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The Home of Creative Writing

Arvon is a charity that runs creative writing courses, events and retreats both in-person and online. Our courses are tutored by leading authors and include a powerful mix of workshops and individual tutorials, with time and space to write, free from distractions of everyday life. Grants and concessions are available to help with course fees.

ARVON COURSES & RETREATS

Fiction , Poetry , Other

Masterclass: Marvellous and Impossible Things

Sprinkling magic on your words

How I Write: Zoë Brigley

Q&A and Reading

Masterclass: Bringing Folk into your Fiction

Writing new folk tales and subverting old ones

• Non-Fiction

Masterclass: Shaping Your Non-Fiction

Creating new structures

Poetry + Film Hack Online Event

• Totleigh Barton

Totleigh Barton Writing Retreat with Yoga

Stretch your creative muscles

Online Writing Week: Non-Fiction

Writing from Life

Masterclass: The Facts of Fiction

The devil is in the detail

“Every time I’ve taught at Arvon - going back over fifteen years now - I’ve seen how much difference just a handful of days can make in the life of writers. There’s a perfect mix of tutorials, writing time, socializing, and discussion - all those elements come together to create an atmosphere in which writing projects move in that longed-for but often unattainable direction: forward.”

— Kamila Shamsie

ARVON AT HOME

Our online programme of courses, events and writing support

Virtual versions of our famous Writing Weeks, plus Masterclasses, free How I Write events, Online Writing Weekends, Writing Days and more . . . all accessible from the comfort of your sofa.

SUPPORT ARVON NORTH

Arvon North is an ambitious capital project to adapt Lumb Bank into a beacon of creativity for the North

Help us transform Lumb Bank into an engine-house for creative writing development in the North of England, connecting the rich literary collateral of the region with a community of writers locally, regionally, nationally and globally.

CLOCKHOUSE WRITERS' RETREAT

Give your writing the time and space it deserves with Arvon’s dedicated Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse

The Clockhouse is specifically designed for writers on retreat. It has four apartments for writers, each with bedroom, study-lounge and bathroom. All food is provided for you, so you can spend your time as you please.

DONATE TO ARVON

Do you believe that everyone should have the opportunity to unlock their creative potential?

Arvon is a charity that believes everyone deserves the freedom to imagine, write and explore ideas regardless of their age or financial background.

OUR SCHOOLS & GROUPS WORK

We offer residential weeks for schools, young people and adult groups.

Our weeks for schools and groups follow the same pattern as our adult course programme – led by two professional writers, with tutorials, group workshops, and time and space to write.

ARVON BLOGS

Northern Writers’ Awards 2024

26 Jun 2024 / Arvon Friends

New Writing North celebrated its 25th anniversary with an awards ceremony honouring writers in fiction and poetry. As part of the…

Quay Words and Arvon Live: Fiction Writing Day

05 Jun 2024 / News

Do you have a novel writing project that needs attention? Perhaps you need some technical help, are looking for tips to…

My Arvon Week: Jessica Eve Watkins

15 Apr 2024 / My Arvon Week

A preview of Jessica Eve Watkin’s experience on a week-long writing retreat at Arvon’s writing house, The Hurst. “ ‘The…

SI Leeds Literary Prize 2024

07 Mar 2024 / General

A writing prize that helps discover exciting new talent from underrepresented groups will be accepting entries again next month. The SI…

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Want to know what's coming up in the next week? Arvon’s newsletter is the best way to avoid missing out on anything - from new and upcoming courses, to Arvon giveaways and writing and self-development opportunities.

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Who are we? 

We are the University of Cambridge Centre for Creative Writing, based within the Institute of Continuing Education.

We believe in the power of writing and reading to change lives and bring people together both locally and around the world.

Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of what we do. If you'd like to join us in building this exciting new phase in the development of the centre, please get in touch by filling out the form below.

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The Summer workshops are filling up: book now to join! Choose from 5 one-day workshops | Saturdays in August in Oxford

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WRITING FEEDBACK & MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENTS

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Welcome to Pebble Beach Writing.

We offer workshops and mentoring for creative writers of all levels and experience. Among our participants are new writers trying out their first ideas on the page and published authors who want support and feedback as they develop their work.

Pebble Beach tutor, Susanna Jones,  has over thirty years' teaching experience and was the main fiction tutor on the Creative Writing MA at Royal Holloway University of London for fourteen years. She has also taught at the University of Exeter and has tutored courses for the Arvon Foundation.

Courses are held in Brighton and Hove or online. Groups are small – usually 5–8 participants – allowing everyone time for individual feedback and space to develop.

Classes for summer term 2024:

Writing a Novel (new), Saturday mornings, Brighton 

Writing from Life (new), Saturday afternoons, Brighton

Writing a Novel (continuing), Monday evenings, Hove

Fiction Workshop (continuing), Tuesday evenings, Hove 

Online tuition is also possible for individuals or small groups of writers with similar aims. See below or get in touch to find out more.

Join our mailing list below for the latest news and announcements. 

