About

Professional writers and academics, Gilly Smith and Jed Novick host writing clubs, retreats and dinner parties with authors in a rural idyll just outside Laughton, a little village deep in ancient woods near Lewes, East Sussex.

Whether you’re feasting with us, staying for the weekend in the house, glamping in the paddock in our sumptuous bell tents or in your own, or simply renting a quiet place to finish your novel, you’ll leave inspired, refreshed and if you haven’t already finished your oevre, ready to write…

Camp nights are a feast of local produce shared not just with fellow retreaters but often with local poets, authors or artists, and a firepit under a starry Sussex sky if the weather allows.

You’ll wake up in the middle of nowhere and spend your afternoons walking through woods so old you’ll forget that you ever saw a city. It’s where you’re meant to be; you can even hear the grass whispering its approval.

Gilly Smith is a journalist with a background in Radio and TV. She lectures in broadcast media at the University of Brighton and can be found here: www.gillysmith.com.

She and her husband, Jed Novick who teaches sport journalism at the University of Brighton after more than 20 years on the nationals, open their home to writers and would-be writers. They plan to open an Arvon Foundation style retreat in the next year with workshops led by the best of Sussex’s writing community.

With more than 25 published books between them, Jed and Gilly have more than a glass of wine to offer anyone who wants to know about writing, getting published, publicity and the business of writing.  Check out the Events page for what’s on next.

For more information on The Sussex House Party, contact gilly@gillysmith.com or call 07930 400805. If you’re interested in Gilly’s writing courses, check out The Writing Coach