I have many lovely events and tours coming up, and I wanted to let you, my faithful newsletter readers, know so you have an early chance to book if you are interested. My tours always sell out quickly, and usually have waiting lists. If any of these tempt you, get in touch with ASA now to register your interest.
For those who feel daunted by long flights overseas, I’ll begin with two Aussie events that you may like to join.
Discovering the Belle Époque: Art, Literature and Design
This day of lectures, presentations and music will be held at the Lyceum Club, Melbourne, on 11 June 2025. I will be giving a talk as part of this special day, planned to tie in with the fabulous French Impressionists exhibition at the NGV in Melbourne (with art from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts). Also speaking will be artist David Henderson, Jewellery Historian Adrian Dickens and rare book collector Professor Chris Browne. There will be a delightful concert, morning tea, lunch and prosecco. It should be a fabulous day. Bookings are on-line only and places are filling fast.
I adore the French Impressionists and love reading books about their lives and works. I think that to stand in the room in the Orangerie in Paris where you are surrounded by Monet’s water lilies is one of life’s great experiences! If you share my passion for his art and those of his friends and the Post-Impressionists, you might like to read some of the following:
Canberra and the Garangula Gallery: Art and Literature
In August I am involved in a very special three-day event in Canberra. ‘Canberra and the Garangula Gallery: Art and Literature’ will take place from 19-21 August and will include a visit to the exciting art exhibition ‘Cézanne to Giacometti‘ at the National Gallery with art historian David Henderson, a special viewing of literary treasures at the National Library and a talk by me on ‘Jane Austen’s Legacy’, a talk by best-selling author Chris Hammer, a visit to the Manning Clark House, and much more. But the main highlight will be a visit to the extraordinary Garangula Gallery, the best private gallery in Australia, with fabulous Aboriginal art and works by Australian painters, all in a stunning, award-winning building in Harden. It’s very hard to get inside this gallery, so this really is an amazing opportunity. There will be delicious meals, talks, art and books, and I’d love you to join me.
“Birthplace of the Novel”: A Literary tour of Spain
Have you ever dreamed of castles in Spain, or wondered if the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain? As a child, did you read of Ferdinand the Bull? Are you aware that the publication of Cervantes’ Don Quixote was listed as one of the 100 Most Important Events of the Millennium? If you have never read this masterpiece, then perhaps this is the year to do so? Spain is a land so rich in literature and art, architecture and history. I am very excited about leading my very first literary tour of Spain.
This tour is from 18 Sept to 8 October 2026. Travel in the footsteps of Cervantes and the immortal Don Quixote, see glorious castles, cathedrals, gorges and libraries. This tour is already over half full.
Sicily: A Dimension of the Imagination
Have you loved watching Inspector Montalbano on TV, or read the books? Did you know that Netflix has produced a new film version of Lampedusa’s superb novel The Leopard (coming some time this year)? Would you like to see some of the awesome mosaics and cathedrals of Sicily? I will never forget visiting Monreale – the cathedral and cloisters are breathtaking! It was also very exciting to see the Inspector’s office from the TV series and imagine Catarella banging the door every time he entered.
I took a group on a literature and art tour of Sicily last year and am already excited about repeating that tour in April 2026, with art historian David Henderson. I’ve added a new highlight – a private visit to D.H. Lawrence’s home in Taormina. The food on this tour is fabulous, the Caravaggios are so memorable, there are a few magical days on the Aeolian Islands, and there’s so much great literature. I’d love you to join this exciting tour.
“Stepping Westward”: Rambles with the Poets in Wales
Jane Austen once described herself as a “desperate walker”. Many of us know that the very best way to see a country is not through the windows of a coach, but to walk through its landscapes. And what better than to walk in wondrous Wales in the footsteps of great poets? Dylan Thomas was steeped in the landscapes around Swansea – the coast at Laugharne, with its castle “brown as owls”, where he wrote in the boat house, the glorious beaches of the Gower Peninsula, and of course the pubs and taverns that he managed to find all over the country. Wordsworth was truly inspired by the glorious Wye Valley (today a landscape of Outstanding Natural Beauty), and without that scenery, we would not have one of his finest poems.
I’m offering a rather different tour in May 2026, ‘Stepping Westward: Rambles with the Poets in Wales’, which will include some incredibly scenic walks in the glorious Wye Valley and in Dylan Thomas’s Laugharne and Gower Peninsula. It’s only going to be 8 days, but should be great fun, and a chance to stretch your legs in a fabulous part of the world.
Do you have a favourite literary destination? Where would you like to visit? Please let me know in a comment.
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