HOME OF CREATIVE WRITING

COURSES AND RETREATS 2020 About Arvon 5 Courses & Retreats Welcome 6 Starting to Write 30 The Arvon week 8 Fiction 37 Short courses 10 Poetry 63 Choosing a course 12 Non-Fiction 80 Writing house 14 facilities Writing for Children/YA 92 Writing houses 18–23 Playwriting/TV/ Course fees 24 Film/Radio 98 How to book 26 Other 109 Grants 26–27 Retreats 115 Concessions 28 Course Index 140 –143 More about 142–153 Arvon Terms and 154–161 conditions ARVON

Something magical happens at an Arvon writing house. You arrive, perhaps feeling a little shy, uncertain and hopeful. You leave, amazed at the progress you’ve made, encouraged by “These are a sense of fellowship, the buzz of inspiration life-enhancing weeks. and the determination to keep writing. I’ve witnessed the most astonishing evolution Arvon has been inspiring generations of writers for over 50 years as the UK’s home of creative writing. We in students’ writing have three writing houses, in Devon, Shropshire and and confidence over Yorkshire. Our residential courses and retreats, led by highly acclaimed writers, span poetry to theatre, the period of just song to screenplay, fact to fiction, starting to finishing – 4 5 a handful of days, and we offer grants to help with course fees. and as a tutor it’s Each year, over 40 of our courses are with vulnerable a privilege to see groups and schools, from young people who have experienced bullying to adults recovering from an people grow and addiction. We also work closely with teachers to support flourish during their professional development. the course.” We offer a home for the imagination, where anyone, regardless of writing experience, can step away from —Poet Laureate Simon Armitage their normal routine, immerse themselves in the creative process, be inspired by experienced writers and release their imaginative potential. WELCOME TO ARVON’S 2020 COURSE PROGRAMME Andrew Kidd, Arvon’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director

As Arvon’s new Chief Executive and Artistic Director, While nothing can replicate the power of an Arvon I am delighted to introduce our 2020 programme. residential course, we are always looking for ways to Whether you’re just starting out on your writing journey enable more people to experience Arvon. Last year we or you’re somewhere further down the road, Arvon launched Arvon 1–1: online tutorials in which you can offers an unparalleled range of opportunities for get personal, one-to-one feedback from an Arvon developing your craft. tutor (see p.121). We plan to significantly expand the 1–1 offering in 2020. In this brochure, there are over 70 courses and retreats 6 to choose from. As ever, fiction, poetry and writing for Finally, if you’d like unmediated time to work on your 7 the stage and screen are well represented, as are our writing, the splendid Clockhouse retreat at The Hurst celebrated Starting to Write weeks. And for those who offers expansive space for up to four writers to follow need a little push getting to the next stage we offer their own schedules. You can book a place at the work-in-progress, finishing a collection and preparing Clockhouse for as many weeks as you like. for publication courses. We also remain committed to breaking new ground, engaging with practically every The particular blend of encouragement, creativity, form of creative expression the written word can take. connection, rigour and play that constitutes the ‘Arvon From Hybrid Writing to Life Writing with Coaching, from magic’ can neither be bottled nor wholly explained. Essays to a Digital Detox retreat, you are sure to find the It truly is something you need to experience for right course for you. yourself, and we look forward to welcoming you soon to the home of creative writing. If spring is too long to wait, our Winter Season in January, February and March offers the chance to kickstart your creativity without delay. You can find these courses on our website. And for those pressed for time, there are Short Course options throughout the year. THE ARVON WEEK

On five-day courses you’ll be with a group of up to 15 other writers, working with two tutors, from Monday to Saturday. Most Arvon courses follow this structure (although short courses, retreats and tutored retreats are a little different):

• Each morning the tutors • On Tuesday evening lead workshops to help the tutors read from you explore ideas, forms their own work. and techniques. • On Wednesday evening • Afternoons are your the guest speaker joins time for writing and the group. 8 9 one-to-one tutorials to consider your writing in • On Friday evening depth. You’ll have two everyone gets together tutorials (at least 20 to share and celebrate minutes long), one with their work. each tutor. • The week comes to • On Monday you arrive a close on Saturday between 4.30pm and morning, after breakfast. 6pm, settle in, enjoy Have a tissue handy – dinner and attend the you may shed a farewell tutors’ introduction to tear or two! the week. SHORT RESIDENTIAL GIFT VOUCHERS WRITING COURSES

We have captured all the essential elements that make the Arvon week unique and distilled them into a short course. These courses are ideal for writers who are keen to come to Arvon but ARVON can’t manage a full week. GIFT VOUCHER We offer two types of short courses – three-day (Friday to Sunday) and four-day (Monday to Thursday), which include most aspects of an Arvon week.

You will be one of 14 writers, each with a single room. There will be two tutors running the course. Significant departures from our classic Arvon week include no cooking and no mid-course guest.

10 Cost: from £530 for three-day courses / from £560 for four-day 11 courses. See courses 10, 12, 15, 31, 44, 47, 50 and 74.

FOUR-DAY COURSE THREE-DAY COURSE Monday to Thursday Friday to Sunday Four-day courses run The long weekend from Monday lunchtime course begins on with a departure after Friday lunchtime with breakfast on Thursday. a departure after lunch on Sunday. Do you have a friend with a flair for The course includes ten fiction? Or a relative who is harbouring hours of workshop-based The three days include a desire to pen poetry? An Arvon Gift group tuition; each six hours of workshop- Voucher is an inspirational present. student gets two one-to- based tuition; each one tutorials and there student gets two one-to- Arvon Gift Vouchers can be made up to is a celebratory reading one tutorials and there any amount – perfect for a friendly nudge night on Wednesday. is a short reading to end or a grand gesture. Find out more at the course. www.arvon.org/gift-voucher or call 020 7324 2554. CHOOSING A COURSE

Most of our courses are for all levels of experience. Tutored Retreats However, we offer the following courses and These are like our Work-in-Progress courses above, retreats for beginner or experienced writers: but without morning workshops. Instead you will have four tutorials, two with each tutor, as opposed to two on regular courses. Tutored Retreats are suitable for Starting to Write experienced writers, not beginners. We have Tutored If you have a burning desire to write but no idea where Retreats in several different genres. to begin, or perhaps you are returning to writing after a long time away, or maybe you have writing experience Centre Retreats in one field but are keen to explore a new genre – then Retreats offer you the time and space to write with a a Starting to Write course would be ideal. Starting to group of up to 15 other writers. There are no workshops Write courses are designed to build your confidence and no tutorials. We also offer a range of retreats with within a supportive environment, providing you with activities, including walking and Pilates. the tools to inspire and develop your writing. We offer 12 13 Starting to Write courses in specific genres, and more Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse general Starting to Write courses that include fiction and Choose between four or six days in your own apartment poetry writing. at The Clockhouse, tucked away in the peaceful grounds of The Hurst. Write, plan, walk, think, dream, edit, Work-in-Progress in solitude, away from it all with no distractions. The These are for writers who already have significant Clockhouse has four apartments in total. Writers Retreats experience and would like to receive project-specific are untutored. See p.122 for more information. feedback as well as the space and time to write. We have Work-in-Progress courses in several different If you’re unsure which course is right for you, genres. These courses include workshops and one-to- feel free to call our team on 020 7324 2554 to one tutorials. discuss possibilities. WRITING HOUSE FACILITIES

Accommodation Everything in an Arvon writing house has been set up to help you write and to help you feel at home for the week. The accommodation is deliberately simple, comfortable and clean. The Arvon staff will be your hosts, ensuring a relaxed, friendly and informal atmosphere. Each writing house has a living room, a well-stocked library and many other quiet spaces, as well as an inspirational landscape to explore beyond the house. See pages 18–23 for details of bedrooms and bathrooms at each writing house.

