Macphail Homestead, 271 Macphail Park Road, Orwell    Saturday, September 12, 2015, 2:00 to 5:30 pm                           Explore nature-based writing in the beautiful setting of the Macphail Homestead. See how poetry, memoir, dramatic monologue, and fiction begin with a sense of place and with close observation of the natural world.    During this 3.5-hour workshop, participants will explore nature and their response to it as they write short pieces in a series of timed exercises developed by a skilled teacher. Supplies needed: notebook, pencil or pen.   People of all ages and all levels of writing experience are welcome. Register online or on the day of the workshop. The workshop fee is $40. Students and seniors pay $30.   Come for the workshop and stay for a light supper and free public reading by Deirdre Kessler, sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Macphail Homestead.   Supper in Tea Room at participants’ own expense.  Go to macphailhomestead.ca to see menu designed by Red Seal Chef Joel Short.    Contact: Doreen Huestis, Macphail Homestead Site Director: 902-651-2789 or macphailhomestead@pei.aibn.com        Deirdre Kessler is a poet and author of 15 books for young people and a dozen books of nonfiction for adults. Recently published are a memoir, Mother Country, published by Oberon Press (Dec. 2014) and Born! A foal, five kittens, and Confederation, a children’s book illustrated by Brenda Jones set in Charlottetown in 1864, which received a 2015 P.E.I. Museum & Heritage Foundation writing award and a 2015 City of Charlottetown Heritage Award.  Deirdre teaches creative writing, children’s literature, and the course on L.M. Montgomery with UPEI’s Department of English. She is a recipient of a UPEI Award for Teaching Excellence.