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'Susanna is, without a doubt, the best creative writing teacher and workshop leader I’ve ever come across. Whether you are just starting out on your writing journey, or have a couple of novels under your belt and want to hone your skill, Susanna is the right person for you. She was the lead fiction tutor on my Creative Writing MA and, more recently, has guided me through editing my first novel. I’m not sure I could have done it without her - and I certainly wouldn’t have done it this well. I have complete trust in her judgement and believe she has made me not only a stronger writer but a much better editor. She is generous with her time and with her extensive experience and will give your work the kind of respect, care and attention that most writers can only dream of from a third party. In short, whatever stage you’re at as a writer, Susanna will help you progress, improve and reach your writing goal.'      Louisa S.

One-to-one Mentoring/Small Group Tuition

One-off or a series of sessions for writers of all levels.

Beginners' tuition package of 5 sessions, including prompts and ideas to get you started.

Editorial and developmental feedback on your novel.

Small group Zoom sessions may be possible for two or more writers with similar requirements. 

Pebble Beach Writing is run by Susanna Jones,  the author of several novels, including The Earthquake Bird, Water Lily, The Missing Person's Guide to Love and When Nights Were Cold.   She is currently writing for film. 

Susanna has been teaching for more than thirty years. From 2005 to 2018 she was the main fiction tutor on the MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway University of London. Many of her former students have gone on to publish novels and win awards. She has taught and mentored writers of all levels, from beginners to PhD students.

TESTIMONIALS

'Susanna is an amazing mentor.  I was lucky enough to be taught by her when I undertook an MA in Creative Writing before going on to teach the subject myself.  Her insightful advice and editing skills are second to none.  When I started a novel and hit some thorny difficulties, I was so pleased to discover that Susanna was running an Advanced Fiction Writing course.  She was invaluable in terms of helping me pick out the strands which were working and the ones which needed further thought.  She has an exceptional eye for detail and her feedback is positive and constructive.  She offered accessible solutions based on her many years of experience and opened up new avenues I hadn’t considered, which was so helpful.  There is no way I could have produced work at this level and this quickly, without her support.   

     Susanna created a great rapport within a workshop environment.  Even though the sessions I took were online, the respectful and encouraging tone she set, eased us into working comfortably together.  Her sessions were well- run and well-structured and I thoroughly looked forward to each one.  Susanna brought out the best in my writing and I couldn’t recommend her highly enough.'

'Susanna is, without a doubt, the best creative writing teacher and workshop leader I’ve ever come across. Whether you are just starting out on your writing journey, or have a couple of novels under your belt and want to hone your skill, Susanna is the right person for you. She was the lead fiction tutor on my Creative Writing MA and, more recently, has guided me through editing my first novel. I’m not sure I could have done it without her - and I certainly wouldn’t have done it this well. I have complete trust in her judgement and believe she has made me not only a stronger writer but a much better editor. She is generous with her time and with her extensive experience and will give your work the kind of respect, care and attention that most writers can only dream of from a third party. In short, whatever stage you’re at as a writer, Susanna will help you progress, improve and reach your writing goal.' 

'Susanna is incredibly insightful and has been a huge help in identifying areas where my manuscript needed development. She’s helped me work through options while bringing a fresh insight into the work as well as identifying potential pitfalls. She’s a great tutor and coach and all her workshops leave me feeling energised and confident for the next stage.'

'I taught the novel as literature and writing fiction in Universities for over thirty years but putting this experience into practice when writing is much harder. Susanna Jones really knows how to help. She is an accomplished writer who really understands storytelling but also how a novel is structured and built from the blank page. I found her advice and encouragement priceless. Her novel writing courses and workshops are excellent and I recommend them without reservation. I am still writing and learning and I will return.'

'Susanna's artful teaching method helps you get those words down on paper with no pain or shame. Inspiring!'

Madeleine C

'One of the things that made this course so enjoyable was Susanna's enthusiasm for us, her students, and our work. She clearly loves teaching - and is brilliant at pin-pointing what a piece of writing is trying to do, as well as suggesting how to do it. She is entirely undogmatic about how to approach writing. She really listens and gives intelligent but non-prescriptive responses. Every session was thought-provoking and stimulating and really specific about how and what works in fiction.'

'Susanna is a brilliant creative writing teacher and mentor who is now mentoring me through my second book. She has that rare capacity to pinpoint exactly what works and doesn’t work in a piece of writing, and why. Whether you need help with overall structure and direction, or a close critical reading with a scrupulous editor’s eye, she will give you the best possible support to transform your writing.'

'I find it difficult to start, to pick up that one simple thing that can propel me into the creative flow. The 60-minute sessions I did last December were enjoyable, useful, and left me with material to develop into a couple of short stories - and a poem that was published.' 

'I’d like to tell you how much your Creative Writing workshops meant to me. Your guidance encouraged me to think as well as to enjoy writing and we had fun too! Thank you so much, Susanna.'