You do not need a computer on our courses, but you 14 are welcome to bring your own laptop. We have a few 15 computers and a printer at each writing house, which you can use for writing or printing out your own work (a donation for printing is requested). Mobile phone reception is poor at some of the houses.

We do not provide an internet connection or Wi-Fi – so you can immerse yourself in your writing. Accessibility Food Arvon welcomes writers with disabilities. If you have Throughout the week, all your food and drink is any specific access requirements, please discuss them provided, except for alcohol, which can be purchased with us prior to booking and we will do our utmost from a local wine merchant on arrival and delivered to accommodate your needs. All communal spaces, early in the week. We’re firmly committed to buying including workshop spaces, are accessible to people seasonal and locally produced goods. with mobility issues. Each writing house can accommodate an assistance dog, and a personal carer You’ll help yourself to breakfast, and a tasty lunch is if required, provided there are spaces available. prepared for you every day by your hosts. Each Accessibility to bedrooms and bathrooms varies evening you will take turns cooking dinner in teams. depending on the house – The Hurst is the most The recipes and ingredients are supplied and there’s accessible of our houses, with a lift to all floors and 16 lots of help at hand. Cooking teams also take turns to en-suite rooms – see pages 18–19. All of our houses do the washing-up. have a portable loop system available on request. On short courses and Clockhouse retreats, all food is provided, including dinner. 16 17 If you have dietary needs, for ethical, religious or medical reasons, we’re happy to cater for you – when you book, it’s important that you let us know.

Travel All our writing houses can be reached by train. On booking your course you will be sent a full booking confirmation by email, including details of local cab companies who can collect you from the station. Check our website for detailed information on how to reach our houses. THE HURST The John Osborne Arvon Centre, Shropshire

The Hurst is the ideal place to find your voice. Formerly the home of the playwright John Osborne, the 19th- century manor house is set in the Shropshire Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Explore the 26 acres of inspiring woodland, unwind by the spring-fed lake, or simply sit and enjoy the view while you write.

The house is fully accessible, with a lift to all floors and 16 single, en-suite bedrooms.

18 Situated in the grounds of The Hurst is Arvon’s 19 dedicated Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse. It consists “There is something about the natural beauty at The of four apartments, each with a bedroom, study and Hurst which supports the endeavour of writing, which en-suite bathroom, and all food provided, for six-day makes wanderings and musings inevitable.” and four-day writing retreats. For more details please see page 122. —Grant recipient

The Hurst, Clunton, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 0JA

Telephone: 01588 640 658 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @hurstonthescene LUMB BANK The Ted Hughes Arvon Centre, West Yorkshire

Lumb Bank is an 18th-century millowner’s house set in 20 acres of steep woodland.

The house once belonged to Ted Hughes and has a breathtaking view to the valley below – a Pennine landscape of woods and rivers, weavers’ cottages, packhorse trails and ruins of old mills. It is half a mile from the historic village of Heptonstall and two miles from Hebden Bridge.

There are 14 standard single rooms and one smaller 20 single room. One bedroom has a specially adapted 21 bathroom for people with mobility issues and can also “I think I speak for all my writer companions when accommodate a personal carer. I say that you do not leave Lumb Bank the same person as when you arrived.” Lumb Bank, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire —Louisa Rhodes HX7 6DF

Telephone: 01422 843 714 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Lumb_Bank TOTLEIGH BARTON The first Arvon writing house, Devon

Totleigh Barton is a 16th-century thatched manor house in one of the most peaceful and idyllic parts of Devon, two miles from the village of Sheepwash.

There is a beautiful garden and orchard, with access to walks along the River Torridge nearby. The renovated barn offers a comfortable space for evening readings.

Totleigh Barton has 14 single rooms. One wheelchair- accessible bedroom has an en-suite bathroom. It can also accommodate a carer. 22 23 Totleigh Barton, Sheepwash, Beaworthy, Devon “To step over the threshold into Totleigh Barton has EX21 5NS always been to step into a world of writing.” Telephone: 01409 231 338 —Penelope Shuttle Email: [email protected] Twitter: @TotleighBarton 2020 FEES Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse 6-day retreats (Tues – Mon) January – April and 5-day courses September – December (inclusive)

The Hurst (en-suite room) £850 1st Floor Apartment £765* Totleigh Barton and Lumb Bank £815 2nd Floor Apartment £725*

5-day Tutored Retreat 4-day retreats (Thurs – Mon) January – April and September – December (inclusive) The Hurst (en-suite room) £850 Totleigh Barton and Lumb Bank £815 1st Floor Apartment £510* 2nd Floor Apartment £480* 5-day Retreat (untutored) 6-day retreats (Tues – Mon) May – August (inclusive) 24 Totleigh Barton £678* 25 5-day Retreat with activity 1st Floor Apartment £795* 2nd Floor Apartment £755* The Hurst (en-suite room) £850 Lumb Bank £815 4-day retreats (Thurs – Mon) May – August Totleigh Barton £710 (inclusive)

