Press release - El Gouna

Following the success of this year’s Writers’ Residency, El Gouna welcomes more literary legends to its idyllic surroundings.

Designed and hosted by El Gouna, an award-winning town built by Orascom Development (OD), the Writers’ Residency aims to provide authors with an intellectual haven in which they can work on their literary projects.

Following a high number of applicants this year, 2011 will again see four to six writers enjoying a month’s complimentary full board stay at El Gouna, complimentary breakfast and dinner will also be included to encourage the authors to interact and exchange thoughts.

“We received extremely positive feedback from the residents that visited our town this year and want to offer more writers the opportunity to enjoy our blissful surroundings,” says Omar El Halaby, VP marketing for Orascom Development.

“This is a fantastic setting to relax in and revitalize your imagination. We now welcome applications from authors across the world for our 2011 residencies to continue the success of this year.”

The sessions will be held throughout February, May and June 2011.

The writer’s rooms will include wireless internet, mini bar and cooking facilities. They will also receive complimentary access to El Gouna’s leisure facilities.
During their stay, the writers will also participate in a reading day at El Gouna’s library, a branch of the renowned Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and will be asked to provide a report stating the development of their literary project.
Once the book has been completed, writers will be asked to leave one or more copies in the library for others to enjoy.
The El Gouna Writer’s Residency is open to established writers and mainly focuses on their professional experience and quality of past work, as well as current projects and the potential for a productive stay in the resort.

Fantastically located amid mountains and sea and spread across lagoons, islands and white sandy beaches, El Gouna is the perfect sanctuary for writers to escape to.

Writers will need to pay their own airfare and transfer, but El Gouna will arrange everything else.

For more information and a downloadable application form, please visit:
http://www.elgouna.com/writers-residency/default.html

The closing date for applications is 30 September 2010.