Image 1 of 7
Image 2 of 7
Image 3 of 7
Image 4 of 7
Image 5 of 7
Image 6 of 7
Image 7 of 7
More about this trip-
Agatha Christie is one of the most popular authors of all time. Only the Bible and the works of Shakespeare outsell her. Why are so many of us drawn to her books? What are we looking for?
Join us as we read A Murder is Announced through the theme of mystery. Through class discussion and close reading, we’ll work to keep up with the brilliant, amateur detective Miss Marple, one of Christie’s best-known characters. During our time together in the cozy cottage-style accommodations at Tiger Inn, we’ll consider questions like: how do we navigate the ordinary mysteries of our lives—such as the mystery of ourselves and the self in relation to others? ourselves in relation to others? Where do we look for clues? What other mysteries are hidden in our midst? What do we do with the mysteries we cannot solve?
-
We expect to walk up to 8 miles per day, but most days will require less walking. The weather in England during October ranges from the low 40s to mid 60s Fahrenheit. We will walk/utilize the outdoors come rain or shine, and we recommend that pilgrims prepare for the possibility of warmer or colder temperatures than expected, and potential rain on our walks. We won’t rush our walks, but we expect to be tired at the end of each day.
-
The full tuition of the trip is as follows
Private Room $4,950
Shared Room $4,450
Shared Rooming: If you wish to share a room with another person, you will each purchase your own shared rooms. This enables us to functionally receive one registration form per participant. Please do not purchase a private room if you prefer to share a room with another participant.
Meeting Up
We will meet in East Sussex after lunch on October 19th and end programming before lunch on October 23rd. Specific meeting time and location will be offered privately to pilgrims upon payment.
Travel Expenses & Arrangements
Each pilgrim is responsible for handling their own travel expenses and arrangements prior to our meeting on October 19th and after we say goodbye on October 23rd. Flights are not included.
Accommodations
Our home base throughout will be the Tiger Inn, a charming hotel and pub that has served travelers with charming lodgings as well as delicious pub fare since the fifteenth century. With good weather on our side, we’ll enjoy some class time outdoors, soaking in the Eastbourne sunshine after a satisfying breakfast provided by the Tiger Inn’s quintessentially English pub. When not reading, eating, and reflecting, we’ll enjoy the Seven Sisters hike, traipse the autumnal countryside, and enjoy a special murder mystery party hosted by Casper and Stephanie.
Scholarships
We occasionally offer partial scholarships for pilgrimages. If you are interested, please fill out our form here.
Trip Faculty
Casper ter Kuile
Chaplain/Logistics (he/him)
Bio: Casper brings new possibilities for community and spirituality to life. He's the co-creator and founding co-host of both Harry Potter and the Sacred Text and The Real Question, and a board member of Not Sorry. Casper is the author of The Power of Ritual and the co-founder of Sacred Design Lab, a soul-centered research and development lab. A graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy and Divinity Schools, he served as a Ministry Innovation Fellow for Harvard Divinity School from 2016-2021.
Casper’s at his happiest when he’s harmony folk singing, keeping his tech sabbath, or stopping for a tea break on a long country walk. Originally from England and Holland, he lives with his husband in Brooklyn, NY.
Casper will serve as co-chaplain and logistics for this trip.
Stephanie Paulsell
Faculty/Chaplain (she/her)
Stephanie Paulsell is a recently retired member of the Harvard Divinity School faculty where she has taught since 2001, focusing on the history and literature of Christian spirituality and the relationship between religion and literature more generally. Her most recent books are Religion Around Virginia Woolf and Toni Morrison: Goodness and the Literary Imagination. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), this will be her fourth pilgrimage with Common Ground.
Stephanie will serve as lead faculty and co-chaplain for this trip.
“Of course, if you’ve made up your mind about it, you’ll find an answer to everything.”
— AGATHA CHRISTIE