4-day courses Monday – Thursday 1st Floor Apartment £530* 2nd Floor Apartment £500* The Hurst (en-suite room) £570 *Price includes VAT @ 20% Lumb Bank £560 Course and retreat fees cover 3-day courses Friday – Sunday – full-board accommodation (not including alcohol) – all tuition (where applicable) The Hurst (en-suite room) £540 – a writing desk Lumb Bank £530 You can apply for a grant towards a course if you cannot afford the full fee (please see page 26). HOW TO BOOK A GRANTS FOR WRITERS COURSE/RETREAT 1. Download a grant pack from our website, or ask us to send it to you. It contains full details of the application Bookings can be made online at www.arvon.org procedure and an application form. You can also book by calling the writing house where 2. Reserve a place on your chosen course, either online your chosen course/retreat is held. To secure your place, or by phoning the writing house hosting your course, you will need to pay a deposit of £200 at the time of and make sure you indicate that you wish to apply for a booking (unless you’re applying for a grant). You are grant. You do not need to pay a deposit at this stage. welcome to pay in instalments via our online booking system. The remainder of your fee must be paid no later 3. Complete the application form and send it along with than six weeks before the course or retreat starts. your supporting documents to your chosen writing house within a week. HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT 26 4. Within seven days we will assess your application, 27 If you are a UK resident and cannot afford the full contact you with a decision, and finalise your booking. course fee, we encourage you to apply for one of our If you have any questions, please contact the grants, which are awarded on the basis of financial appropriate writing house. need and not writing ability. See page 29 for how to support the grant fund. We encourage you to apply for a grant early in the year as the grant fund is limited. Priority is given to those GRANTS FOR TEACHERS coming to Arvon for the first time. You may apply for any amount up to the full course fee. The average grant we awarded in 2019 was £450. We offer higher amounts Arvon supports the professional development of only in exceptional cases. To help us support as many practising teachers, who may apply for a special fixed people as possible, please apply only if you’d be unable grant of £200 towards a course fee. You will need to to attend the course without a grant, and ask for the send evidence that you are a practising teacher at a minimum amount you need. Grants are only available UK primary or secondary school, or further education for those booking a course, not a retreat. college. Teachers’ grants are limited in number and can be applied for in addition to the usual grant if further financial assistance is needed. CONCESSIONS #OPENTOALL

We offer half-price concessions for selected Arvon A donation to Arvon’s Grant Fund gives the courses with late availability. The following three groups opportunity for those on low incomes to attend are eligible for concession pricing. Arvon’s courses. Arvon 18–25: Writers aged between 18 and 25 can join our young writers group at arvon.org/18-25. You’ll be notified Arvon has played a formative role in the careers and about upcoming half-price courses. identities of thousands of writers for over 50 years. Currently we can only support the equivalent of one Last year’s grant recipients: If you received a grant in 2019, person on a low income to attend each of Arvon’s you are eligible for concession pricing. We will check on our courses. You can help us double our support by making system that you received a grant in 2019. a donation to Arvon’s Grant Fund. Those in receipt of UK state benefits: Only those in receipt of the following benefits can apply:

28 • Means-tested state benefits (such as housing benefit, 29 council tax benefit, Universal Credit, Income Support, pension credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Working Tax Credit or other similar benefits) • Disability Living Allowance • Personal Independence Payment (PIP) “I’ve been a student on two Arvon courses and I’ve taught nine. I know how life-changing they can be We will make it clear on the course web page if half-price for aspiring writers. It is absolutely vital that they are concessions are available. If the course details page does not equally accessible to everyone who might benefit.” state late availability pricing is available then concession pricing is not available for that course. However, when we have grant —Mark Haddon, Arvon tutor, author of The Curious funds available you are welcome to apply for a grant for all of Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time our courses, except for retreats.

Please note that late availability concession bookings must be Mark has made a donation to help keep made over the phone. Arvon open to everyone. Join him by visiting www.arvon.org/opentoall or contact For more info and to see courses currently on offer, visit arvon.org/writing-courses/concession-pricing/ [email protected], 020 7324 8906. 08 12 STARTING TO WRITE STARTING TO WRITE 20–25 April SHORT COURSE STARTING Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Fri to Sun 30 October Tutors: Tiffany Murray & –1 November Raymond Antrobus p.32 The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Louise Wallwein & TO WRITE 09 Mark Illis p.36 STARTING TO WRITE 1–6 June The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Christopher Wakling & Jen Hadfield 14 p.33 STARTING TO WRITE FICTION p.42 10 STARTING TO WRITE 16 30 SHORT COURSE STARTING TO WRITE 31 Mon to Thu 10–13 A NOVEL p.44 August Lumb Bank, Yorkshire 59 Tutors: John McCullough STARTING TO WRITE & Irenosen Okojie p.34 YOUNG ADULT AND CHILDREN’S FICTION 11 p.94 STARTING TO WRITE 28 September–3 October Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Jess Richards & Cliff Yates p.35 20–25 April, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 1–6 June

08 STARTING TO WRITE 09 STARTING TO WRITE Leaping into poetry and prose First words

If you have the urge to write but don’t know where to begin, If you want to write creatively, but aren’t sure where to start, or have made a start but need fresh impetus to push on this course will give you the tools and confidence to get you through, this week is for you. In one-to-one tutorials we will past that challenging blank page. We’ll begin at the source – discover new ways to sift and structure your thoughts and inspiration – and travel through the alchemical life of an idea material. In practical poetry and fiction workshops we will to the moment it reaches its readers. We’ll ask what makes spark your imagination and allow you to experiment with a poem a poem and a story a story, exploring voice, structure, form and story. This week will be supportive, productive, plot and poetic form in an accessible and intuitive way. creative and fun. You will be given the space to fall in love Together we’ll talk you through the theory and show you, using with your writing again, and the tools to carry on. inspiring and provocative examples, how good writing works. We’ll offer structured prompts and tailored feedback Tiffany Murray is a Hay Festival fiction to help you realise the poetry and stories you’ve been fellow and Director of Hay’s Writers at Work. dreaming of writing. 32 Her novels Diamond Star Halo and Happy 33 Accidents were shortlisted for the Bollinger Christopher Wakling’s seven novels include Everyman Wodehouse Prize. Her latest novel is Escape and Evasion and What I Did. As well as Sugar Hall. writing fiction, Christopher is a travel writer for the Independent. Raymond Antrobus is a poet and teacher. He is the author of To Sweeten Bitter and The Jen Hadfield is a Creative Writing Teaching Perseverance, winner of the 2018 Ted Hughes Fellow at Glasgow University. Her poetry Award and 2019 Rathbone Folio Prize. collection, Nigh-No-Place, won the 2008 TS Eliot Prize. Her fourth, The Stone Age, explores Guest Lara Williams is the author of the short neurodiversity. story collection Treats (2016) and the novel Supper Club (2019). Guest Jonathan Davidson is a poet and radio dramatist. His most recent book is the poetry memoir On Poetry. His radio plays have been broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and 4. xxxxxxMonday 10–Thursday 13 August, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 28 September–3 Octoberxxxxxx

