Intensive Writing Workshop with Michael Mirolla in Vasto, Italy

In May 2026, the hilltop town of Vasto, Italy, will host Taming the Beast: From Inception to Publication, a week-long intensive led by author and publisher Michael Mirolla. Limited to twelve participants, the workshop blends craft, reflection, and practical publishing insight against the backdrop of the Adriatic coast. Structured in three phases, the workshop invites writers to refine their work and engage deeply with the full lifecycle of a book.

In late spring 2026, twelve writers will gather in Vasto, Italy, climbing its stone streets and looking out over the Adriatic to begin Taming the Beast: From Inception to Publication. Led by Canadian author and Guernica Editions co-publisher Michael Mirolla, the week will unfold as both practice and pilgrimage—a progression through the complete life of a manuscript, from the first spark of an idea to the precision of its final form.

Michael Mirolla’s career defies categorization—spanning five decades, three national literatures, and every form from fiction to philosophy. His work dismantles the line between intellect and instinct, fusing the surreal with the political until meaning itself feels volatile.

The workshop is built around three deliberate movements—creation, meditation, and activation—each designed to mirror the natural rhythm of writing itself. Participants will draft new work, refine existing pages through close editorial exchange, and confront the realities of bringing a book to publication. The structure balances quiet and dialogue, giving writers space to work alone while drawing on the collective momentum of the group. Guided by Mirolla, whose career bridges both sides of the literary world, the week promises an experience shaped by honesty, discipline, and the enduring belief that art and craft are inseparable.

Continue reading: Michael Mirolla: Canadian Author, Editor, and Guernica Editions Co-Publisher Shaping Modern Literature.

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The Location

Vasto is a historic coastal town in Italy’s Abruzzo region, overlooking the Adriatic Sea about three hours east of Rome. Built on a hilltop, it combines the intimacy of an old Mediterranean village with the energy of a working seaside community. The town’s historic center is a network of narrow streets lined with cafés, local markets, and artisan shops, culminating in open terraces offering sweeping views of the coastline. Its blend of Roman, medieval, and Renaissance architecture gives it a distinct visual identity, with the Palazzo d’Avalos and the Cathedral of San Giuseppe standing as cultural landmarks and gathering points for the community.

Punta Aderci, at the northern edge of Vasto, is a protected headland where wild cliffs drop into turquoise water, and the scent of salt mingles with wild thyme. The Sentiero d’Accesso Punta Aderci winds through rolling vineyards and fields of wheat before opening suddenly to a panoramic view of the Adriatic that seems untouched by time.

Punta Aderci, at the northern edge of Vasto, forms one of Italy’s most striking coastal landscapes. Here, cliffs plunge into clear water, framed by the scent of wild herbs and the cry of seabirds. The Sentiero d’Accesso Punta Aderci winds through vineyards and open farmland before reaching a vast horizon where sea and sky meet without interruption. At its height stands a century-old trabocco, a wooden fishing platform balanced above the waves, once operated by local fishermen who read the currents by instinct. On bright days, the coast curves south toward the Gargano Peninsula, a view unchanged for centuries, echoing the endurance of those who have lived and worked along these shores.

Beyond its history, Vasto is defined by its rhythm and accessibility. The Punta Aderci Nature Reserve, just a short drive from the city, offers one of the few vistas in Italy where the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic Sea appear in a single frame. At sunrise, the cliffs are bathed in gold as the Maiella peaks glow pink in the distance—a rare alignment of land and water that UNESCO once described as a “geological dialogue between sea and stone.”

This same convergence of elements shapes Vasto’s surrounding vineyards. The constant Adriatic breeze carries a fine mist of salt inland, leaving delicate sea crystals on the grapes as they ripen. This maritime influence infuses varietals like Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano with a mineral sharpness known locally as “the breath of the sea.” It is a natural signature that cannot be replicated anywhere else in Italy, a testament to the precision of its geography.

Some of Vasto’s vineyards trace their lineage back to ancient Roman times, with rootstocks still cultivated on the same terraced slopes mapped in imperial land registries nearly two thousand years ago. Archaeologists have uncovered fragments of amphorae that once shipped local wine across the Adriatic as part of a Roman trade network.

Vasto, in the Province of Chieti, remains one of Abruzzo’s most storied coastal towns. In this place, Roman ruins, medieval ramparts, and Renaissance palaces coexist with a modern port that still drives the local economy. Overlooking the Gulf of Vasto, the town preserves a rhythm of life that feels enduring rather than nostalgic. Fishing boats still leave before dawn, and evenings gather along the Loggia Amblingh, a stone promenade that runs the length of the old city wall and opens to the endless blue of the sea.

