Grahame Elliott
I'm an Australian novelist and playwright, born in Cairns, North Queensland, now living in the Loire Valley in France. My background is mostly education (B.Ed) and music (B.Mus). After moving to France, I taught English at the British Council, Paris and a variety of language-related subjects, including writing, at the Nouvelle Sorbonne and Sciences Po. In my blog, you will learn about the writers' groups and retreats I have established as well as read information about my books and plays, and of course, my muse: Ramsès, my giant white Irish Wolfhound.
Please click on the links below to read about Détilly Creative Writers (DCW) and Paris Creative Writers (PCW).
Ramsès, my muse and companion, also has a CV even though he's not yet four years old. He was born near Rouen in France in October 2020, has no university education but has been to school and often helps smaller dogs become used to giant ones. He excels at modelling and photoshoots, but shows no interest in chasing plastic lures around paddocks. Over the past couple of years, Ramsès has been successful at dog shows in France, winning top prizes in Paris and once being selected third place in Best of Breed. Luce Besson, a famous French film director chose Ramsès's pack for his film, Dogman in 2023. Unfortunately, Ramsès missed that opportunity as he was on an photoshoot in Paris. This year, his puppy photo appeared in Passion Calendar as the January Irish wolfhound, and last week (September 2024), La Nouvelle République published an article about him now that h' has become a local hero and celebrity.
My Story
I believe we have a lot to learn from dogs, well-behaved dogs, that is. When Ramsès joined my family at Château de Détilly in the Loire Valley, my life changed in a very positive way. He really did become my muse and has appeared in two of my novels, 'Gray Day in Paris' and 'Fabulous Ramses'. I'll tell you more about that later. In my other novels, 'Death Canyon and 'Jack's Promises', there are also dogs. Ramsès is our welcoming committee at Château de Détilly which we run as a bed and breakfast and writers' retreat. My first dog was a black chihuahua called José. Apart from living a dog-centred life, in what is probably the most the historical part of France, my days are largely filled with maintaining the expansive rose garden that was installed in the 1990s and writing, of course. During the cold months, our writers' workshops take place inside the château in the grande salon and during the warm months, in a variety of places such as the orangerie (pool house), by the pool in the garden or on the terraces.
A child at heart, I enjoy reading and writing adventure stories that take me to worlds one can only dream of. Having lived in North Queensland by the barrier reef, I'll read anything about tropical islands, beaches and pirates. 'Robinson Crusoe' and 'Treasure Island' are two of my favourite classics and I can't remember how many times I've watched 'Swiss Family Robinson.' Other novels I've enjoyed reading recently are 'The Island of the Day Before' by Eco Umberto and 'The Friend' by Sigrid Nunez.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
+33.6.86.67.52.57