'Susanna Jones was an outstanding lecturer on my MA course in creative writing – her books were one of the reasons that I chose the course. She provided clear and helpful teaching on how to produce the best writing, together with incisive critical feedback.  Being such a talented author herself gave her a unique insight into the most effective ways to encourage budding writers. I have no doubt that my work measurably improved as a result of her efforts.'

'Susanna was my tutor on the MA and I looked forward to her classes every week. Her feedback was always spot on and encouraged me to reflect on my writing in new ways and dig a little deeper. Susanna is one of those rare breeds of people who both excels at her craft but is also able to pass on her knowledge and years of experience in an engaging way. She is just a brilliant tutor and I can't recommend her highly enough.'

 'I felt a little ambivalent about joining an online writing course but it turned out to have been such a good move. Somehow I found it easier to focus, not harder, and the fact that I could simply continue with what I was writing the moment the class finished made for some very productive Sunday evenings. Susanna is just lovely. She has a knack for nudging you gently towards fresh perspectives, different angles. In just a few sessions I found myself thinking very differently about what I was writing, what I could be writing, and why. Not at all what I’d expected!'

• Creative Writing Programme (In-person)
• Creative Writing Programme (Online)
• The Life Writing Programme (In-person)
• Advanced Writing Workshops (In-person)
• Advanced Poetry Workshops (In-person)
• Advanced Poetry Workshops (Online)
• Creative Writing Programme (Blended)

The Creative Writing Programme UK

Uk and international in-person and online creative and life writing courses, university-level courses from £700 per year.

The Creative Writing Programme is one of the leading centres for creative writing in the UK. After moving out of the University of Sussex it has established a reputation for excellence in Brighton and the south east.

Our approach to teaching creative writing

At a time when the cost of higher education has made university study an expensive luxury, our programmes offer a practical course of study, taught at university level, at an affordable price.

Our innovative approach to teaching focuses on individual creativity and on teaching writing skills within the context of the creative process. Through a practical course of study designed to teach you how to build and structure narrative, our team of experienced writing tutors will help you develop your creative potential.

Our creative writing courses

We offer a mix of courses: in-person and online. Our in-person classes are taught from the Friends Meeting House in central Brighton and in Kemptown Bookshop in east Brighton and are perfect for writers who live along the south coast within travelling distance of Brighton.

Online creative writing courses

Our online teaching uses the Zoom video conferencing platform and our online creative writing courses bring together writing students from across the UK and the world. We have experience of teaching distance learning courses and have spent time researching and developing new approaches to teaching creative writing online. We’re excited about the potential of video conferencing as a teaching tool. Video conferencing allows us to maintain the interactive element we feel is crucial to successful teaching and have discovered that in many areas it offers effective approaches to teaching beyond those available in the traditional classroom. In an ever-shrinking world we believe our online writing groups offer a rich cultural and creative experience for developing writers.

On one of our online courses you will be able to stay in touch with other writers in your group, communicating through a dedicated course page on our website and meeting up outside seminar times on Zoom to get to know each other. You will click on a link on your online course page to access your online classroom where you’ll meet as a group once a week for virtual, face to face sessions led by your creative writing tutor. We also offer one-day masterclasses online and online student and alumni readings so you can be assured of a full experience. 

If you’d like to know more about how we work, you can find out more on the Creative Writing Courses page and on our Blog

If you would like to receive information and updates from the Creative Writing Programme you can subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page.

OUR 2024-6 COURSES ARE NOW OPEN FOR ENROLMENT. 

From October 2024 we are offering our two-year, part-time Creative Writing Programmes and the Life Writing Programme;  a range of Advanced Poetry courses and our popular Advanced Writing Workshops . Full details are on our Creative Writing Courses tab. You can book your place on the booking tabs at the bottom of the course description page. If you would like to make any enquiries about our courses, contact [email protected]

In the meantime, why not sign up for our taster sessions in September? Join one of our writing tutors for a practical writing session to explore our unique approach to teaching, meet other writers and find out more about our courses. Sessions last for two hours and are held either online or in-person at the Friends Meeting House or Kemptown Bookshop in Brighton. Visit our Eventbrite page to find out more and book.

To find out more about how we work on the Creative Writing Programme and creative writing courses in general visit Creative Writing FAQs

 Creative writing course for teenagers 

From 29th July to 2nd August 2024, join other young adult writers at the Friends Meeting House, Brighton to spend a week understanding the craft of writing and producing your own short story.

Over the five days, you will spark your imagination and empower your inner storyteller with our interactive and fun workshops. Your tutor for the week is Beth Miller , the author of six novels including the bestselling  The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright . She will help you to develop your characters, plot and setting,  hone your voice, story structure and editing skills so that by the end of the week you have a finished short story or the start of a longer piece of work.

Embark on your creative odyssey and sign up today.

This course runs from 10.30pm-4.30pm every day and is aimed at young adults aged 11-16.

Click here to book a place

Books by students and tutors

Panic Response

Panic Response: John McCullough, Penned In the Margins, 2022. Published earlier this year, Panic Response is John's...

