From Lauren Anders

30th June - 9th July

I had the opportunity to visit the Trélex Residency for a long week in July. This marked my first time truly traveling alone, my first time in Switzerland, and my first time dedicating time solely toward writing.

I live and work in New York City, and so naturally, I’ve learned to multitask. I write on the train, at work between emails, and when I should be sleeping. I write in the nooks and crannies of my life here. Which, to be honest with you, has its perks. I enjoy the urgency of writing in that way; it leaves little room for overthought. But, at the same time, there is nothing more meaningful to me right now, for my work, than being afforded the time and space to do something I care about in such a concentrated way. I’m working on my first book, as I’ve said for a few years now, and unfortunately, the nooks and crannies won’t cut it. 

Nina welcomed me in with an openness to go about my days as I saw fit and was there to lend a hand and answer questions when I had them. The spaces that were open to me to use and occupy were more than gracious. I spent most mornings drinking coffee, looking out at the Jura mountains, reading, writing, and editing more than I probably have in the last year, and overall, just taking my time. In the evening, I’d swim, or ride one of the bikes around town, criss-crossing through vineyards and sunflower fields. I realize it sounds like I’m overromanticizing this, but that truly is exactly how my days passed. I got to spend part of my time in Trelex with another artist, Sallie, who was kind enough to share stories with me about her life and work.

This residency is unique in that it can be whatever you need it to be, and for me, it was more than what I'd hoped for. Thanks again to Nina (and her family) for having me, and I hope to visit again in the future!

From Esther Molloy

10th - 24th July

I felt very privileged to be at the Art Residency in Trélex, in Switzerland for 2 weeks.  I did wait 2 years on the waiting list to get there, probably like many others.  I appreciated Nina's hospitality, trust and guidance in running the residency.  It was nice to meet my fellow artist Sallie and learn many things from her about her wood block work/prints and about the country she lives in, which I have never been too.

I have only recently come back into art & creative work in my senior years after being a busy mum, wife, working as a Registered nurse and then becoming a trainee lawyer and studying law from the year 2000.  

I have studied botanical art from 2017 to 2020 at art classes and water colour painting since coming back into the art world and being able to be creative on a very part time basis. 

I have been unable to work regularly on my art due to intense caring responsibilities of looking after my husband and my son at home for the past 20 years.  I was very frustrated that I could not produce much artwork or even attend classes or go back to work during the years I was caring, but on the other hand I was pleased I could care for my family, it was very hard work but very rewarding. 

Unfortunately they have now all passed away, my husband in 2019, my mum in 2023 and my son this year March 2025, so I am now dealing with grief and I am at a crossroads in my life, of much more time to myself and what to do in the future and when? so I had a lot of thinking to do at Trelex.  It came at the right time for me. 

When I arrived at the Residency I had not painted for 6 months, I was not feeling inspired too either, although I had many projects I wanted to work on and I bought them with me.  I am pleased to say at Trélex, it was wonderful to get to work immediately the day after I arrived, to see an empty desk to put my work on, I did not do this at home, but I now keep my work out on the table at home, I suppose its about finding the right spot, with the right amount of comfort and light.  

At Trélex, I usually worked from 10 -1 pm, stopping for lunch, with having a disability, it means my focus is limited  and fatigue can easily set in, but this may improve with time, having said that I produced 5 paintings, one collage and a cut out map in the 2 weeks I was there. This is compared to one painting every 4 months at home.  It was lovely to be so prolific in my work and having the time to sit and do it.  It gave me a wonderful sense of achievement.

I was thrilled with this progress and it has inspired me to work at the minimum of two mornings per week now I am at home and I am considering entering an amateur art exhibition, this is my next goal.  Also since I have returned home, I am exploring art exhibitions, art clubs and have joined free classes through out the next year, which is run by the local council.  The classes are on a Saturday and give me taster sessions of silk painting, book binding, mono printing, relief painting and trying new mediums.  I am keen to learn how to paint with pastels, oils, ink, gold leaf, charcoal and graphite pen in the future and explore this creative world more. 