10 STARTING TO WRITE 11 STARTING TO WRITE SHORT COURSE Setting out and carrying on Tips and tricks to unlock Whether you're new to poetry, or to prose, or writing in your imagination any form, this week will offer you tools and techniques in order to make a start. With enjoyable and challenging Deciding to learn new skills as a writer can be both exciting exercises alongside feedback on your work, this is a chance and a little daunting. This course is ideal for those who are to experiment with different forms and styles; to play either relatively new to writing or who are feeling slightly with ideas. In a supportive and nourishing atmosphere, rusty. We’ll awaken your creative side by encouraging you we'll explore the ways to begin and provide you with the to begin short pieces of fiction and poetry from a range of momentum you need to carry on when you get home. surprising angles. We’ll discuss techniques like freewriting, how to tackle writer’s block, keeping notebooks, learning to read as a writer and how you might draw on observations, Jess Richards is the author of Snake Ropes, memories and research. Beginning your journey as a writer Cooking with Bones and City of Circles. She has also published poetry and short fiction in 34 involves daring explorations, both into the self and into the 35 world, and this course aims to equip you for both. several anthologies. Cliff Yates’s poetry collections include John McCullough’s first collection of poems, Henry’s Clock, winner of the Aldeburgh First The Frost Fairs, won the Polari First Book Prize. Collection Prize, Frank Freeman’s Dancing His latest collection, Reckless Paper Birds, was School and Jam. He wrote Jumpstart Poetry in published by Penned in the Margins in 2019. the Secondary School during his time as Poetry Society poet-in-residence. Irenosen Okojie is a Nigerian British writer. Her debut novel Butterfly Fish won a Betty Trask Guest Romalyn Ante is a poet and Award and was shortlisted for an Edinburgh co-founding editor of harana poetry. Her debut International First Book Award. Her short collection, Antiemetic for Homesickness, will stories have been published internationally come out with Chatto & Windus in 2020. She is including in Salt’s Best British Short Stories 2017 the winner of the Poetry London Prize 2018. and the Year’s Best Weird Fiction. xxxxxxFriday 30 Oct–Sunday 1 Nov, The Hurst

12 STARTING TO WRITE SHORT COURSE Getting started and keeping going FICTION

A short, intense burst of support and creativity to get you started on your writing. How do you begin? And once you’ve begun how do you keep going? The weekend will be focused and enjoyable, helping you to find your voice and your confidence in a supportive, encouraging environment. We’ll use fun and inventive exercises covering character and structure and using the surrounding landscape to stimulate and kick-start that book, poem or play that’s been burning a hole in your pocket. This is a weekend to help you play, discover and develop, and, above all, get writing. 36 37 Louise Wallwein MBE is a poet, playwright and educator. Her one-woman show Glue has also been published as a book. Her work has been performed on shorelines, the sea, the streets and in theatres across the UK and the world. Her work has featured on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and BBC One.

Mark Illis has written novels for adults and for young adults. He has written extensively for TV, including Peak Practice, Emmerdale and Jamie Johnson. He has also written short stories, radio plays and a prize-winning screenplay. 13 17 21 25 EDITING FICTION FICTION SHORT STORY WRITING A NOVEL 20–25 April 11–16 May 22–27 June 10–15 August The Hurst, Shropshire Totleigh Barton, Devon The Hurst, Shropshire The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Nikesh Shukla & Tutors: Gregory Tutors: Adam Marek & Tutors: Stephen May & Angelique Tran Van Sang Norminton & Liz Jensen Zoe Gilbert p.49 Samantha Harvey p.53 p.41 p.45 22 26 14 18 EDITING FICTION FICTION STARTING TO WRITE FICTION 6 –11 July 17–22 August FICTION 25–30 May Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire 27 April–2 May The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Anne Meadows & Tutors: Kirsty Logan & Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Marcel Theroux Cynan Jones p.50 Tim Pears p.54 Tutors: Mark Haddon & & Jenny Parrott p.46 Jane Feaver p.42 23 27 19 EXPERIMENTAL FICTION TUTORED 15 EDITING A NOVEL FICTION RETREAT 38 FICTION SHORT 8–13 June 13–18 July 31 August–5 39 COURSE Totleigh Barton, Devon Totleigh Barton, Devon September Fri to Sun 8–10 May Tutors: Patricia Duncker Tutors: Toby Litt & Sophie Totleigh Barton, Devon Lumb Bank, Yorkshire & Richard Beswick p.47 Mackintosh p.51 Tutors: Diana Evans & Tutors: Emma Jane Chris Cleave p.55 Unsworth & Mark Watson 20 24 p.43 CRIME FICTION FICTION: WORK-IN- 28 15–20 June PROGRESS HISTORICAL FICTION 16 Lumb Bank, Yorkshire 27 July–1 August 31 August–5 STARTING TO WRITE Tutors: Cathi Unsworth Totleigh Barton, Devon September A NOVEL & Alex Reeve p.48 Tutors: Amanda Smyth & The Hurst, Shropshire 11–16 May Richard Skinner p.52 Tutors: Diane Setterfield The Hurst, Shropshire & Andrew Taylor p.56 Tutors: Kerry Young & Tyler Keevil p.44 The Hurst, 20–25 April

29 33 13 EDITING FICTION SCI-FI AND FANTASY EDITING FICTION 14–19 September 19–24 October Shape, refine and polish your writing Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Emma Newman & Tutors: Ailah Ahmed & An early draft of a novel or a collection of short stories is Gareth Powell p.57 Ayisha Malik p.61 inevitably a work-in-progress. It’s on its way, but how do you implement improvements to the words you’ve already 30 34 produced? Over the course of a week with an editor and SHORT STORY EDITING FICTION an author, learn how to step back from your own writing in 21–26 September TUTORED RETREAT order to shape, smooth and rearrange your first draft. You Totleigh Barton, Devon 2–7 November will be encouraged to explore your writing decisions and to Tutors: Tom Lee & Alison The Hurst, Shropshire navigate questions such as where did your characters grow MacLeod p.58 Tutors: Richard Beard & up? What’s your narrative arc? And, crucially – where do Arzu Tahsin p.62 31 you go from here? FICTION SHORT COURSE Nikesh Shukla is the author of three novels. 40 Mon to Thurs 28 His latest, The One Who Wrote Destiny, was 41 September–1 October published in 2018. His debut novel, Coconut The Hurst, Devon Unlimited, was shortlisted for the Costa Book Tutors: Emma Hooper & Award (First Novel). Nikesh is the editor of Jason Hewitt p.59 the bestselling essay collection The Good Immigrant. 32 FICTION Angelique Tran Van Sang is Commissioning 12–17 October Editor at Bloomsbury. She has worked with Lumb Bank, Yorkshire many bestselling and prize-winning fiction Tutors: Chibundu Onuzo authors including Kamila Shamsie and & Lucy Hughes-Hallett Georgina Harding, and her own authors p.60 include Jenny Zhang, Ashleigh Young and Alexander Chee.

