Creative Writing Workshops

For many years Zavod Hirondelle has run Draguljarnice (“Jewellers’ Workshops”), creative writing workshops led by the writer, editor and literary critic Gabriela Babnik Ouattara. Draguljarnice are a space for literary exploration, reading, writing and conversation, and above all a space where different voices, writing experiences and ways of seeing the world meet.

We believe that literature also comes into being through dialogue. That a text is never quite finished, but can always be opened up, questioned and sharpened again. Just as a gem reveals its light only through patient cutting, a literary text demands time, attention and sensitivity to language.

At our meetings we read selected literary works, uncover their hidden layers, and reflect on narrative techniques, images, rhythm and language. Each meeting starts from a particular theme, motif or literary challenge, which becomes the starting point for writing your own texts. Participants read their work aloud, then comment on it, add to it and develop it together. The result is a literary community of its own kind, built on trust, curiosity and respectful dialogue.

Programme highlights

Writing Draguljarnice

A safe, creative space where participants can polish their texts to a diamond finish. They are meant for those who want to improve their writing and also learn about the process of making a book. The workshops are held in Slovenian, both online and in person.

Gabriela Babnik Ouattara

Mentor of Draguljarnice

Gabriela Babnik Ouattara

Writer, translator, comparative literature scholar and critic

The craft and silence of the word

“Literature has the strange ability to turn individuals into a temporary community. A kind of aesthetic solidarity. In it we learn to listen to others, but also to hear ourselves more clearly. All we need to enter this space is language. And a certain measure of courage. Only then can writing become a process of discovery. Of wonder, too. Of enthusiasm. A process of getting better. Writing is thus not merely a search for the right words, but also the discovery of new ways of understanding the world.”

Writing Draguljarnice are for everyone who senses that beside the material world there is also an enchanted one. The writer Toni Morrison might say it is like a magic trick: on stage you watch the rabbit, the lighting and the wonderful colours, but the whole thing lies in the false bottom and the skill of the magician’s fingers. That is what writing is about too: how to make sure the reader is aware only of the rabbit coming out of the hat and doesn’t see the false bottom. That is craft and hard work.

So Draguljarnice aren’t only for those already writing a novel, short stories or poetry. They are also open to anyone still searching for their literary voice, wanting to deepen their relationship with literature, or simply wishing to feel what can be created with language. Previous publications are not required. Willingness to read and the desire to write matter more.

I invite you to our Draguljarnice, where you will discover that the narrative imagination is something irreplaceably beautiful and, above all, that being able to name the world in the right language is also a way of empowering yourself.

Autumn & winter cycle 2026/2027

New dates announced

Three-month Draguljarnice writing workshops, where words are not yet final, where stories are only beginning, and where sometimes a tiny spark is enough to light up a whole text.

New Draguljarnice cycle – expected in December 2026

We expect to begin a new cycle of creative writing workshops at the start of December.

The cycle will comprise ten meetings held every two weeks. At each meeting we will explore a particular theme through selected literary texts, then turn to reading, conversation and discussing our own work together. Between meetings, participants will develop their writing, try out different literary approaches and gradually shape or refine their texts.

Exact dates and format will be announced later.

01 / Structure & Voice

What can you expect?

An in-depth look at the structure and building blocks of the short story. You will learn how to create convincing characters, how to build tension between beginning and end, and, in the critical part, how to write a reasoned, perceptive review.

Authorial focus

02 / Practice & Response

Practical exercises & dialogue

Every workshop includes practical tasks and hands-on exercises that will help you develop your creativity and writing techniques. In a safe setting built on dialogue, you will receive precise feedback from the mentor and your peers.

Feedback

03 / Canon & Contemporary

Reading as the key to the craft

We will read masterpieces by Slovenian and international authors: Jani Virk, Aleš Čar, Marjan Tomšič, Mojca Kumerdej, as well as contemporary works (Muanis Sinanović, Sally Rooney, Feri Lainšček) that raise questions of form, style and the ethics of storytelling.

