Travel Writing and Photography Workshop in Rome,
May 9–15, 2010
Scholarship available to study in the Eternal City

Instructors Amanda Castleman and Lisa Payne
Tuition: $1,450, if paid in full before early-bird deadline. Prices then rise to $1,625.
Due to the limited class size, seats in class cannot be held without full payment.
Class sizes are under 10 people. Our courses fill quickly so register today.

From May 9-15, 2010, please join renowned instructors Lisa Payne and Amanda Castleman, winner of a Lowell Thomas award – travel writing's ersatz Pulitzer. These old friends will shepherd a small group throughout la bella Roma from Volpetti's famous deli to the graves of Keats and Shelley, and a night-photography seminar overlooking the Roman Forum. The course kicks off with a wine and antipasti reception, then ends with a gala dinner that could feature ox-tail, brains and peas, and batter-fried artichokes. The workshop includes an excursion to the Campo dei Fiori outdoor market, as well as Ostia Antica, the ruins in Rome's suburbs that rival Pompeii… Students also enjoy a 30-minute private consultation with each instructor, among other benefits.

The $1,450 tuition does not cover food, travel or accommodations. This allows participants to choose their own adventures. Slow bus or first-class flight. A cadged couch or a world-famous hotel. Grub from a pizza slice-shop or five courses from a bel mondo restaurant. The instructors' expertise and connections guide students to experiences comfortable for any budget, career and level of wanderlust.

Amanda Castleman – an Italian American – lived in the Eternal City for several years, first as a classics undergrad, then later as a Visiting Writer at the American Academy in Rome. She has contributed to titles like Italy, A Love Story; Rome in Detail; Michelin Rome and Italy; AA Key to Rome; Rough Guide Italy and Frommer's Italian Phrasefinder, among a 30-odd title bibliography. She pairs local intel with seven years of internationally acclaimed instructing for Writers.com, TravelWritingClass.com and Seattle's Richard Hugo House. Given her wry, gentle encouragement – and truly detailed commentary – hundreds of students have launched careers or amped up their portfolios. Many have even debuted in publications like Islands, The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler.

London-based photojournalist Lisa Payne brings a fresh perspective to the course. She introduces compositional theories, then focuses on putting those skills to work, interpreting the wonderfully chaotic canvas of Rome. Her field sessions coach each student towards more professional compositions, whether they wield a digital point-and-shoot or an SLR body with glass lenses.

A 2008 participant, Kate Pocock of www.familytravelink.com, observed: "It was fabulous to be a student again, in such a vibrant setting, and be able to set out with my camera, knowing that I could now understand f-stops, exposure and flash while trying to compose a shot like the masters. It was also stimulating to be with such a group of dedicated students."

This workshop is a springboard for discovering Rome and its surroundings. TWC's workshop teaches students how to capture one of the world's most legendary cities – in word, image and deed.

About the Rome
workshop and its scholarship
Co-founded in 2007 by Amanda Castleman and Marcus Donner, this Seattle-based school offers workshops in photography and travel writing, primarily in Italy. Its Rome 2010 seminar costs $1,450, if paid in full before March 7, 2010. Prices then rise to $1,625. The tuition fee does NOT cover airfare, accommodations, ground transportation or food, except for the opening reception and closing-night dinner. Companions are welcome to join us for the meals (additional $90) and the photo workshops (additional $350).

The Susan Tifft Scholarship provides a 50% tuition waiver for the winner of the essay competition, which has a deadline on the Ides of March ( the 15th). Applicants should email a 500-word essay to scholarship@travelwritingclass.com, explaining why they need, want or desperately deserve this fee break. Please include the following: full name, phone numbers, and email and postal addresses. The competition only accepts supplementary links: portfolio websites or up to five URLs of relevant text or photos. Any extraneous material may result in disqualification. Travel Writing Class.com will announce the results on March 20, 2010.

In 2008, Monika Jones won. “I wanted to write, live abroad, and be out-of-context,” she explained. After the workshop, she spent a year in Istanbul, working for a variety of English-language publications. Monika is now studying for her PhD at Central European University in Budapest. Her focus is on online social media, and the changing nature of self-presentation and communications in urban spaces. Her recent outlets include inflight magazines for Wizz and EasyJet, among other gigs.

As Monika Jones notes, the scholarship ensures: "the classroom is diverse, that the era of apprenticeship isn't over, and that travel writing and travel writing courses are not just an elite pastime, but a true trade that can be learned. They are ensuring that the travel writing industry is thick with writers who care about writing, and this is a beautiful thing for individuals and for the industry."

"[The teachers] are knowledgeable, ethical and professional. But they don't let that professionalism get in the way of fun and spontaneity. I would certainly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to learn more about the digital camera or who wants to sell a good story about any destination, Rome included. Many thanks. It was a blast!"

- Kate Pocock
2008 Travel Writing Class student
www.familytravelink.com

Scholarship
We're pleased to offer the Susan Tifft Scholarship for our 2010 workshop. The award provides a 50% tuition waiver for the winner of our essay competition.

Italian-American Amanda Castleman spent eight years in Europe. She first lived in Rome as a classic undergrad, then later as a Visiting Writer at the American Academy in Rome. She strings adventure stories for Sport Diver and won a 2007 Lowell Thomas award – travel writing's ersatz Pulitzer – for the same genre. A full-time freelancer and instructor, she has contributed to nearly 30 books, such as Italy, A Love Story and Rome In Detail. Her bibliography also features Michelin, Frommer's, Time Out, Rough Guides and National Geographic, as well the first collegiate travel-writing textbook in the States. Periodical credits include MSNBC, the BBC, Salon, Wired, The Guardian, The Mail on Sunday, The International Herald Tribune and the much-mourned Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Amanda also teaches for Writers.com and Seattle's Richard Hugo House. She maintains a portfolio website and ego-casts further at Road Remedies.

London-based Lisa Payne is an award-winning reportage photographer (photojournalist). She specializes in capturing people in their environments, always with an eye for how humans have shaped the world. Lisa's projects have been published in Marie Claire, The Observer, The Independent, and numerous other travel and lifestyle titles. An alumna of Plymouth College of Art and Design, she has won the Art Think prize, as well as acclaim from the Renaissance Awards, the Association of Photographers and Marie Claire's International Reportage competition. Additionally, she has been honored with Associate status from the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP). Lisa is currently working with Damien Hirst on his forthcoming book titled Pharmacist. Her website is www.lisa-payne.com.

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