Guest Niki Chang is a literary agent at The Good Literary Agency. She works with a wide range of writers of both literary and commercial fiction and non-fiction from under- represented backgrounds. 27 April–2 May, Totleigh Barton Lumb Bank, Friday 8–Sunday 10 May

14 STARTING TO WRITE 15 FICTION SHORT COURSE FICTION Finishing it

Finding the right direction It’s easy enough to start something, but not always so easy to get to the end of that daunting first draft. It seems Every writer, even the most experienced, finds the blank to be a common problem for writers, from those starting page daunting. How do I begin to make a start? This week out to those who are more experienced. How do you keep we’ll offer you the encouragement and inspiration to get motivated and keep your ideas on track – especially when going. In a supportive atmosphere of experiment and play, the demons of doubt and distraction come knocking? We we’ll help you focus on those aspects of fiction writing – will offer helpful advice and fun exercises to encourage you character, setting, point of view – that will help you discover to keep going. We’ll also be honest about the graft involved and develop your stories and your writing voice. in putting a novel together, and give you different ways of approaching the challenging but rewarding act of writing on Mark Haddon is the author of The Curious a daily basis. Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, A Spot of Bother and The Red House. He has also Emma Jane Unsworth is an award-winning 42 43 written for the stage, television and radio. His novelist and screenwriter. She adapted her latest novel, The Porpoise, is a response to novel Animals into a film, which premiered at Shakespeare’s Pericles. Sundance in 2019. Her third novel, Adults, will be published in February 2020. She is writing Jane Feaver is a novelist and short story a fourth novel, as well as adapting Adults for writer. Her books include According to Ruth, television. Love Me Tender and An Inventory of Heaven. Her memoir Crazy is due out in 2021. Jane is a Mark Watson is the acclaimed author of six senior lecturer at Exeter University. novels, including Eleven and Hotel Alpha. He is also an award-winning stand-up comedian. Guest Shahnaz Ahsan is the author of Hashim & Family. She is also an award-winning writer of short stories, has written a screenplay and writes articles on issues of multiculturalism, race, religion and society. 11–16 May, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 11–16 May

16 STARTING TO WRITE 17 FICTION A NOVEL Tales of crisis, words of hope

From your head to the page What stories will emerge from this era of ecological and This course will explore the essential aspects of starting to write social upheaval? What kind of fiction can include the a novel – finding and sustaining an authentic voice, creating natural world, of which the human story is only a part? rich characters and developing plot. You will look at what This course is for writers who feel challenged and inspired makes a narrative voice compelling for readers and how voice by the times ahead. We will consider old and new ways of can help to build character, drive plot and produce dramatic writing about our predicament – including dystopia, but tension. We will explore how dialogue can be made genuine also reaching beyond it, to a literature that inhabits and and purposeful. Working in a writing community for the week celebrates the Earth. will enable you to receive and give feedback in a supportive space. You will discover how dialogue can be used to generate Gregory Norminton is the author of two dramatic traction, and reflect on ‘What your story is about’ in story collections and five novels, most recently terms of the underlying message(s) of your narrative and how The Devil’s Highway. 44 to approach the development of your characters. We will help 45 you discover energy and inspiration to give your writing new Liz Jensen is the author of eight novels meanings and renewed vigour. including the Hollywood-adapted The Ninth Life of Louis Drax. Her work, which spans Kerry Young has written three novels, Pao, speculative and historical fiction, comedy Gloria and Show Me A Mountain. Her work has and psychological suspense, has appeared been short- or longlisted for the Costa First Novel in anthologies, been broadcast on radio, and Award, Commonwealth Book Prize, Bocas Prize translated into 20 languages. for Caribbean Literature and the East Midlands Book Award. Guest Ben Smith is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Plymouth University, specialising Tyler Keevil is a novelist, short story writer and in environmental literature. His first poetry Lecturer in Creative Writing at Cardiff University. pamphlet, Sky Burials, was published by He has received several awards for his work, Worple Press. Doggerland is his first novel. including the Journey Prize and the Wales Book of the Year People’s Prize.

Guest Rosalind Stopps’ first novel was published at the age of 64, but five earlier ones never made it. She lives a life full of people and dogs. 25–30 May, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 8–13 June

18 FICTION 19 EDITING A NOVEL Perspiration to inspiration Making writing work

This course is for anyone who wants to get better at writing Are you close to finishing a manuscript? Maybe you’re fiction, from the complete beginner to someone with a stuck, or looking at a manuscript that somehow still doesn’t finished novel under their belt. Writing well means striking work? This course, led by a novelist and an editor, will a paradoxical balance between instinct and judgement. guide you through the necessary re-writing, re-thinking and The course will address both aspects: the spontaneous, revision from the beginning to the end of your novel. We’ll free, instinctive impulse towards self-expression; and also help you to understand the process of publication, the complementary need for understanding the goals from submission to a publisher or agent, through to the of storytelling. Together we will sharpen your sense of marketing of your book. We’ll help you sharpen and how a story works and discover that even the low points structure the story you want to tell, and use our experience – distraction, hopelessness, stuckness – can provide to provide a sounding board as to how readers might react invaluable assistance towards the final goal of truly finishing. to it. We say ‘the story you want to tell’, because ultimately it is your creation. 46 Marcel Theroux is a prize-winning writer 47 and broadcaster. He has published five Patricia Duncker is the author of six novels novels, most recently The Secret Books, has and two collections of short stories. Her work written a number of original screenplays, and includes Hallucinating Foucault and Sophie written and presented more than a dozen and the Sibyl. She is Professor Emeritus at the documentaries. University of Manchester.

Jenny Parrott has worked at Bloomsbury, Richard Beswick is Publishing Director Little, Brown and HarperCollins and is currently at Little, Brown and Abacus. He has publishing director of the Point Blank literary commissioned and edited a range of fiction crime imprint at Oneworld. and non-fiction, working with writers including Beryl Bainbridge, Alexander McCall Smith, Guest Michael Donkor is the author of the Vikram Seth, Donna Tartt and Robert Winder. novel Hold, longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and shortlisted for the Guest Jo Unwin is a literary agent, previously Desmond Elliott Prize. at Conville and Walsh and currently Jo Unwin Literary Agency. She represents authors of literary fiction, commercial women’s fiction, comic writing and narrative non-fiction. 15–20 June, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 22–27 June

