Lisa Clifford is illuminated in a halo of white light cast down from a chandelier on the ceiling of Palazzo San Niccolò. She begins with a confession. “I have no education but if I can do it, anybody can do it,” she declares. The acclaimed Australian author is standing before a group of writers from Australia, Britain, France, Holland, New Zealand, Denmark and America. They are 10 disciples framed by chairs, with pens poised, seeking the gospel of The Art of Writing at a residency that was once a medieval monastery at the heart of the historic quarter of Florence.

There’s a palpable sense of urgency in the room. One week is not enough to master the art of memoir and the essentials of story, but it’s a beginning.

“I understand your lack of confidence,” Lisa soothes. “I know about the imposter syndrome, the bully voice, and I want to kick you over the line with all of that. The main thing is that you adore reading, love expressing yourself with words, want to get lost in a story.”

Lisa got lost in her own story more than two decades ago. Her experiences were revealed in the best-selling book that is a tale of conflicting passions and cultural differences, the challenging expectations of being an Australian wife and mother in Italy.