In the afternoons at Trélex,  I would relax and sit by Nina's new pool, which was lovely and very therapeutic for me, I would take work with me to do by the pool, read a book, sit in solitude which is what I needed or even swim !  It was wonderful to see the cornfields in the distance swaying in the warm summer breeze and watching them grow.  It also made me realise I have been having too many holidays, doing too much walking or moving around and visiting cultural areas, as opposed to just sitting, relaxing and doing nothing, I've realised it is good for my soul and mind to do this, in future I will make that a priority on holidays with a little less cultural input and probably more artwork on holiday.

About every 4th day, I would have a complete day off, go shopping for food, browsing around and have a meal.  Nyon, is a lovely town with individual shops and nice cafes/ restaurants, it is a short train ride away from Trelex on the red train, situated on the huge Lake Geneva.  I enjoyed sitting by the Lake having a picnic lunch and visiting the museum for more inspiration or just taking photographs for the next painting.  

On another outing I went to Geneva and visited the United Nations building and went on a tour, I forgot my passport but they let me in with my ticket !  I felt very at home there.  After I completed my Masters degree in International human rights law in 2014, I wanted to apply to work at the United Nations in Geneva or in New York, but I couldn't, due to my caring responsibilities.  Whilst I was there, there was a Convention of Indigenous persons who came from all over the world, a little lady from Bolivia in traditional dress with her bowler hat on and a chieftain from the south pacific islands with his feather headdress, they filled the foyer with their flamboyant outfits and headgear, I wanted to stay and listen but I could not.

I would love to return to Trelex, I was inspired by the peace & companionship of painting alongside other artists, the time to be creative and talk about our love of art and visiting Switzerland for the first time.  

Thanks to Nina, Rebecca and Sallie. 

This is my collage on a Japanese theme, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing called ‘ Travelling to Asia in the old days.’

This is cut out work of an old map of Madrid. I saw an artist work of cutouts of musical manuscripts and maps at a leicester art fair. She is called Alison folland from Loughborough UK. I was inspired to do this. I was very therapeutic. It may go into a collage.

Trélex painting work stations.

I went to Japan in  October 2024. An amazing place. The paper packaging was in a gift store in Kyoto train station. It had wasabi’s peanuts in it. They were very nice. I loved the intricate detail of this Japanese commercial artist, who designed the picture on the packaging.

This is another Christmas card. It belong to my mother. My sister Anne posted decided to post them out for Christmas 2023. I loved the night scene & the snow. It is St chads church in Shrewsbury.

This is a Christmas card to me & Ben with lottery tickets inside. From Rebecca. We didn’t win. But I loved the picture of the old pub which is still in Wapping, London. So I painted it. Maybe one day we will go there for a meal.

This was a serving mat at our last meal in Corfu , May 2024. So I kept it and promised myself I would paint the octopus. I loved the style of it and flow of it.

Queen charlottes summer palace, palace gardens, Prague. Finished painting in Switzerland. 🇨🇭

From Nabin Chhetri

THE WONDER OF SOLITUDE: A WRITER’S JOURNEY TO TRÉLEX (SWITZERLAND)

So, you are thinking of going for a creative residency. Good. You’ve thought about it long enough, haven’t you? That dull ache inside you that keeps whispering, you must go. You have convinced yourself that you deserve alone time to work on your project. That quiet urge has been waiting.

I understand. I have been working on a novel for the past ten years. Perhaps you, too, like me, will arrive here with unfinished words, a blank canvas or a void waiting to be filled. By now, you must have confirmed everything with Rebecca. The dates are set. Your mind is already wandering the Swiss landscape, pacing the narrow village streets, inhaling the crisp air of the Jura mountains. 

 

You will need a ticket to Geneva. No, it’s not just a ticket—a decision. I booked for at least 23kg of baggage because, believe me, three weeks is not what you think, and you will need your clothes, notebooks, and other paraphernalia for your craft. If you plan to stay longer, book more weight.

Have you spoken to your mobile provider? No? Do it now. I learned this the hard way. Once, while in Portugal, the mobile company assured me that roaming would activate automatically. It didn’t. I found myself stranded outside my accommodation, with the reception in a separate building—quite far and I had no connection. Left with no other option, I walked into a nearby restaurant, asked for their Wi-Fi password, and spent the next forty-five minutes arguing with the phone vendor. Naturally, I had to order a glass of apple juice to justify my stay. Save yourself the hassle. Unless you prefer to be unreachable—which, I must admit, isn’t a bad idea. The transition should be smooth if you’re from the UK or another European country. Just ensure you have a roaming pass—typically for fifteen days, then extend it based on your stay. The other is to check for the charger. I bought two chargers in the UK, but it did not work. So, make sure you research this, as ordering from Amazon without checking the actual one can disappoint you.  