Magnetism: Ruth Figgest, Myriad Books. Magnetism is Ruth Figgest's sharply observed and darkly comic tale that tells...

Sleeping under Clouds

Sleeping Under Clouds: Sue Wallace-Shaddad and Sula Rubens Sue first met the artist Sula Rubens in late 2019. This led...

The Call - an unputdownable thriller. PD Viner, Canelo Hero 2022. The Call is a high octane read, an unputdownable...

She Clown and other stories

Hannah Vincent's short story collection, She Clown and other stories, was published by Myriad in March 2020. Captured...

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Find your story on our friendly creative writing workshops, where writers teach writers.

Online Writers’ Workshops | Mondays with Zoe Gilbert Monthly critical workshops starting November 18th 2024

Online Writers’ Workshops | Thursdays with Lily Dunn Monthly critical workshops starting November 21st 2024

Online Enchantment in Fiction A 12-week course with Zoe Gilbert, starting September 24th 2024

Online Live Online – Writing Our Way Back: Masterclass in Therapeutic Writing A live Zoom therapeutic writing session with psychoanalyst Katie Watson on 28th September 2024, 3-5.30pm BST

Online Creative Nonfiction: Compelling Memoir An 8-week course with Lily Dunn starting on the 10th of September 2024.

We want to help you find your story and your voice, in a creative, inspiring and supportive environment..

London Lit Lab offers a home-from-home experience for writers, whether you are just starting out or developing your work.

Enrol on one of our online courses and you will develop a toolbox of literary skills, meet likeminded people, gain in confidence and ignite a passion that will keep you writing.

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• Our Patron of Writing
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• Introduction 12 Week Course

Writing Poetry

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A welcoming online home for all creative writers

“ I'm now officially addicted to Writing Room courses! I can't tell you how much they've helped me with my motivation and confidence. I've met so many wonderful fellow writers - and I'm feeling so supported. I'm now looking excitedly at what I can possibly do next! ”

Writing Room is all about helping you make space for creative writing in your week. Join us live online for small-group writing courses, friendly discussions and quiet work sessions from Monday to Friday in term times. Check in as often or as little as suits your schedule. Enjoy finding support and inspiration to become the writer you want to be. Read more...

View our timetable at a glance!

BRAND NEW COURSE: Publishing Perspectives Talk Series - read more...

STOP PRESS! HANNAH LOWE & LIZ BERRY LAUNCH OUR NEW LUNCHTIME WRITING WORKSHOPS!

Short creative writing courses, hosted live online

Introduction to Creative Writing

Life Writing & Memoir

Writing for Children & YA

Writing Flash Fiction

Immersive Summer Schools

Weekly drop-ins for students, hosted live online

Monday Start Your Week

Thursday Writing Hour

Feedback Friday

Events, talks, masterclasses & bursaries

Events & talks

Masterclasses

Steve Thompson Bursaries

I WAS TRULY AMAZED

“ An amazing resource for anyone who loves writing at any level. I was truly amazed to discover so much going on. ”

POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT

“ What was particularly useful was the positive encouragement from people who could dissect writing in a meaningful way. ”

COMMUNITY THAT BUILDS

“ It's a community that builds as you move from one course to another. You'd be hard put to find that on a Creative Writing MA at 100x the price. ”

DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS

“ I love the incredible generosity of the teachers and the high level of the input from them. I also love the diversity of the students, such a different and interesting profile compared to when I have done other courses. ”

Anon from student survey

NO SNOBBERY!

“ Great, informative, reasonably priced courses. Friendly. No snobbery! It's a very open community, open to all levels of experience, yet it seems to attract writers who are keen to be professionally minded. ”

Writing Room is a registered Community Interest Company: a non-profit arts organisation committed to serving the interests of our diverse community of creative writers.

Email us at, [email protected], or get in touch using the form, about our courses.

© Writing Room CIC Photography © Ruth Guthrie unless stated

Manuscript Assessment

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Starting Out

• How’s My Driving
• An honest assessment of your work-in-progress, with advice to help you with the rest of the draft.
• Full Report
• Our most comprehensive report – a full MOT on your manuscript.
• Submission Review
• Ready to send your novel out into the world? Have your submission documents reviewed to make sure everything's in the best possible shape to impress an agent.
• Magazine Submission Review
• Ready to submit your poems to magazines, journals or websites? Get feedback on a selection of four to six of them to check you're on the right track.
• Pamphlet Review
• Designed for poets preparing a pamphlet for possible publication, this report will offer constructive feedback on a group of up to twenty poems.
• Collection Review
• Put your poems through their paces with an in-depth evaluation of your entire collection.
• Creative Writing Exercises
• Writing Competitions

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Writing a Novel

• Our flagship course is available in London, Newcastle and online – spend six months working on your novel with help from experienced tutors and industry experts.
• Prose Assessment
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• Q&As with our tutors and alumni, reading lists and deep dives into all aspects of creative writing – and lots more.

