Click on individual photos to enlarge. Jump to post below photos.
My Rock Retreat residency in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory
I’m fast approaching two months passing since my week-long writers and illustrators retreat in Gibraltar, on Spain’s south coast.
The week in Gibraltar with co-founders Sarah Odedina and Eleanor Dobbs was a revelatory point in my creative journey. It’s rare to venture to another country, to study with Sarah, the editor who helped usher the Harry Potter books into the world, and her sister, Eleanor, an author and illustrator of more than 50 children’s books. Eleanor’s Harry Potter Hogwarts crest is one of her crowning achievements.
I joined about 20 other writers and illustrators from around the world. Gibraltar. Montserrat. St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Kenya, UK. USA. Spain. Czech Republic. Malta. Australia. Trinidad and Tobago.
Also working with us for the week were the amazing Ken Wilson Max, an illustrator, and a publisher with Harper Collins UK imprint, Kumusha Books. And Victoria Wells Arms, a gifted agent at HG Literary in New York. Full BIOS are available here.
How did my acceptance at The Rock Retreat come about?
In a word. Audacity.
In 2017, I was headed to a small village in France for a month-long artist residency. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in Paris was holding an event featuring Sarah Odedina. She had agreed to look at manuscripts. I was arriving AFTER her event. I reached out to her and asked her to take a look. I received some favorable feedback. I’ve greatly appreciated her encouragement all of these years! All of this led to the publication of my first book, The Stupendous Adventures of Mighty Marty Hayes.
In 2024, after learning about The Rock Retreat, I reached out again. I applied. Once accepted, I shed a few tears.
My week with like-minded creatives was filled with the joy of community.
I’d like to encourage others to pursue artist residencies, and specifically, The Rock Retreat. The 2024 site was the Garrison Library in Gibraltar. The site of 2025 is Accra, Ghana.
Highlights include:
- Sarah Odedina’s readings from several published authors. She spotlighted best of the best for inspiration. She guided many to publication.
- Writing prompts to spark creativity, with 15 – 30 minutes to create a story.
- Wanderings in my free time throughout the Garrison Library. Founded in 1793, the library holds more than 45,000 books, including rare volumes. I viewed through the glass, historic bibles and more.
- Writing in the Garrison Library garden was a treat. Beautiful trees and blooming flowers, and conversations with a very caring gardener.
- I wouldn’t exaggerate if I refer to our three meals a day as gourmet. Our chef, Louis Dobbs was a wonder with flavor and textures. With just two meals away from our retreat centre, we greatly appreciated his love of cooking, and care in preparing each meal.
- My legs can testify to the ROCK everyone thinks about when they hear the word, Gibraltar. Traveling each day back and forth from part of the mountain was a true workout. Grateful for the occasional rides.
- Macaque monkey spotting was frequent. I’m told about 300 monkeys live on Gibraltar, protected by the monarchy. My tour up to St. Michael’s Cave revealed that they are quite comfortable with humans. My husband was brave enough to allow one to sit on his shoulder for a photo.
- Daily views of the Mediterranean Sea were incredible!
- Each writing session had a small group of about half a dozen writers. We quickly appreciated the imaginations and writing expertise of our fellow writers.
- Illustrators had the same experiences, I’m sure. They created three dimensional works of art that they later displayed. Many will surely serve as the foundation for future digital works, and hopefully, make their way into books!
- The final day brought the entire group together with additional readings and viewings of our work. We truly didn’t want the week to end. It’s so rare to be part of a small group, to spend all of your meals with retreat leaders, and to get to know your cohort so well that you set up a What’s App group to stay in touch, cheering each other on!
- We’ve become a community, of supporters, sharing professional success, and expressing heartfelt concern (checking on members impacted by the Hurricane).
- The Rock Retreat formula could be a reality show: take a small group of creatives, pluck them from their comfortable surroundings, transplant them for a week into an environment where they need to be fully present. Make sure it’s a location brimming with historic trappings, natural beauty, amazing vistas, and smelling of limitless possibilities.
As children’s book creatives, we’re always seeking greater self-expression, and to ignite the fire of a child who needs our stories. Why? Representation matters. Our visibility out in the world sparks a seed of hope in a child who may need it. The time is now. I’ve certainly been enriched and motivated by all of the young people – black, brown, straight, gay, voracious readers, reluctant readers, to name just a few – who attended an event and felt comfortable enough to ask me about my work.
As a creative, during those inevitable times when the muse appears to be asleep and the words don’t quite materialize when I want them to, I’m propelled forward recalling these conversations. Who is the next child holding my book?