Bring packets of soup, noodles, porridge, tea, and coffee. They are expensive in Switzerland, and you will be grateful for small comforts. 

So let’s start from Geneva. Once you land, you will see the mountains. The first sight of them will delight you, perhaps even make you happy enough to reach for your phone and take a picture through the thick airport glass.

After passport control, walk towards Migros. It’s about 5 minutes.  Buy some groceries there before taking the train to Nyon. Once in Nyon, go down the bridge and head towards platform 21 or 22. You can purchase tickets via the SBB app, as mentioned in the information. From Nyon, it should be five more stops.  You might be tempted to get down at the Trelex-Depot as I did, so Trelex is one more stop away.  And once you see the word Trelex on the screen, make sure to press the green door button to stop. This is how it is with certain things in life: they arrive only if called like the cute train station in Trelex. The station is small, a quiet pause between villages. A white clock with a big round dial hangs over the platform. Time isn’t moving forward here. It’s just with you.

I came here to finish the last chapter. That was the excuse I gave myself. But you know the truth, don’t you? We don’t come to places like this just to finish. We come here also to remember why we started.

One day, Nina, the residency director, said, “You are a writer. I think you get bored working in just one place. Set up tables around the residency.” So, I did. One desk stood just outside my room, where the window opened to a green field. A thin silhouette of the Jura Mountains appeared like Chinese paintings against the clouds. I felt blessed to witness the nests of birds tightly woven into the treetops. I imagine their chicks stretching their tiny wings, preparing for the moment they would take flight.

Everything here was so peaceful that the calmness outside seemed to bring order to everything within me as well.

The window in my room looked to the Jura Mountains. I would sit there and wonder for hours. There is a difference. You will feel it when you arrive.

Trélex is not like other residencies. It does not suffocate you with schedules or burden you with expectations. You are free to work or not to work. To stare at a blank page for hours or to fill it recklessly. And yet, you will feel a responsibility—not just to yourself, but to the countless others who will come after you, who will sit at these desks and wrestle with their own words. You will understand that solitude is a privilege, and with privilege comes duty.

The village has one organic shop—handy for eggs and other essentials—but expect high prices. A little French will go a long way. Simple phrases like Bonjour and Merci can help you blend in and make daily interactions smoother. And there is one café called Boucherie. You can spend long afternoons there, writing or thinking. It closes at 6:30 p.m. 

If you wish to linger more, walk toward the petrol station. It’s straight, and you won’t miss it. There is another café attached to it, and it remains open until 9:30 p.m. The return walk will be quiet, except for the tinkling of the cowbells in the dark.

Afternoon slips into evening. Then, quietly, it becomes night. You’re still at the desk, staring at the blank screen. Waiting. And something arrives—a line, a thought or an urge. Not because you forced it. But because you sat there long enough to let the silence do its work. 

 

Each place gave me something different: the mountains, a sense of time beyond myself; the village, the fleeting texture of the everyday; the room taught me to sit still and trust the silence.

 

When you leave, you’ll carry Trélex with you. Not as a story to tell or a photo to post but as something quieter: a memory folded inside you. A stroke of happiness that, for a time, you lived and wrote in a place that asked nothing of you except your presence. And that, my friend, is everything.

On a sunny day, you might want to visit La Cure or St. Cergue. Unfortunately, I never made it to La Cure, though it was just a 45-minute journey from Trélex. The village is home to a fascinating hotel that straddles two countries—half in Switzerland and half in France. In some rooms, you could sleep with your head in Switzerland and your feet in France.

 

This hotel also has a remarkable history. During World War II, Hitler’s army was permitted to climb seven steps within the premises but was stopped at the eighth, as crossing it would have meant stepping into neutral Switzerland. The hotel’s owner played a courageous role, secretly sheltering hundreds of Jewish refugees during the war.