• Whether you're stuck on dialogue, plot, character or something else, we've got a whole range of exercises to help and inspire you.

• Here you'll find all of our past, ongoing and upcoming writing competitions, plus details of any others we think you should know about.

• How to Write for Children
• Chloe Daykin, critically acclaimed and award-winning children’s author and tutor on Faber Academy's Writing for Children course, shares her tips on writing for a younger audience.

London Writing Courses

Our London courses take place at the Faber offices in Hatton Garden. Find inspiration for your own writing inside the publishing house that has played home to thirteen Nobel laureates and seven Booker Prize winners, and continues to publish major literary voices like Sally Rooney and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Our London writing courses: an overview

We’ve been running in courses in Faber’s London offices since 2009 – an unrivalled opportunity for aspiring authors to step inside one of the world’s great independent publishing houses as they begin their own writing journey.

Our London courses are always capped at fifteen students per class – small enough for the group to form a bond and really engage with each other’s work, but with enough breadth of experience and interests to facilitate constructive, dynamic discussions in the room.

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Our advanced courses in fiction and poetry offer the next step for the committed writer – serious writing time, industry advice and expert guidance, along with a close-knit group of fellow writers to keep you on track.

London Writing Courses ( 29 )

Writing a Novel (Evening)

What do these levels mean?

Richard T. Kelly, Sarah May, Joanna Briscoe, Diana Evans, Sophie Mackintosh

Wednesday 02 Oct 2024

Application Deadline

Sunday 15 Sep 2024

Places available

Writing a Novel (Daytime)

Shelley Weiner, Sabrina Broadbent, Nikesh Shukla, Sophie Mackintosh

Thursday 03 Oct 2024

Funny Business: The Comedy Writing Room

Paul Dornan, Emma Jane Unsworth

Monday 22 Jul 2024

Start to Write

Richard Skinner, Sarah May

Saturday 27 Jul 2024

An Introduction to Writing a Novel

Joanna Briscoe, Shelley Weiner, Sabrina Broadbent

Thursday 01 Aug 2024

Writing Lives

Richard Skinner

Monday 12 Aug 2024

Writing Women

Katherine angel.

Monday 19 Aug 2024

Start to Write Poetry

Richard scott.

Saturday 31 Aug 2024

The Five Day Short Story

Shelley weiner.

Monday 02 Sep 2024

London Course Tutors

Our London tutors are all published authors, handpicked from Faber and beyond, as well as experienced teachers with in-depth knowledge of the industry.

Paul Dornan

Paul Dornan has worked in the TV and film comedy world for over two decades as a writer, producer, director, teacher and mentor.

Richard Skinner is a novelist, poet and critic. His most recent book, The Mirror , was described as ‘beautifully written...

Sarah May is the highly acclaimed author of seven novels, including The Nudist Colony , (shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award...

Joanna Briscoe

Joanna Briscoe is the author of the novels Mothers and Other Lovers, which won the Betty Trask Award; Skin ; Sleep With Me , which...

Shelley Weiner is an acclaimed novelist, short-story writer and journalist who has, over the years, established a reputation...

Sabrina Broadbent

Sabrina Broadbent's debut novel, Descent , won the WH Smith Raw Talent award. Her other novels are A Boy’s Guide to Track and ...

Katherine Angel is the author of Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again (Verso, 2021), Daddy Issues (Peninsula Press, 2019), and...

Richard Scott was born in London in 1981. His pamphlet Wound (Rialto) won the Michael Marks Poetry Award 2016 and his poem...

Guest Tutor

Emma Jane Unsworth

Emma Jane Unsworth is a BAFTA-nominated, BIFA-winning screenwriter and best-selling novelist...

I really felt part of the Faber family, and continue to do so [...] The course is really well organised, and the team work hard to make the experience valuable and productive.

The course is really well organised, and the team work hard to make the experience valuable and productive.

Can't find the right course?

Get comprehensive editorial feedback on your manuscript from our experienced readers – whether it’s still a work-in-progress or you’re preparing to submit to literary agents.

We offer a range of mentoring options if you’d prefer to work one-on-one with an established writer to help you shape your project and realise your writing ambitions.

Browse the Reading Room

From author interviews and writing tips to creative writing exercises and reading lists, we've got everything you need to get started – and to keep going.

Recommendations from Faber

The essential companion for your writing life from the Director of the Fiction Programme at Faber Academy. Writing a Novel is not a set of instructions: it is a way of thinking, a conversation, a relationship in itself.

Nilesha Chauvet

The Revenge of Rita Marsh

A vigilante hunting predators online finds her work coming too close to home in this heart-pounding debut thriller from an outstanding new voice and graduate of Faber Academy's Writing a Novel course.

Release the Bats: A Pocket Guide to Writing Your Way Out Of It

The Booker Prize-winning author of Vernon God Little returns with a book about writing fiction.

Founded in 1929 in London, Faber is one of the world's great publishing houses. Our list of authors includes thirteen Nobel Laureates and six Booker Prize-winners.

