Individual residencies / Olot
ASHLEY COLLINS
From Monday, 17 October 2022 to Monday, 24 October 2022
Bio
Ashley Collins (Awyn Dawn) has written two books and is currently working on her third. Her first book, Paganism for Prisoners: Connecting to the Magic Within, won a 2022 COVR gold award. Her second book, Paganism on Parole: Connecting to the Magic All Around, has a release date of November 8, 2022.
Awyn Dawn has been interviewed on several radio shows and podcasts, hosted multiple writing workshops, and has written articles for magazines such as Spirituality & Health. This author’s career is expected to continue to shine as she expands into fiction. She is currently earning her MFA in Creative Writing in London.
Project
During my stay at Faber, I am going to be working on multiple works in progress. The first, 111, is a guide to self-empowerment using meditation and ritual. It is set to be published roughly in 2024.
But the other project, the one that I am quite excited about, is a work of fiction based on a true story. My father’s story. It will explore the link between untreated and undertreated mental health and incarceration. It follows a Marine in Vietnam and emphasizes the escalation of his paranoia as his PTSD progresses. The repercussions follow him way beyond the battlefield.
The residency provided by Faberlull has been one of the most memorable, fulfilling, and engaging experiences of my life. The connections to the other residents I made during my weeklong residency will last a lifetime. What stuck out most to me about this residency is that when I was greeted, it didn’t feel as if I was greeted by staff, it felt as if I was greeted by friends. They were happy to do whatever was needed to make my stay comfortable.
In addition to getting some much-needed work done on two books I am writing, I was able to walk up a volcano (or three), interact with the citizens of Olot, and expand my cultural view of the world. Though I have been all over the United States and to London, this was my first trip to Spain, to Catalonia. I must admit, a piece of me still lives in Olot, under its translucent blue skies and its historical buildings. I know that I will be back to visit, again and again.
While in Olot, it was my honour to teach a creative writing workshop to some of the students there, I found them to be engaged and gracious. When it was done, I got many thanks for my time, but really the pleasure was mine. If I helped even one of them feel a bit more confident in their writing then I would do it again and again.
The last thing I want to say about my experience with Faberlull at Olot is that it will stick with me for a lifetime. When I close my eyes I see the trees and smell the breeze. This imagery will come up in my future works because it is a part of me now. It is truly my hope that Faberlull can keep providing this experience for many years to come.
