monday from 11am until 4pm.
Please bring your own materials
The sessions cost £18 for the full day from 11-4pm and £12 for a morning or afternoon session only.
The morning session starts at 11am so please arrive at about 10.45am
The afternoon session starts at 1:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand
Drawing on the Zen tradition of calligraphy, Zen Brushwork works primarily with ki, or energy. Using a large brush, the intention is to let go of thinking and allow the whole body to connect with the physical act of making a mark: to become one with the brush.
The focus of the practice is to relax body/mind and allow ki to flow freely, through energy raising exercises - yokiho - and sitting meditation - zazen.
In the course of the day we will work with mujibō, the Zen line, ensō, the Zen circle, and complete the day by brushing Mu Tō Zai, ‘No East, No West - No Difference’, on Japanese paper.
Cost: £40 waged, £30 unwaged.
Ink, brushes and paper will be supplied. No experience necessary.
Print Club is run by our resident printmaker - Aidan Saunders - AKA Prints of Hay.
Print Club costs £6 per session - Some materials will be provided and there will be access to the printing press when accompanied by Aidan.
This club will develop according to the needs and requirements of the members of the group - so why not come along and become a part of Print Club.
DONATIONS FOR MATERIALS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED - WE HAVE A DONATION BOX
FOLK HORROR STORIES
DANIEL MORDEN is one of the UK's most popular tellers of ancient tales.
'GRUESOME, HYPNOTIC AND FANTASTICAL' The Times
Suitable 16+
Daniel Morden is a Welsh storyteller in the oral tradition. Morden retells traditional stories from various cultures, in particular the Celtic and the ancient Greek. He has performed all over the world, in schools and theatres, at festivals and on the radio. He is also an award-winning author of such books as DARK TALES FROM THE WOODS. In 2017 he was awarded the Hay Festival Medal for Drama.
'To experience Daniel Morden in full flight is an amazing thing. He combines the skills of the Troubadour, the actor, the bard, the standup comedian and the preacher in the pulpit. One of the UK’s greatest storytellers.'
Ian Macmillan, Radio 3
This takes place in the Clore Learning Space every other Monday from 11am until 4pm.
Please bring your own materials
The sessions cost £18 for the full day from 11-4pm and £12 for a morning or afternoon session only.
The morning session starts at 11am so please arrive at about 10.45am
The afternoon session starts at 1:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand
Print Club is run by our resident printmaker - Aidan Saunders - AKA Prints of Hay.
Print Club costs £6 per session - Some materials will be provided and there will be access to the printing press when accompanied by Aidan.
This club will develop according to the needs and requirements of the members of the group - so why not come along and become a part of Print Club.
DONATIONS FOR MATERIALS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED - WE HAVE A DONATION BOX
This takes place in the Clore Learning Space every other Monday from 11am until 4pm.
Please bring your own materials
The sessions cost £18 for the full day from 11-4pm and £12 for a morning or afternoon session only.
The morning session starts at 11am so please arrive at about 10.45am
The afternoon session starts at 1:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand
Write The Book, Hay Castle, Hay-on-Wye. The Writing Retreat For Authors-To-Be.
A retreat for new writers and book lovers in rural Wales. Immerse yourself in the famous book town of Hay-on-Wye. Meet authors and booksellers, write, browse the magical bookshops, and enjoy exclusive events.
Price: £150 per day (excluding accommodation & travel)
Booking terms: £50 deposit, no refunds
Location: Hay-on-Wye
Date: Tue 25 Nov 10.00 to Wed 26 Nov 16:00
Price Includes:
bookshop tours and talks
writing hours
lunches, snacks, coffees, teas, juices and cakes
group coaching & mindful activities
delicious food and special experiences
Suitable for anyone who loves reading and has a writing project they’d like to explore.
You’ll meet published authors including Helena Attlee for informal, cosy Q & As. There’ll be optional wellness activities to help you feel inspired and motivated. Team this with stunning countryside, a dreamy riverside location, vibrant local markets and delicious food, it’s the magical pre-Christmas trip you’ll want to be part of.
This event is being run by Helen Jane Campbell at Coaching by Helen - click here to book tickets
Composer and poet Giles Swayne will be reading selections from his latest book of sonnets, Matters Arising. Known for his powerful choral compositions and deep engagement with global musical traditions, Swayne’s foray into poetry reveals the same intellectual rigor and emotional depth that characterizes his music.
The reading will introduce us to sonnets that reflect on memory, mortality, and the quiet drama of everyday life. Matters Arising is Swayne’s first major poetry collection, which has grown from the delight of writing sonnets, something he discovered when recovering from an illness in 2022. From reflections on his time in Africa to meditations on English landscapes, the poems are rich with imagery and insight. The approach is playful and his work is "an emphatic declaration on the side of high spirits, and a refusal to be cowed or slienced by menacing realities."
Following the critical acclaim of their debut album Source of the Severn, the Will Barnes Quartet returns with Outside the Light—a bold and expressive new chapter in their artistic journey. This second album deepens the group’s exploration of the interplay between jazz improvisation and the evocative landscapes of Mid Wales and the Welsh Marches. Through a collection of original compositions, the album weaves lyrical beauty with intricate rhythmic interplay.
Open 10am to 4pm,
seven days a week.
Hay Castle
Oxford Road
Hay-on-Wye
HR3 5DG
01497 820079
info@haycastletrust.org