Become immersed in Hydra's past as an epicentre of 1960s bohemianism as the Australian award-winning authors of Half The Perfect World : Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra 1955-64, introduce you to Charmian Clift, George Johnston and other creative giants of the time, including Leonard Cohen, Patrick Leigh Fermor and Sidney Nolan.
Designed for readers, writers, and adventurous thinkers, this immersive retreat offers the chance to step into the world of the great minds who made Hydra their home, while enjoying the warmth, culture and charm of island life.
You will encounter this unforgettable island through memorable words and images created by those who knew it best, presented as a series of stimulating, and often on-location seminars and workshops by authors of the highly awarded and definitive account of mid-century Hydra, Paul Genoni and Tanya Dalziell.
Daily seminars will also consider the craft of writing, with guided prompts inspired by the works and landscape in which we study, to encourage your own writing, poetry, image-making or drawings ... with round-tables and personal coaching on all aspects of your personal endeavors from our expert teachers.
This is a rare opportunity to learn, experience and be creative alongside award-winning authors whose expertise about literary Hydra is unparalleled. Places are limited, contact us now to enquire or reserve your place.
'Half the Perfect World: Reading by the Sea on Hydra' with Paul and Tanya is our Signature Hydra Writing Retreat as part of Anna Kwiecinska's Creative Living Retreats www.annakwiecinka.com
(all contemporary photographs on this site are hers).
A superb book
Sydney Morning Herald
Meet Your Presenters
Tanya Dalziell and Paul Genoni have collaborated on various activities for over twenty years. This includes research, writing, editing, and convening conferences Together they co-edited Telling Stories: Australian Life and Literature 1935-2012 (2013).
They co-authored Half the Perfect World: Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra, 1955-1964 (2018), which won the 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for the best book of non-fiction. Their book will go into film production in 2026/7.
They love sharing and talking about great stories—and Hydra has so many to tell, many of which they have unearthed from never-before documented archives.
Together with Anna, we held 'An Island in the Mind' in October 2025. The weather was so beautiful that we'll be heading back to Hydra in October 2027 for a new iteration of this retreat entitled Half the Perfect World:Writing by the Sea on Hydra' with all that worked best in 2025, plus the latest updates in Paul and Tanya's on-going research. Stay connected
Paul Genoni has worked as a librarian and academic, most recently with the School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry at Curtin University, Western Australia.
His research and publishing spans Australian literature and culture, including travel writing; expatriate memoir; and pilgrimage narratives.
He has published a book on Australian explorer narratives and co-edited a collection of essays on Thea Astley.
With Tanya Dalziell, he co-authored Half the Perfect World: Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra, 1955-1964, which received the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction.
Tanya Dalziell teaches and researches in English and Literary Studies at the University of Western Australia.
She writes on topics related to Australian literature, film, music and modernism.
She has published books on Australian writers Joan London and Gail Jones and co-edited a book of essays on the musician Nick Cave.
With Paul Genoni, she co-authored Half the Perfect World: Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra, 1955-1964, which received the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction.
She currently holds these positions
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Professor Tanya Dalziell FAHA SFHEA
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Chair of the Department of English and Cultural Studies
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Chair of Discipline/Major, English and Literary Studies
About Our Retreats
Sometimes the best way to find your flow is to change your horizon. "Writing by the Sea in Hydra" isn't just a title, it's a promise of uninterrupted focus.
Each day, we’ll dive into the works and stories created by Hydra's literary identities, bringing literature to life in the very place it was shaped.
There's a specific kind of silence in Hydra's backstreets. No cars, just the sound of footsteps on stone and the distant ring of donkey bells. It's the same silence that sparked the imagination of Leonard Cohen, Charmian Clift, George Johnston and generations of poets and writers before us.
Each morning our seminars will be complemented by walks through Hydra’s quiet lanes, meandering towards various coastal destinations for reflections by the sea, taverna lunches, and afternoons of swimming, relaxing, writing, sketching ... before we meet up for an evening drink and decide where to dine.
Your retreat includes:
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4.5 star accommodation with fabulous breakfasts for 6 nights at an historic Hydra mansion
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A port-side Welcome Dinner with wines
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A Seaside Sunset Farewell Dinner with wines
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A full-day excursion by boat to the mainland
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Museum entrances
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Seminars and workshops
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Make and bind your own journal to record your week's creative prompts
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PLUS a Literary Workbook so you don't need to take notes see more
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Exploring the island through literary seminars and on-location expeditions
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Guided workshops for your preferred area of creativity inspired by the literature of, and about Hydra, by the people who lived, loved and visited.
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individual coaching on your own writing by experts Prof. Tanya Dalziell and Dr. Paul Genoni
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curated and accompanied by Anna Kwiecinska with support throughout your trip planning more