20 CRIME FICTION 21 SHORT STORY The killer inside you A miracle in a matchbox

Are you duplicitous, deceptive, an evil mastermind hatching Short stories offer huge freedom for creative play and plans for world domination? Then crime fiction is for you! experimentation, but they require great discipline and The bestselling genre in the UK is a thriving place for all precision to make an emotional impact on the reader. manner of literary miscreants, from those that lurk in the Together we’ll explore the essential skills of great story dark corners of history to those who play the game for writing, including: how to come up with original ideas; how governments or make home the place where the horror to develop arresting core images; plots that grab a reader is. Our course will release your inner demons and turn and don’t let go; creating conflict and characters with depth; them into compelling fiction. We’ll explore different areas editing; and engineering powerful endings. We’ll lift the lid of the genre – hardboiled, historical, spy, domestic, police on examples of classic and contemporary short stories to procedural, detective, noir – and we'll look at how to explore the machinery that drives them. And through one- turn sources of inspiration into corking plots, compelling to-one tutorials, we’ll discuss practical solutions to take your characterisation and the forensic skill of editing. We’ll writing to the next level. Whether you’re a beginner or a be taking down your own particulars with one-to-one pro, a fantastical absurdist or a gritty realist, you’ll soon be 48 49 tutorials aimed at getting your work ready for the court of writing stories that will linger long in your readers’ minds. publication. Bring your cunning schemes, nerve and verve – the game’s afoot! Adam Marek is the award-winning author of two short story collections: Instruction Manual Cathi Unsworth is the author of six pop- for Swallowing and The Stone Thrower. His cultural noir novels, often based on real-life work has appeared on BBC Radio 4 and in The unsolved crimes, and Defying Gravity, the life Penguin Book of the British Short Story. and times of punk icon Jordan. Zoe Gilbert’s short stories have been Alex Reeve writes the Leo Stanhope novels. published widely, broadcast on BBC radio and He’s been a Richard and Judy Book Club pick won prizes including the Costa Short Story and shortlisted for both a CWA Dagger and an Award. Her first novel, Folk, was shortlisted for RSL Prize. the Dylan Thomas Prize 2019.

Guest Alison Hennessey has worked in Guest Eley Williams’s collection of prose publishing for over 16 years and now runs the Attrib. and Other Stories won the Republic of Raven Books imprint at Bloomsbury. Consciousness Prize and the James Tait Black Prize 2018. 6 –11 July, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 13–18 July

22 EDITING FICTION 23 EXPERIMENTAL FICTION Make your writing sing Freedom and structure

Once you’ve completed the first draft of your novel or Are you the kind of writer who feels exhilarated by taking short story, the hard but thrilling process of editing begins. risks? Do you feel curious about the possibilities of tight Aimed at writers who have completed a draft, this course restrictions, prompts, and looking at writing in a different will take you through the different facets of a great work way? Or are you simply interested in trying something out of and help you navigate some of the pitfalls common to new the ordinary? During this course we’ll explore what it means writers. Working with an author known for the precision to write experimentally, leaving our preconceptions behind, of his prose, and an experienced editor with in-depth and combining freedom with structure to create genuinely knowledge of the publishing industry, you will deepen your exciting work, whatever your goal. characters, trim dead weight from your plot, and fine-tune your sentences until they sing from the page. Approaching Toby Litt is the author of four books of short your writing with an open mind and fresh eyes, this course stories and 12 novels, including deadkidsongs will help you make your fiction as good as it can be, and and Patience. He runs the MFA in Creative give you the confidence and drive to do what it takes to 50 Writing at Birkbeck College. 51 write the best possible version of your work. We’ll invite you to send a short, polished extract and a synopsis before the is an award-winning course begins. Sophie Mackintosh short story writer and the author of The Water Cure, which was longlisted for the 2018 Man Cynan Jones is a prize-winning author whose Booker Prize. Her next novel, Blue Ticket, is work has been published in over 20 countries published in 2020. and in numerous publications including Granta magazine and the New Yorker. Guest Kevin Barry is the award-winning author of the novels Beatlebone and City of Anne Meadows is Editorial Director at Granta Bohane and the story collections Dark Lies the Books, where she works with a range of Island and There are Little Kingdoms. writers, from debut novelists to established, prize-winning authors.

Guest Rowan Hisayo Buchanan is the author of Harmless Like You and Starling Days. She has won the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and a Betty Trask Award. 27 July–1 August, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 10–15 August

24 FICTION: 25 WRITING A NOVEL WORK-IN-PROGRESS Finding your voice and developing Reach wider and deeper in your fiction your story

This course will equip you with a versatile set of writing This will be a lively week of productive experimentation, tools to deepen and widen the reach within your fiction. creative surprises and practical support as you work on Alternate workshops with Amanda and Richard will guide your novel. Suitable for both the shy beginner and the you on all aspects of the process: the importance of place more experienced writer, this course will stimulate your in an imagined world; the crucial difference between story imagination and help you to find your own unique style. and plot; creating strong, believable characters; and the We will give propulsion to your story and also provide the daunting questions when it comes to editing. Come with a tools to continue with your book once you’ve left The Hurst. work-in-progress and you will finish the course with a firmer Most of all, the week will be fun. idea of where to go next. Stephen May is the author of five novels Amanda Smyth’s first novel, Black Rock, including We Don’t Die of Love and Life! 52 won the Prix du Premier Roman Etranger and Death! Prizes! He has been shortlisted for 53 was selected as an Oprah Winfrey summer the Costa Novel Award and the Guardian's Not read. Her short stories have appeared in the Booker Prize. New Writing, London Magazine, The Times Literary Supplement and been broadcast on Samantha Harvey is the author of four BBC Radio 4. She is currently writing her third novels, The Wilderness, All Is Song, Dear novel, Fortune. Thief and The Western Wind. Her novels have been short- and longlisted for various prizes Richard Skinner has published four books: including the Orange Prize, the Guardian First three novels and a book of non-fiction, Writing Book Award, the Walter Scott Prize, the Baileys a Novel. His work has been nominated for Women’s Prize and the Man Booker. prizes and is published in eight languages. Richard is Director of the Fiction Programme at Guest Gautam Malkani is author of the Faber Academy. 2018 novel Distortion. His debut novel was Londonstani and he spent 19 years as an editor Guest AL Kennedy is the author of 21 books: and journalist at the Financial Times. nine novels, six short story collections, three works of non-fiction and three books for children. 17–22 August, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 31 August–5 September

26 FICTION 27 FICTION TUTORED RETREAT Give your writing a boost Make a deeper commitment to

You’ve been writing, you’ve worked hard, and you’ve the writing life already taken several steps along your writing path. But Have you ever cheated on your novel? What does it take to now it’s time for a boost of inspiration and encouragement. get to the end of a long writing project in one piece, and still How can you take an unexpected event or overheard in love? Novels are like relationships; they take commitment, conversation, a word of advice or a strange sight, and and this course will help you conquer the self-doubt and spin them into the fabric of your fictional world? Together endless distraction that gets in the way of would-be stories we’ll find moments of insight, challenge and provoke with that the world might really need. Structured time alone writing exercises, and share experiences in this beautiful, with your project will be supported by the presence of other secluded place. Bring a notebook, your imagination, and people who are doing exactly the same thing as you are, a story to tell. and professional feedback will be on hand from seasoned writers who understand that the journey is tough but also Kirsty Logan is the author of two novels, The achievable. Participants are invited to send 1,000 words 54 Gloaming and The Gracekeepers, and two for us to read in advance to [email protected] by 55 story collections, A Portable Shelter and The Friday 31 July. Rental Heart.