 

Instead, I got off at St. Cergue, a quiet Alpine village covered with a thin sheath of snow. I walked slowly through its narrow streets, the snow falling in soft, steady flakes, settling on rooftops and fence rails until I reached the ski centre. If you too go there, stop by the café. The girl behind the counter smiled and said something in French. I asked about the mushroom soup, and she answered in French again. I didn’t catch a word of it, but I liked that. There’s something beautiful about not understanding—The strangeness of it. In that not-knowing, there was a kind of freedom. And in that freedom, I felt quietly, unexpectedly happy.

 

In between your residency, take a day off and go to Yvoire. It is a beautiful medieval village across the water from Nyon, accessible by a short ferry ride. Nestled on the French side of Lake Geneva, it feels like stepping into a storybook. Don’t forget to take your passport. Cobbled streets wind past stone houses draped in flowers, and small cafés spill onto quiet squares. The village is known for its preserved charm, ancient ramparts, and the magical Garden of Five Senses. From every corner, you catch glimpses of the lake. You will find a bench in the sun, a cat asleep on a doorstep, and the sound of a bell from an old church. 

 

And suddenly, three weeks are gone. Time to leave. I didn’t finish all my writing, but I don’t mind. I’m taking back something just as valuable—the quiet, the mountains, the memory of Switzerland in winter. And the hope that one day, I’ll return to this village, to its stillness, and to the stories still waiting to be written.

 

By: Nabin K Chhetri 

Nabin K. Chhetri is a poet and writer based in Scotland with a background in both prose and poetry. He holds an M.St in Creative Writing from Oxford University and an M.Litt. in The Novel from the University of Aberdeen.

As a creative writing tutor, he has conducted workshops and readings at esteemed institutions such as Oxford University and Robert Gordon University. Recognized by the Scottish Book Trust, he regularly leads creative workshops for diverse audiences.

Nabin recently won The Book Edit’s Writer’s Prize 2025 and the Reedsy Scholarship. His novel-in-progress, The Red Moon Trails, was shortlisted for the Jessie Kesson Fellowship 2023. An extract (21,000 words) of his fiction was selected by Creative Scotland in collaboration with the Association of Scottish Literary Agents (ASLA) and recognized in The Bridport Prize (Top 7%). He was shortlisted for Bloomsbury’s Writers & Artists Working-Class Writer’s Prize 2019 and the Charles Pick Fellowship at the University of East Anglia. He was also longlisted for the Paul McVeigh Residency in Ireland. 

 Nabin can be reached at https://nabinkchhetri.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Adam A. Neal

6th May - 12th June

Finding Myself in Trélex by Adam A. Neal

My decision to apply and participate in the Trélex residency was predicated on my need for a

structured, dedicated time and space in which to further a “back burner” project I’d begun over

a year ago. Following my completion of a doctorate in transpersonal psychology, the research

I’d undertaken with respect to the investigation of long-term missing persons precipitated a

desire to create a concept album related to the phenomenon. Having previously worked with

three music producers over the past 15 years to produce original songs of mine for various

projects, I decided that this musical project would begin with live performance and would

connect with my recently incorporated arts-based nonprofit, ProFound Arts, dedicated to loved

ones of long-term missing persons.

Trélex’s incredibly generous founder/director, Dr. Nina Rodin, gave me the opportunity to dive

into this project from the third floor of her 17th century house, overlooking the village

clocktower and a Swiss-kissed countryside of verdant farmland and nearby mountains.

Cowbells abuzz in the air, I ambled through field-adjacent paths and vocalized my melodic

structures as I awaited my intermittent commutes from the Trélex station to local cities like

Nyon, Gland, Rolle, and Geneva. I connected with numerous fellow artist residents, including

musicians and visual artists from England and writers from New Zealand and Portugal. While

respectively engaged in our novels, plays, songs, poems, drawings, and paintings, we also

found community time to share authentically and celebrate the time.

As I worked on my lyrics and melodies, I found myself equally pulled to revisit a novel I’d begun

over a decade ago. Without collaborating directly, the synergy of our group sharing inspired me

in ways unexpected. I wrote another chapter of my novel between my yellow-curtained

bedroom in Trélex and a train trip back from Lucerne. In revisiting my novel, its theme of a

young woman finding herself through unexpected circumstances illuminated a parallel to my

concept album involving a young woman becoming lost to her loved ones through such

circumstances. I came to learn that one of the residency’s greatest strengths is its inherent

trust in an artist’s process, which for most of us is nonlinear and unpredictable despite our

attempts to rein the muse through routine or self-imposed benchmarks. Having the flexibility to

work toward a different project for a short time without fear of faltering on some arbitrary

commitment to the other project gave my time a continual sense of freedom and authenticity.