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Course Level Guide

There’s something for everyone at the Faber Academy, whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned writer or somewhere in between. To help you select the right course for you, this guide breaks down what the different levels mean.

These courses are ideal for those who are curious about writing and have little to no prior experience in the field. There are no pre-requisite for these courses – all we ask is that you come with an open mind and a keenness to learn. That’s not to say they aren’t suitable for someone with more experience, though – if you’re looking to refresh your skills or experiment with a new area of writing, you’re also welcome to enrol.

These courses are ideal for those who have some experience in writing – as a hobby, or perhaps through academic or professional work – and are looking for challenging courses to hone their skills further. These courses are also a good next step if you’ve already taken a beginners’ class but don’t feel ready to commit to an advanced course yet.

These courses are ideal for seasoned writers who are serious about getting published. Entry to most of these courses is on an application basis and writers will usually be asked to submit samples of their work-in-progress or a past project.

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Read Jude Rogers’ Guardian Piece on her Tŷ Newydd Experience

Arts critic,  Jude Rogers , recently attended a Poetry and Songwriting course here at Tŷ Newydd. Find out what she learnt, and listen to her first ever song!

Tŷ Newydd Newsletter

Keep up to date with all our courses, events and special offers by signing up to our newsletter. 

Courses and Retreats

Browse our 2024 course programme today.

Nant Writers' Retreat Cottage

Welcome to Nant; a historical Grade II* listed cottage specifically renovated for writing retreats.

Welcome to Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre

Tŷ Newydd is the National Writing Centre of Wales. Established in 1990, thousands of aspiring and budding writers have since passed through our iconic teal front door.

With over 30 years experience, we specialise in residential creative writing courses and retreats. Every week we welcome a new group of individuals from Wales, the rest of the UK and beyond to our home. They spend time together under the tutelage of professional writers, taking part in workshops and one-to-one tutorials, enjoying readings and basking in the inspirational setting of Tŷ Newydd. For those wanting space and time away to write in isolation, or with a like minded friend, our dedicated retreat cottage offers the perfect surrounding. Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre is run by Literature Wales, the national company for the development of literature.

Explore our Courses

We have a range of courses and retreats available at Tŷ Newydd. Why not have a browse and discover what’s on offer.

Fully Booked

Cynan Jones

Cynan Jones is an acclaimed fiction writer from the west coast of Wales. His work has appeared in over twenty countries, and in journals and magazines including  Granta , Freeman’s  and  The New Yorker . He has also written a screenplay for the hit crime drama Hinterland , a collection of tales for children, and a number of stories for BBC Radio. He has been longlisted and shortlisted for numerous awards, and won, among other prizes, the Wales Book of the Year Fiction Prize, a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award, and the BBC National Short Story Award.

Clare Mackintosh

With over 2 million copies of her books sold worldwide, number one bestseller Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of I Let You Go (Little Brown, 2015), which was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and the fastest-selling title by a new crime writer in 2015. It also won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2016. Both Clare’s second and third novels, I See You (Little Brown, 2017) and Let Me Lie (Little Brown, 2018), were number one Sunday Times bestsellers. Her first three thrillers were selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club, and together have been translated into forty languages. After the End (Little Brown, 2019) was published in 2019 and became an instant Sunday Times bestseller, and in 2021 Hostage (Little Brown, 2022) flew straight into the top ten. Her new crime series, featuring Welsh detective DC Ffion Morgan, has been critically acclaimed, with both The Last Party (Little Brown, 2023) and A Game of Lies (Little Brown, 2023) hitting the Sunday Times top ten. Together, her books have spent more than sixty-five weeks in The Sunday Times bestseller lists. Clare lives in north Wales with her family.  

Dean Atta is an award-winning Black British author and poet whose works have received praise from Bernardine Evaristo and Malorie Blackman. His novel in verse, The Black Flamingo (Hachette, 2020), about a Black gay teen finding his voice through poetry and drag performance, won the Stonewall Book Award and was shortlisted for numerous further prestigious awards. His poetry collection, There is (still) love here (Nine Arches Press, 2022), explores acceptance, queer joy and the power of unapologetically being yourself and fully embracing who you are.  

Pragya Agarwal

Dr Pragya Agarwal is the writer of four non-fiction books including the widely acclaimed (M)otherhood and Hysterical. Pragya is a visiting professor of social inequities at Loughborough University and a visiting fellow at University of Oxford. Her writing has been published widely in The Guardian Scientific American, New Scientist, Prospect, Florida Review and Literary Hub. She also teaches creative writing courses for Irish Writers Centre and Arvon.  

Creative writing courses

Short and part-time courses with Oxford University

Need an extra push to finish your novel, poem or play? Want to explore new genres? Whether you're a beginner wondering where to start, or an experienced writer looking to extend your craft, we have a course for you.

Short courses

Our  short courses in creative writing  include in person and online live-time weekly classes, day and weekend schools and flexible online courses.