Case studies

Who it’s for

Who can take part?

Suitable for all ages and levels of experience, from beginners writing in a notebook to experienced writers who want to perfect a manuscript.

Schedule and location

Thursday evenings

A combination of interactive Zoom sessions and selected in-person meetings at the publisher’s premises in Ljubljana.

Limited places

Max. 12 people

To preserve an intimate, confidential dialogue and the mentor’s individual attention to every text.

Fee

€120 / month

The fee may vary depending on the type of programme you choose on the application form and on additional materials.

Next cycle begins: December 2026 (the introductory meeting is free)

Creative process and mentoring

From first draft to your own voice

Can writing be learned?

Writing can’t be learned in a dry, mechanical way, but it can be talked about, guided, and someone can be gently nudged in the direction they are already pointing towards and already carry within them. It means opening a door and removing the grey film of doubt. The mentor doesn’t give lessons, but sensitively and above all respectfully presents different possibilities and opens up perspectives on a given theme, situation or character.

Do you need a clear vision before you start writing?

Writing, especially longer texts, demands patience and a clearing of language, which is always saturated with unsuspected energy and countless possibilities. The language of poetry or prose can go in many directions and has the power to astonish, to surprise, and also to rediscover and to conceal what is veiled within us … The vision is often born in the very process of polishing the first draft.

Draguljarnice are the place for you if:

Being connected as a group means respecting one another and also enjoying listening to the stories of people you might otherwise never have met.

  • You want to build confidence in your own creativity and overcome the fear of the blank page.
  • You want to develop the self-discipline for regular writing, reading and constructive self-questioning.
  • You are short of ideas, or want to start writing a novel and put together a solid chapter framework.
  • You want to discover your authentic voice and recognise the genre that best suits your expression.
  • You want to find out where the aesthetic line runs between autobiographical and literary writing.
  • You are interested in the editorial process, working with proofreaders and a manuscript’s path to publication.

Past workshop participants

“Every two weeks, the literary workshops with Gabriela inspire and encourage me to put my story into words, to read a book from the recommended literary treasury, and to look forward to our meetings, where we participants weigh up the creativity and sparkle of our stories and hatch plans for new ones.”

Igor Čuhalev

“The diversity of the group’s participants is a real treasure, not only in their contributions and approaches to writing but also in their ideas, opinions and suggestions for improvement. Every time I read them, I climb one rung higher on the ladder towards perfecting my own work.”

Metka Sušec

“The creative writing workshops led by Gabriela Babnik Ouattara are a gentle, firm but unobtrusive prick. Without that prick I would have stayed with my documentary private blog and would probably have sat frozen in front of the blank white of an empty Word document on my computer screen, because beginning is the hardest part.”

Martina Merslavič

“Our workshops act as an encouragement to write, and with their supportive (friendly) guidance they also instil confidence, while the choice of literature and all the comments steer and help us in polishing and improving our texts.”

Ana Kalin

“Draguljarnice are like a warm greenhouse. In them I feel like a delicate plant slowly climbing towards the light, full of hope that with its scent, colour and shape it will attract the small and large lovers of all kinds of nectar, which are produced in abundance in such favourable conditions. During our conversations (at which I too grow more skilled from meeting to meeting) I am slowly growing and becoming more independent. They are an endless source of encouragement to me and give me a sense of certainty.”

Lilijana Homovec

“I like the workshop. Because we’re so different from each other. Because I can see things shifting. Because new paths are opening up. I like that we listen to each other and encourage one another. The workshop somehow grows organically with us, and it feels as though we adapt as we go along, which fills me with a sense of contentment.”

Mojca Fo

“I welcome every encouragement, both to read and to write. Our texts are wonderful, and all thanks go to Gabriela.”

Maja Drolec

Enrolment

Apply for Draguljarnice

Fill in the form below. We will contact you shortly with information about available places and materials for the first meeting.

    Limited to 12 places