Part of the process also involved my purchasing a new practice guitar from a store in a

neighboring city. I was fortunate to have an upstairs area of the house to myself, as the thick

floors contained any sound from disturbing below and barred any loud reverberation upward.

Each day when I did my vocal exercises, practiced my guitar, or sang through sections of my

lyrics, I felt comfortable knowing that I would not be infringing on the space.

Rediscovering my novel and acknowledging its connection to my current musical project has

proven fruitful, and I’m continuing to spend time on both having now returned home to South

Florida. I have been in touch with my fellow residents as well, and I hope to continue our

synergy for the foreseeable future.

From Ayşe Balkose and Ash Gray

27th April - 31st May 2025

Green beautiful, Trélex. We were easily introduced to this large three story place at first by writer and retreat-mate, George who would be working on their novel while we declared our intention to be working on new songs and eventual release of music, Ayse and I would create in Trélex. The huge place with about nine bedrooms had an almost seventies hunters lodge or ski lodge feel to it with modern appliances in kitchen

We were told three other people would be joining us, Ffion a London artist (who was temporarily away), Sophia from Lisbon and Adam from Florida. 

Here is an excerpt of my journal from some of the time. I journal every few days, not everyday but I think it may give a feel of the routine and activity we developed. Overall, to supplement the recreation listed in journal we had more or less a nice schedule of working on our own writing in the morning then together we would write around 2pm-ish. We also got in a rhythm of using the wine cellar, a nice echoey space for rehearsing and recording our ideas (featured vid of Ash playing uke) in the space. 

Now we have quite a few tunes to record more professionally and are in the process of having over an albums worth of material that includes material from before the retreat.

The material at the retreat developed at first on ukulele takes on a slightly more light whimsical feel and at times quite danceable. Would love to share when get in more final productions. let’s see what happens.

Some Journal entrees: 

May 2025

May 4

Today just took morning train to Givrin after having some coffee at the station. Had coffee and croissant Framboise at Marius bakery. 

May 5

Used some internet from Exmachina in Nyon then eventually rode train up to Cure the border town to see about “cute” cafe that Nina had mentioned. It was after 5 so all closed but had a nice walk about though and spectacular views on way up and down. 

May 10

After a last night gathering ( may 9) in kitchen with all the swiss flatmates, George, ( from NZ- based in Paris) , Fion- ( London) , Sophia- (Lisbon), Adam- ( Florida- grew up Ny) . over some Wine and beer. Today we walked with out ovaltine coffee mixture in Thermos to Nyon. Stopping in the farm land along the way for a sip in our cups. Had quick chicken Kebab on way in. Now headed back plans to meet Mike Wickstead( Johnny Griffs bud) in Geneve 2-3ish

May 12

Recorded with Ayse 2 of our worked on songs “ shake it off” and love song idea “Felicity” in the wine cellar evening photographed the Scorpio moon and sent to group

May 19

yesterday we went to Mike’s apartment in Geneve - me Ayse and our retreat roomie, Adam-to meet Mike before the comedy improv at The Pickwick. An irish themed pub where we had visited on a Thurs night prior to see The Renegade Saints- comedy improv troupe. 

we got to porch of Pickwick and a guy named Shane who we’d seen the other night at Renegade Saints show was already papering out some ideas for improv

The improv was hosted by Shane and he was coincidentally was from Texas. Said he had lived in Austin but grew up in San Antonio. Then lived in Chicago for a bit. His wife was a scientist - hence his reason for being in Geneve

was cool eclectic mish mash of people and 

turned out to be really fun. 

went back through Nyon to show Adam the market and have the gourmet swiss ice cream. 

Back in afternoon to Trelex- Ffion our other retreater is leaving so me adam and Sophia help her with her mammoth cases to station

May 21

morning run (fast walk) , yoga, recording or garage band version of “shake it off,  went swimming in Nyon from beach  (picked wild garlic on way) 

May 22

Left flatmates im Trélex and artistic retreat. on way to Geneve to drop bags at Mike’s then head to Annecy. Domy- Mikes friend lets us in apt and shows us to Flix bus station