Naxos Noir: The People, the Books and a Little Bit of Magic

We've just waved goodbye to our Naxos Noir guests, and I think we're all feeling a little bereft. It's a strange thing, running a retreat. A group of people arrive, many of them complete strangers, and within a few days they're sitting around a table laughing, sharing stories, talking about books, exchanging writing ideas and making plans to see each other again. And then, just as we've all got to know one another, everyone goes home. This was our Naxos Noir retreat with the wonderful Gillian McAllister and Holly Seddon, and what a week it was. We always ask our guests to fill in a questionnaire afterwards. Not just to tell us what they loved, but to tell us what we could do better. We genuinely want to know. So when the feedback started arriving, we sat down to read it, and I have to admit, some of it made me quite emotional.

One guest wrote: "It was one of the greatest experiences of my life."

Another said:

"The experience genuinely surpassed all my expectations. It was brilliant!"

Well, you can't ask for much more than that, can you?

The authors, of course

One of the things that makes our retreats rather different is the opportunity to spend proper time with the authors. Not just listening to them speak for an hour and then queuing for a signed book, but eating together, walking together, chatting over a glass of wine and discovering the people behind the books. Gillian and Holly were incredibly generous with their time, their knowledge and their encouragement. We had fascinating conversations about writing, publishing, persistence and all the peculiar challenges of being an author. There was plenty of laughter too.

One participant described the author dinners as "phenomenal", adding:

"When do you have the opportunity to just hang out with some of the coolest people on the planet!?"

Another told us about walking back from lunch with Holly and discussing an idea for a book. Holly's response gave them such a confidence boost that they returned home with renewed creative energy. And that, for me, is exactly why we do this. Sometimes a conversation that lasts ten minutes can make an enormous difference to someone who has been quietly working on an idea for years.

One of our guests wrote: "I left looking at my story with new eyes." What a lovely thing to take home from a holiday.

A sunset we'll remember

We had some wonderful moments during the week, but one that several people mentioned was our author Q&A overlooking the sea as the sun went down.

One guest wrote: "The absolute highlight for me was the author Q & A session in that beautiful place overlooking the sea and the sunset!! Magical! I'll never forget that night!!!"

Naxos does have a habit of providing the most extraordinary backdrops. Sometimes we organise something and the island simply takes over.

Time to do absolutely nothing

When Neil, Nola and I first talked about what we wanted Naxos Creative to be, we agreed that our guests should never feel they were on a school trip. We wanted to offer interesting experiences, wonderful authors and opportunities to explore, but also give people permission to do nothing at all. Read your book. Go for a swim. Have a sleep. Sit on the beach and stare at the sea. You don't have to join in with everything. It was lovely to see that this balance mattered to our guests.

One writer told us: "I chose this particular retreat because I wanted this balance of planned and free time. I've decided against many others because the itinerary looks like a school timetable!"

Another described the balance as "perfect".

Of course, everyone is different. Some people want to explore every corner of the island, while others need time on their own to recharge. We are learning all the time how to make that work, and the feedback has reminded us how important it is that nobody feels guilty about opting out of an activity.

And then there's Naxos

We took our guests into the mountains, visited villages, explored Chora, discovered how olive oil is made, admired the ancient Kouros and walked through the beautiful countryside around Melanes. One guest said the hike was an unexpected highlight, something they would never have planned independently, but which helped shake off the jet lag and brought everyone together. And, of course, there was the food.

Long lunches in Greek tavernas, enormous plates of delicious things, cheese pies, gyros, olive oil, wine and conversations that went on long after the plates had been cleared. We also had people writing together on the beach, swimming in the sea, sharing book recommendations and taking part in our book photograph challenge.

One guest described writing on the beach with some of the other women: "Being surrounded by the sea and other writers, laughing, and sipping wine...some of my most memorable writing."

I think that sums up the Naxos Creative experience rather beautifully.

The people make it

We can find lovely accommodation, invite brilliant authors, organise excursions and choose wonderful restaurants. But the one thing we can't manufacture is the chemistry between the people who come. This particular group was extraordinary. We had guests from different countries, different backgrounds and at different stages of their reading and writing lives. Some were experienced writers, some were working on their first book, and others simply loved reading. Several had travelled alone, including people who had never taken a solo holiday before.

One guest wrote: "This was a trip for me where I had to force myself to be very brave to take the leap and travel all this way on my own. And what a great example of the fact that great things come when you break out of your comfort zone."

Another told us that they had felt completely cared for throughout the week, something that meant a great deal to them on their first solo trip.

And perhaps my favourite comment of all was this:

"Although Naxos was absolutely amazing and a place I may never have visited on my own, and the industry knowledge and creative inspiration I gained were invaluable, I have to say the people are what made this retreat worth it."

That really is what we hope to achieve.

It's the little things

The feedback wasn't all about the big moments. People mentioned the cats at Stella Apartments, the beautiful gardens, the breakfasts, the friendly staff, the book recommendations and the joy of not having to decide where to eat every evening. They also gave us some extremely useful suggestions. A little more time in Chora, more advance information about fellow guests and perhaps some optional brainstorming sessions for writers.

All good ideas, and all things we'll be thinking about.

We're a small, hands-on team. Sometimes plans change, sometimes we have to improvise, and sometimes things don't go quite as expected. We don't want our retreats to feel like a corporate package holiday. We want them to feel personal, relaxed and full of life. But we also want to make sure everyone feels comfortable, informed and well looked after.

Three little words

One of the questions we ask in our feedback form is for guests to describe the atmosphere of the retreat in just three words.

Here are some of the answers:

Fun, relaxing, supportive.

Friendly, inspiring, special.

Fulfilling, inspiring, relaxing.

Welcoming, memorable, magical.

Warm, supportive, motivating.

Friendly, inspiring, nourishing.

I don't think Neil, Nola and I could have chosen better words ourselves.

Until next time

As I write this, everyone is back in their normal lives. Back at their desks, back with their families, back to work and the everyday business of living. But I hope that somewhere in the middle of all that, they're still carrying a little bit of Naxos with them. Perhaps someone has started writing again. Perhaps someone has picked up a book they wouldn't otherwise have read. Perhaps a new friendship is developing across continents. And perhaps, on a particularly grey afternoon, someone will remember sitting beside the Aegean Sea, talking about books with a group of people who were strangers just a few days earlier.

One guest finished their questionnaire by saying: "I'm going to miss you guys!"

Well, the feeling is mutual. Thank you to Gillian and Holly for being such wonderful authors and companions, to every single guest for making the week so special, and to Neil, Nola, Nic and Thierry for all the hard work, humour and care that goes into making these retreats happen. We have more retreats planned, more wonderful authors coming and plenty of new adventures ahead. And if you've been wondering whether to take the plunge and come on your own, perhaps the words of our guests will encourage you. After all, as one of them said, great things can happen when you step outside your comfort zone.

With love from Naxos,

Ros x