We are all storytellers. Imagining the world, then sharing our tales through the written and spoken word is our genetic heritage. Come join Writers of Koh Phangan each Tuesday night at Orion’s waterfront Beach Shala for an evening of communing, writing, and sharing. Every level of writing experience welcome, including non-native English speakers. We learn, we swap ideas, and we have a ball writing and sharing on a theme, from a prompt. Bring something to write on, then shuffle in to the shala next to the restaurant, grab a mat and a bolster or two, and leave with a new story.

My month-long stint at Koh Samui’s Content Castle is over, a delight to teach and coach a house of writer residents. During the month, I was asked to come to Myanmar to conduct two days of writing coaching for MyJustice, an EU-funded, British Council-coordinated social justice project. At the outset, the participants, about half Myanmarese, insisted they were not writers. I was there specifically to help them write Learning Briefs on their three years working in the field, and blog posts sharing personal insights. But my stated goal at the outset was to reinvigorate their love of storytelling and their appreciation of their role in documenting and sharing vital stories. I just received this note from one of the group’s leaders, Vijaya Nidadavolu, Strategic Engagement Adviser, and it reminded me of the small opportunities we are given to contribute in unexpected ways. “The workshop was extremely well moderated and we have discovered some fine writers and stories amidst us. There is a story teller in everyone after all – so thank you for unlocking that.”

If you have a gig anywhere in the world where the people are openhearted, and the food is exceptional, I’m available anytime.

A wonderful gift flies through the transom.

Susanne van Lieshout from the global consultancy MLF emails me. A major project on social justice in Myanmar is completing its first phase and the British Council needs a writing coach to help staff write up learning briefs and blogs to memorialize and share their extraordinary work. She googled “writing coach workshop Southeast Asia” and, a day or two of conversation later, I am on my way to Myanmar. I will be posting about the project as I arrive. I fly from Samui to Yangon Tuesday, conduct the workshop Wednesday and Thursday, and back home to Content Castle on Friday.

I’m looking forward to being back to one of my very favorite countries on the world.

I’m pleased to help my dear friend and workshop co-facilitator Kaila Dalgleish at her extraordinary Content Castle on Koh Samui during the month of August as she cares for her gorgeous new baby. I have taught workshops at the Castle in years past but this is my first extended stay. I will conduct workshops and provide personal coaching for the writing residents and help with project editing.

Here is some more from the Castle website about this innovative writers community.

“This six-bedroom design house on Koh Samui, ideally-located five minutes from charming Lamai and just a 15-minute drive from the ferry port, is filled with a multitude of inspirational corners, reading nooks, meditation hideaways, and writing alcoves. Spacious balconies are hung with hammocks and loungers to relax, read, or write overlooking the expansive seaview afforded by our prime beachside location.

“The Content Castle offers a three-month intensive finishing programme designed to help writers perfect the craft of writing. The programme features workshops and roundtables so you can polish your writing and editing skills, build a portfolio, and learn to market your skills to clients, publications, and businesses.”

Koh Phangan is a long way to come for a writers group meetup but if you are on the island, come by some time. Each Tuesday night at 7:30pm, aspiring island writers meet to connect, create, share their work, and learn.  We write from prompts at Orion’s gorgeous waterfront Beach Shala.

Join the island’s writers group, Writers of Koh Phangan, for news of regular free events, and network with 300 fellow storytellers.. Whether you are on or off the island, free introductory coaching sessions on your project or writing process are available, as well as longer term writing coaching programs. Have a writing project you need help completing? Email me at briankgruber@gmail.com.

Also… our next book club event is 15 May 6pm for a discussion of Anais Nin’s erotic classic “Henry and June.” Read the book or watch the movie or just come with a passion for Nin or Henry Miller.

I had the great pleasure of doing a visioning process with the radiant Justyna Stoklosa two years ago. We plotted out a bold future, and this recent press is a small reflection of the brilliant and impressive life journey she has staked out. Koh Phangan seems an unusually good incubator for people seeking something very different out of life. Big hugs from afar.

Here is the New York Post front cover. The Murdoch papers of course use the ‘crazy hippie’ clickbait angle but great exposure.

And a very nice note from her on Facebook reminiscing about our visioning process:

Justyna Stoklosa Brian, I will never forget your kindness. You proved a great friend in a time of need, a supportive shoulder AND you threw a goodbye party for me driving to the next town just to get my favorite papaya salad.

You visioning plan let me see patterns in my past where relationships got in the way of pursuing my highest excitement and a too-tight bond with my parents kept me from making bold and gutsy lifestyle choices.

You also ‘forced’ me to actually phrase what I want to achieve and that was then ‘no 1 fruitarian female in SE Asia’. Since then I have changed it to ‘no 1 fruitarian in the world’ altho my fiancé always laughs at this ego-driven aim. I am still very ambitious, and that is never going to change as my ‘work’ is my highest excitement and doesnt feel like work. Altho nowadays its more about helping people rather than being number one in anything.

As a side note: our Youtube channel reached 20 million views in its first year of existence. We are invited as guest speakers to all the fruit festivals around the world. We have more ppl wanting to come to our retreats that we will be able to host this year. After the huge media storm of the last few days, a couple of big TV shows have reached out.

All that doesnt matter in the face of finding Simon, the love of my life, my fruitarian fiance, 13 years my junior.

I will always be super grateful for your help and support, Brian, will never forget ?

Subscribe to her YouTube page – it has 20 million views.

It’s a great joy to help aspiring writers advance their projects, whether spoken word presentations, poetry compilations, or full-length books. Every Tuesday night, Writers of Koh Phangan, a group I founded earlier this year, meets on our Thai island, to write, share and connect. I had the particular pleasure of working with local writers on their Phangan Slam spoken word presentations (photos below), and their ongoing writing projects. Here’s what they shared about our work together.

From Romanian poet Andreea Tănăsoaica,

From the UK’s Gemini Adams,

“Brian Gruber is brilliant. So present. Extremely insightful. Wise. He helped me refine a provocative piece I’d penned to share at a conference of world leaders, and gave me powerful tools for bringing out the best of it through my delivery. Including very helpful ways of actually enjoying the experience of standing in stage publicly calling people out!”

Check out the Writing Coaching page for details n how to get your book project to completion.