Courses cover all genres: fiction, poetry, memoir, creative nonfiction, drama, writing for young adults and critical reading. There are courses for beginners and options for those with experience. Class sizes are kept small to maximise interaction between you, your classmates and your tutor.

Credit earned from some of our short courses is transferable towards our  Certificate of Higher Education  – a part-time undergraduate course in which you study a main subject discipline, but also undertake study in other academic subjects.

• View all short courses in creative writing
• Ways to study: how our short courses work

Summer schools

Join us for one of our Oxford  creative writing summer courses , and spend a week or longer immersed in your craft. Accredited and non-accredited options are available; courses take place at Rewley House and at Oxford's historic colleges.

• Creative writing summer courses

Part-time Oxford University qualifications

From undergraduate level to advanced postgraduate study.

• The  Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing  is a two-year part-time course that helps you to strengthen your ability in four major areas of literary activity — prose, poetry, drama and analytical reading — while letting you specialise in the genre of your choice. Choose from two study options: regular in-person meetings in Oxford or mostly online, with a summer school in Oxford.
• The  Certificate of Higher Education  is a flexible, part-time programme which lets you study a main subject discipline (such as creative writing) while also undertaking study in other academic subjects. Ideal for lifelong learners, you can study what you want, when you want, how you want. The credits you obtain from taking short online courses, weekly classes and attendance at the Oxford University Summer School for Adults all count towards your final award.
• Delve deeper into creative writing with our MSt in Creative Writing – a two-year, part-time master's programme offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialization, and critical and creative breadth, delivered in a clustered learning format of five residences, two guided retreats and one placement over two years.

Student spotlights

Charles bush.

Charles Bush published his debut young-adult novel thanks to the skills and experience gained from completing the Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education.

Tahmina Maula

Tahmina worked as a senior manager in education before taking a career break to undertake the Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing.

Daisy Johnson

While studying the MSt in Creative Writing Daisy worked on a collection of short stories which would later become her debut book.

Upcoming courses

Lewis carroll's oxford and the surprising histories of alice's wonderland.

• Sun 04 Aug 2024 – 10 Aug 2024

Advanced Creative Writing (Online)

• Mon 09 Sep 2024 – 22 Nov 2024

Advanced Writing Lives (Online)

Fiction by victorian women: george eliot, elizabeth gaskell (online), writing lives (online), part-time award programmes.

Part-time creative writing award-bearing courses for those looking to gain an Oxford qualification.

Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing (from 2025)

Mst in creative writing, undergraduate certificate of higher education (from 2025).

• Creative writing

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Tell your story with the WEA

Whether you are just starting out as a budding writer, or already have lots of experience expressing yourself through writing, our creative writing courses will provide you with a platform to develop your talent. All our creative writing courses look at different audiences and genres such as scriptwriting, non-fiction and poetry. 

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You can choose to tap into your storytelling abilities alongside other creative writers in a fun and supportive environment, telling your story through your very own writing style. You’ll have the opportunity to explore what it is that you want to write about as well as time to investigate how to find your own voice and the style that you want to write in. 

Our poetry courses immerse you in the works of famous poets and literary greats, exploring the techniques they use and their famous pieces of work. All this acts as the perfect inspiration for when you craft your own style. This learning style means you build the core foundations to progress further, becoming a better writer in the process. 

A creative writing class near you 

Whether you prefer online creative classes or learning face to face in a venue, we have something for everyone to choose from. Our learning experience is one of the things that sets us apart, with many of our learners going on to achieve incredible things.  

The support you’ll receive on your creative writing course 

You'll get support from your tutor whichever option you choose, as well as the opportunity to build a network of peers who have a passion for creative writing just like you.  

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Creative Writing: Body Stories Workshop

Course information, ways to wellbeing: prose for wellbeing: reading and writing upbeat narratives for improved wellbeing, creative writing: writers’ online retreat: write, feedback, progress, creative writing: writing the city, wea membership.

For just £15 a year, you can:

• Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
• Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
• Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
• Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
• Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Creative writing: write your life, creative writing: stop frame animation, creative writing: writing food, creative writing: read like a writer, creative writing: creative writing workshop.

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Creative Writing Workshops

Inspirational workshops for children

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Get your children reading...

11-plus courses

Workshops and courses

" Creative writing workshops for children "

Whether your child is a confident writer or struggles to get their ideas down on the page, The Story Room has something for everyone. Our relaxed workshop approach nurtures and inspires young writers, enabling them to think creatively and to develop their writing skills. Our tutors and workshop leaders are writers who passionately believe in the benefits of writing for all. We understand the difficulties that a writer faces in communicating their creative thoughts effectively and this enables us to work with children of all writing levels.

We love what we do and are forever on the hunt for new story-writing ideas for our writers!

Our broad range of activities are for children aged 5-16 years old. We run holiday workshops, term-time writing clubs, bespoke writing workshops, children’s birthday parties, author workshops and book clubs.

The Story Room is currently in Winchmore Hill N21 and online.