Tim Pears has written 11 novels, including Diana Evans is the multi-award-winning In the Place of Fallen Leaves (awarded the author of Ordinary People, The Wonder and Hawthornden Prize), Landed and the West 26a, and an Associate Lecturer in Creative Country Trilogy. Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Guest Mahsuda Snaith is a winner of the SI Chris Cleave’s award-winning novels have Leeds Prize and Bristol Short Story Prize. Her been published in 30 countries. His most novels include The Things We Thought We Knew recent novel, Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, was and How to Find Home, which was read on published in 2016. BBC Radio 4. Guest Jessie Greengrass is the author of the short story collection An Account of the Decline of the Great Auk, According to One Who Saw It and the novel Sight, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. 31 August–5 September, The Hurst Lumb Bank, 14–19 September

28 HISTORICAL FICTION 29 SCI-FI AND FANTASY Inventing the past for readers Building fantastical worlds

of tomorrow Science fiction and fantasy encompasses a dazzling array of potential worlds and stories. The scope is so wide it can How do you create a sense of time and place in the be hard to know where to begin. Designed for budding historical novel? Where do you draw the line between writers of SFF, this course gives you the tools to understand period language and modern readability? How much the opportunities these exciting genres can offer. This wriggle room is there where authenticity of character and includes specialised techniques such as world-building morality is concerned? Research is a creative boon – but and creation of magical and technological ‘systems’, and is it also a limitation? And what about dialogue? How a robust grounding in technical aspects of the craft – many ‘prithees’ do you actually need? In this course we will storytelling, character creation and writing style. Delivered consider a diversity of approaches to the genre to accelerate by two award-winning SFF authors, this course also gives your development as writers of historical fiction. the opportunity for you to examine and overcome your own writing blocks. Diane Setterfield is the bestselling author of 56 The Thirteenth Tale, Bellman & Black and Once 57 Emma Newman is an award-winning Upon a River. Her work has been adapted for writer of short stories, novels and novellas in TV (but the books are better). multiple speculative fiction genres, and also a professional audiobook narrator. Andrew Taylor is a bestselling crime and historical novelist. A triple winner of the Gareth Powell is a bestselling SF author. He Historical Dagger, he thinks, like Novalis, that has twice won the BSFA Award for Best Novel novels arise from the shortcomings of history. and his writing guide, About Writing, is an essential resource for aspiring authors. Guest Sara Collins is the author of the novel The Confessions of Frannie Langton. She has Guest Temi Oh graduated with a BSc in a master’s degree in Creative Writing from Neuroscience and went on to pursue an MA Cambridge University. in Creative Writing. Her novel Do You Dream of Terra-Two? was published by Simon and Schuster in January 2019. 21–26 September 2020, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, Mon 28 September–Thurs 1 October

30 SHORT STORY 31 FICTION SHORT COURSE Igniting the spark From first page to first draft

On this course, you will explore the strategies and Have an idea for a novel but don’t quite know where to techniques short story writers often use to bring a story to start? Bringing stories, characters and whole worlds to life life. How do we as writers find that life-giving spark? What can be exhilarating; our imagination sparks with the endless are the dynamics that sustain the tension and the power of a possibilities and with the thrill of creating something magical short story, page by page? Why do stories sometimes seem and truly ours. However, when faced with that opening blank to fizzle out? What elements create the unique ‘charge’ of page, enthusiasm can falter. This short taster course will help a good story? We will explore openings and conclusions; you make the initial leap. We’ll teach you how to sustain the the art of revelation and compression; and the crafting of reader’s interest, create believable characters, find your voice, voice, dialogue and imagery. We will learn together from and, perhaps most importantly, help you stay motivated to published stories, and experiment with new approaches and get to ‘the end’. We’ll cover the basics of writing a novel and ideas. You will work with two experienced short story writers provide you with inspirational activities to ease the process, as who love the form, both its possibilities and its challenges. well as time to test out and develop your ideas. Whether you are a complete novice or a short story writer looking to take 58 59 Tom Lee is the author of a collection of short on something more ambitious, this course will provide you stories, Greenfly, and a novel, The Alarming with practical tools and the self-belief to take those confident Palsy of James Orr. He teaches creative writing steps towards completing your first draft. at Goldsmiths, University of London, and is Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Emma Hooper is the author of the Greenwich. internationally bestselling and award-winning Etta and Otto and Russell and James and Our Alison MacLeod’s last short story collection, Homesick Songs, with further publications in All the Beloved Ghosts, was shortlisted for Timothy McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, the the Edge Hill Prize and Canada’s Governor Guardian and Elle magazine. General’s Award. Her most recent novel, Unexploded, was longlisted for the Booker Jason Hewitt’s debut novel The Dynamite Room Prize. was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize for new fiction, while Devastation Road was Guest Chris Power’s short story collection longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Mothers was published in 2018. His fiction has Fiction. He is also a playwright. appeared in Granta, The Stinging Fly and The White Review, and been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. 12–17 October, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 19–24 October

32 FICTION 33 EDITING FICTION Bringing the imaginary to life From first draft to published work

A world a reader can step into, believable characters and a How does the first draft become a published work? From compelling story: these are what most of us love about the editing your own first draft to working with a commissioning fiction that moves us. Join us in stimulating discussions, and editor, this course will explore character, plotting, setting and take part in writing exercises designed to explore narrative editing. It will explore when to cut and when to add, and voice, setting, character, dialogue and plot structure. Every how to trust your own instincts and your editor’s. Led by a novel or short story is unique, but every fiction writer is novelist and editor, the course will also look at the process of confronted with the same questions: what’s happening, submitting to agents and publishers, considering how and where, when and to whom, and who is telling the story? when to send your work out to the publishing industry. Bring your work-in-progress for editorial advice, or come prepared to write your first fiction with the tutors’ expert Ayisha Malik is author of the critically guidance and support. acclaimed Sofia Khan series and the novel This Green and Pleasant Land, and is the 60 Chibundu Onuzo is the author of The Spider ghostwriter for Great British Bake Off winner 61 King’s Daughter and Welcome to Lagos and is Nadiya Hussain. She is a WH Smith Fresh a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Talent pick, and has also been shortlisted for The Asian Women of Achievement Award and Lucy Hughes-Hallett has written a novel, Marie Claire’s Future Shapers’ Awards. Peculiar Ground, and a collection of short stories. Her biography The Pike: Gabriele Ailah Ahmed is Editorial Director of Little, D’Annunzio won the Samuel Johnson Prize, the Brown and Virago Press. She publishes critically Duff Cooper Prize and the Costa Biography acclaimed novelists Andrew Sean Greer Award. (winner of the Pulitzer Prize) and Chigozie Obioma (shortlisted for the Booker Prize). The Guest Stuart Turton’s The Seven Deaths first half of her career was spent at Canongate of Evelyn Hardcastle won the Books Are My Books where she published Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale Bag Readers Award for Best Novel and was for the Time Being (shortlisted for the Booker). shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. Guest Sam Copeland is an agent and director at Rogers, Coleridge and White. His writers have won or been shortlisted for over 20 major prizes, including the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. 2–7 November, The Hurst

