About Us
Tucked behind the Saxon church of St Nicholas, and set in five acres of garden, Bishop’s Lodge was the home of the Bishop of Europe, and now, we are incredibly lucky to call this magical and historic place home. I have found so much inspiration and peace here for my writing and I’d love to share some of that with you.
Write in the shade of the ancient trees, or tucked away in the library, learn from some of the best writers and artists working today, luxuriate in your creativity and talent, while we nourish you body, mind and soul with home grown, home cooked food, ideas, art and fine conversation.
Heidi James is the author of critically acclaimed novels Wounding, So the Doves (a Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month) and The Sound Mirror. She won The Saboteur Award for her novella, The Mesmerist’s Daughter and was a finalist in The Cinnamon Poetry Collection Prize. Her short stories, poetry and essays have been published various anthologies and magazines including, among others, We’ll Never Have Paris, Somesuch, Dazed and Confused and Galley Beggar Press. She hosts a podcast, First Graft, where she discusses the writing process with other writers. She has a PhD, lectures in English Literature and Creative Writing and is a qualified writing and creativity coach and mentor.
“Heidi's empathetic, warm, and generous nature, coupled with her gift and skill to see beyond the obvious, has been a blessing to me. I am hugely grateful to have worked with her. She has addressed all areas of my creative journey, treating me as a whole person resulting in a mental shift that has changed me and how I work. Heidi is a rock, and anyone fortunate enough to work with her will continue to reap the benefits long after completing their sessions.
Sometimes we meet someone in our life who appears exactly when we need them; Heidi is that for me!”
— Natalie P.