Italy’s Adriatic coast is home to one of the oldest maritime routes in Europe, a corridor once sailed by Greek merchants, Roman fleets, and Venetian traders. Along its shoreline lie remnants of submerged Roman roads and villas, visible beneath the turquoise shallows on clear days. In specific stretches near Abruzzo, the sea floor still reveals trabocchi—centuries-old wooden fishing structures that rise from the water like skeletal ships—testaments to a coastal culture that has balanced endurance and beauty for more than a thousand years.

The Adriatic coast near Vasto is lined with wooden trabocchi—ancient fishing platforms that have stood for generations. Built from local timber and maintained by hand, they represent one of the last living links between traditional labor and the rhythm of the sea.

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The Workshop

The workshop unfolds as a lesson in practice and philosophy, but also a guided immersion into the complete arc of authorship. Designed by Michael Mirolla to mirror the creative process itself, the program builds upon the last day, leading participants from raw conception to polished completion.

Pre-Workshop

Participants submit materials for review and establish clear writing goals. Mirolla uses these submissions to tailor feedback and plan individualized development paths.

Monday–Wednesday: Creation

The week begins with focused writing sessions across genres—fiction, memoir, non-fiction, and poetry—supported by exercises designed to push each writer beyond comfort and habit. Group discussions cultivate an atmosphere of trust and experimentation, where form is not prescribed but discovered.

Thursday: Meditation

Attention turns to editing, with optional focus on playwriting or screenwriting for those interested. Peer feedback, editorial technique, and revision strategy take center stage, emphasizing precision without losing authenticity.

Friday: Activation

The final day shifts toward publication—understanding the author–publisher relationship, crafting query and cover letters, and learning submission strategy for agents and presses. The week culminates with a public reading, where participants share their work before an audience, transforming private process into public voice.

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Accommodations and Experience

Participants can choose from several distinctive options that reflect the pace and character of Vasto itself. Villa Monteferrante offers La Taverna and La Torretta, two private seaside apartments surrounded by olive trees and views of the Adriatic. For those drawn to the hum of the old town, Nau 28 provides a contemporary residence within walking distance of cafés, markets, and the historic piazza. Each location offers privacy and calm without detachment, allowing writers to move easily between solitude and community. Meals and lodging are arranged independently, giving every participant the freedom to shape a daily rhythm that suits their creative process.

The retreat is hosted and guided by Luigi Monteferrante, a Montreal-born writer, painter, and translator who has built a life and artistic practice in Vasto. As the founder of the Vasto Arts Workshops, Monteferrante brings decades of experience bridging disciplines and cultures. From his Liberty-style Villa Monteferrante, perched above the sea, he curates residencies and workshops that merge place, craft, and perspective. His presence anchors the week in authenticity, connecting visiting writers with the creative pulse of the town and its working artists.

Monteferrante's work has appeared in more than forty literary journals, and his paintings, often described as “Dickens with a brush,” share the same narrative energy as his fiction.

Participants will experience a welcome barbecue overlooking the Adriatic, guided studio visits, and quiet afternoons reserved for writing and reflection. These moments weave the practice of art into the rhythm of local life, reminding each writer that creative work thrives when it remains open to its surroundings.

Travel to Vasto is straightforward. The nearest airport is Rome, with direct buses running daily from both the city center and its airports to Vasto’s central station. The route winds through the countryside before descending toward the coast—a gradual immersion into the landscape that will define the days ahead.

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Program Details

Michael Mirolla brings to Taming the Beast a perspective shaped by decades on both sides of the publishing world. As an award-winning novelist, poet, and editor, and as co-publisher of Guernica Editions, he has shaped Canadian literature through his intellectual rigor, experimentation, and unshakable commitment to truth. His teaching rejects shortcuts and trends in favor of craft that withstands scrutiny long after the page is finished.

For participants, this translates into an experience that is both technical and transformative. Mirolla guides writers through the evolution of a manuscript with the precision of an editor and the insight of a working author.

Taming the Beast is designed for writers who stand between stages, and those ready to move from draft to manuscript. Under Mirolla’s mentorship, the week becomes more of a rehearsal for authorship itself. Disciplined, demanding, and deeply rooted in the belief that truly remarkable writing is an act of endurance as much as imagination.

Dates

The workshop will take place from May 31 to June 6, 2026, in Vasto, Italy.

Fees

The fee is €925, which covers all workshop sessions, a guided tour of Vasto, a welcome barbecue, and studio visits with local artists. Travel, meals, accommodations, and insurance are not included.

Maximum Participants

The program will be limited to 12 participants to ensure an intimate and focused experience.

Continue reading: Guernica Editions: Independent Canadian Publisher Redefining Literature Without Borders.

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The Call

For writers ready to move beyond hesitation and finish what they began, this workshop is a return to purpose. In Vasto, where the sea meets the ancient walls of the city, writing becomes a path to meeting one’s own work and deeper purpose without noise or distraction.

To inquire or reserve a place, visit www.VastoArtsWorkshops.com.