On island time : the writing workshop as cultural tourism

This paper provides an overview of writing workshops as cultural tourism, and the increasing preference for them to be located on islands of all kinds. It will examine the great diversity of workshop experiences available; narrow the focus to those workshops based on islands and finally concentrate on one particular island-based writing experience. Seemingly ‘exotic’ locations and a unique form of islomania distinct to aspiring writers are used to promote island writing workshops to potential participants. This in turn attempts to account for the popularity and growth of this form of cultural tourism. Several key questions will be raised and discussed: what makes these workshops so successful and appealing to writers? How are ‘exotic’ locations and the concepts of island and writing time used to sell writing workshops to non-writers and writers alike? How might these workshops be utilised by the tertiary education sector?