Poetic Voices Live

We are proud to have been asked to contribute to Poetic Voices Live.

Click here to listen to poetry written by our young writers in their Story Room workshops.

Latest from the Blog

Thank you to everyone who brought their children to our  NEW WORKSHOPS this half-term. And what a wonderful time we all had. On Tuesday we were explorers travelling to strange lands to uncover long-hidden treasures, some of them cursed, some of them heavily guarded and all difficult to reach. The children then set about making wonderful Egyptian necklaces, trying them  …

Thank you to Alice for sending us this lovely review Five Go To Smugglers Top by Enid Blyton Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy all go to a friends house. When they get there they found it very big and strange. Suddenly, one night their friend vanished into the tunnels of the house along with Uncle Quentin. WHO ON EARTH  …

My Amazing ADHD Brain – A Child’s Guide to Thriving with ADHD  is written by Emily Snape. In this brightly coloured and enticing book, Pip, a monster with ADHD,  explains what ADHD is and shares what ADHD means for them and how it affects their life. We learn about the things they can find tricky and things that they find  …

Dear Parents, This is the time of year that you might be thinking of mocks for your child. I work with a team of experts in this field and this week we launch our new-look Succeed website which now includes online mocks as well as the physical mocks that we have provided for  years now. Many of you have asked  …

Milo And His Magic Skateboard by Kristina Tanso Clap clap clap and off we go! Meet Milo, an adventurous bulldog who can travel anywhere in the world on his magic skateboard. All he has to do is think of the destination of his dreams and clap his paws, and Milo can visit all his favourite places in the blink of  …

Today saw the end of our workshops in Friends House and it was a very fitting end to a wonderful week. I can’t tell you how much Michelle and I have enjoyed working with the children this week. Today we learnt about bees and how important they are to our eco-system. We got lots of information from The Woodland Trust  …

Let your imagination fly!

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The Story Room

@ 2021 Story Room | www.lucyswebdesigns.co.uk

Children's Summer Creative Writing Workshop 7-11yrs

Join writer in residence, Peter McAllister for a children's creative writing workshop and explore the magic of language and writing. 7-11yrs

Date and time

Liskeard Library

Refund Policy

About this event.

• Event lasts 2 hours

Character Workshop:

Join writer in residence, Peter McAllister for a children's creative writing workshop and explore the magic of language and writing. 7-11 yrs.

About this event :

Creative writing allows children to explore their imagination, develop language skills, and express their personalities.

Peter McAllister, Liskeard Library’s Writer in Residence, will lead this fun session for kids aged 7-11 years. Attendees will learn how to make characters leap off the page and resonate with readers. They'll explore creating believable protagonists, antagonists and other characters that make up their stories.

During the workshop, your child will take their first steps in creative writing. Inspired by a variety of resources. The aim is to boost confidence in their writing and inspire them to enjoy all aspects of English – both writing (in all its forms) and reading.

Whether your child struggles with writing or is a confident wordsmith, this is a workshop for them. Children of all abilities are welcome.

Workshop aims:

• Improve your child’s literacy skills (oral and written)
• Boost your child’s self-esteem and confidence
• Foster a passion for reading/encourage children to read
• Promote a love of writing.

About Your Tutor:

Peter’s writing blurs the boundary between novel and short story collection; it builds layers of characterisation through linked pieces that result in profound moments of self-realisation and/or dramatic action. He was shortlisted in the Hammond House International Literary Prize and the Ironclad Creative Awards in 2023. His short stories and poems have appeared online, in print journals and in numerous anthologies and his debut book is slated for publication.

Peter studied English Literature at The University of Cambridge and was awarded a Distinction for his MA in Creative Writing. He is the editor and co-founder of Inkfish Magazine and a committee member for the Penzance Literary Festival. With more than a decade of experience coaching creative professionals and students, Peter is proud to be helping Liskeard writers improve their writing skills in his role as our Inaugural Writer in Residence.

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suffolkwritersgroup

Welcome to Suffolk Writers Group’s Website

Suffolk Writers Group is a community of people who are interested in writing stories, poetry and/or plays. We are mostly based in or around Suffolk, England but have a growing number of national and international members who feel a strong connection to Suffolk and the creative community we have created here.

Our popular Suffolk Writers’ Facebook group is a place for people to engage with our daily creative challenges and chat about anything related to creative writing. We currently have 1.7k members, including many complete beginners as well as a growing number of professional authors. If you’d like to be a member, search for ‘Suffolk Writers Group’ on Facebook and request to join. You can also click here .

We have a monthly newsletter that will keep you updated with Suffolk Writers’ meetups, competitions, literary events and writing courses. Email ‘Mai’ at [email protected] to be added to the mailing list.

Check out the tabs to read examples of our members’ work, find out about the SWG poetry anthology and learn about my experiences as the group founder.

Here’s a photo of some of our members. (I’m at the back on the right and Jane Spencer-Rolfe, joint administrator of the group, is at the front on the left).

Best wishes,

Founder of Suffolk Writers Group

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