34 EDITING FICTION TUTORED RETREAT Nothing is sacred POETRY Whether you have been edited before or this is your first experience of showing your work to a professional, we aim to share our enthusiasm for editing as an indispensable and inspiring part of the writing process. Whatever stage the material is at, every edit can be seen as a mini creative writing course, improving instincts for pacing, setting, drama and characterisation. Nothing is sacred and editing is always a creative act. We’ll help hone those tricky early chapters, as well as identifying the key areas of your novel which need the most attention. Participants are invited to send 1,500 words to [email protected] by Friday 2 October for the tutors to 62 read in advance. 63 Richard Beard’s six novels include Lazarus is Dead, Dry Bones and Damascus, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His most recent novel Acts of the Assassins was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize and his memoir The Day That Went Missing won the 2018 PEN Ackerley Award.

Arzu Tahsin has over 25 years of editorial experience, most recently as Publishing Director at Weidenfeld & Nicolson. She has published prize-winning authors including Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner), Malala Yousafzai (I Am Malala) and Téa Obreht (The Tiger’s Wife).

Guest Claire Adam won the Desmond Elliott Prize 2019 for her debut novel Golden Child. 35 39 43 46 POETRY POETRY: TOWARDS POETRY PROSE POETRY 30 March–4 April A COLLECTION 31 August–5 19–24 October The Hurst, Shropshire 1–6 June September Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Jo Shapcott & Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Anne Caldwell & Deryn Rees-Jones p.66 Tutors: Ann Sansom & Tutors: Jacob Polley & Sophie Collins p.77 Peter Sansom p.70 Karen McCarthy Woolf 36 p.74 47 POETRY: TOWARDS 40 POETRY SHORT A COLLECTION POETRY 44 COURSE 20–25 April 15–20 June POETRY SHORT Mon to Thurs 2–5 Totleigh Barton, Devon Totleigh Barton, Devon COURSE November Tutors: Jane Commane & Tutors: Andrew McMillan Fri to Sun 2–4 October Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Jacqueline Saphra p.67 & Hannah Lowe p.71 The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Roger Robinson & Tutors: Mona Arshi & Clare Shaw p.78 37 41 Malika Booker p.75 POETRY TUTORED QUEER POETRY 48 64 RETREAT 3–8 August 45 POETRY 65 4–9 May Totleigh Barton, Devon POETRY TOWARDS 2–7 November The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Caroline Bird & A COLLECTION Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Michael Laskey & Richard Scott p.72 12–17 October Tutors: George Szirtes & Helena Nelson p.68 The Hurst, Shropshire Clare Pollard p.79 42 Tutors: Fiona Sampson & 38 POETRY Sean O’Brien p.76 POETRY 17–22 August 18–23 May The Hurst, Shropshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Jack Underwood Tutors: Liz Berry & Niall & Rachael Allen p.73 Campbell p.69 30 March–4 April, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 20–25 April

35 POETRY 36 POETRY: TOWARDS Risks to transformations A COLLECTION

Whether you are beginning to write, or have been writing Training your poems to work together for a while and want to develop something that feels like your own particular style, this course offers you an If you’ve been writing for a while and have built up a opportunity to take risks with your writing. Together we substantial body of work, you’re no doubt asking yourself will explore the potential for creating a distinctive voice, what your poems might add up to if you gather them into experimenting with both poetic form and ideas about what one manuscript. What makes for a successful, cohesive it is a poem can do. collection? How do you select and order your poems in your own unique way? Learn to become your best self-editor and Jo Shapcott’s most recent collection, Of develop your creative, critical confidence through the week. Mutability, won the Costa Book Award (Poetry). Using inspirational and playful strategies and technical as In 2011 she was awarded the Queen’s Gold well as creative exercises, we’ll look at ways of identifying your Medal for Poetry. Poems from her previous key themes, narrative threads, preoccupations, strengths and weaknesses – and gaps to fill. Be prepared to write bold, fresh 66 award-winning collections are gathered in a 67 collection of selected poems, Her Book. work and to be surprised by new poems that find you just when you least expect them. Deryn Rees-Jones is a poet, critic and editor of the Pavilion Poetry series (Liverpool Jane Commane’s first collection is Assembly Lines University Press). Her most recent book of (Bloodaxe, 2018) and she is editor at Nine Arches poems is Erato (Seren, 2019); Paula Rego: The Press, co-editor of Under the Radar magazine and Art of Story is published by Thames & Hudson co-author (with Jo Bell) of How to Be a Poet. She (2019). is a Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellow.

Guest Bhanu Kapil is the author of five books Jacqueline Saphra’s second collection All My of poetry and prose: The Vertical Interrogation Mad Mothers was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize of Strangers, Incubation: A Space for Monsters, 2017. Her latest collection is Dad, Remember You Humanimal: A Project for Future Children, are Dead. She teaches for The Poetry School. Schizophrene and Ban en Banlieue. Guest Nick Makoha’s debut collection Kingdom of Gravity was nominated by the Guardian as one of the best books of 2017. 4–9 May, The Hurst Lumb Bank, 18–23 May

37 POETRY TUTORED RETREAT 38 POETRY The poems only you can write Getting to the heart of things

“The role, the rise, the carol, the creation” (Gerard Manley If to write for the heart, we must first write from the heart, Hopkins). Writing poetry is a joy, but sometimes our fires how do we begin this deep work? How do we create poems need feeding. Through detailed, sympathetic and challenging which are both tender and carefully crafted, which touch our responses to your current work, we will help you rediscover readers and allow connections to be felt? In this course we’ll the absorbing pleasures of developing and honing the poems explore how to write the poems we long to write and how that only you can write. We expect you to be productive, to form, play and poetic craft can help us with this work of the have fun, and to surprise yourself and us – all in the glorious heart. Poets at all stages are welcome on this course. setting of the house and grounds of The Hurst. There will be space and time galore for uninterrupted writing, as well as optional short daily bursts of creative reading to spur you on. Liz Berry is the author of two award-winning Participants are invited to send three or four sample poems poetry collections: Black Country (Chatto, 2014) for us to read in advance (not more than 120 lines in total) to and The Republic of Motherhood (Chatto, [email protected] by Friday 3 April. 2018). 68 69 Niall Campbell is a poet from the Outer Michael Laskey co-founded the Aldeburgh Hebrides. Moontide (2014) won the Edwin Poetry Festival and edited the poetry magazine Morgan Poetry Award and Saltire First Book of Smiths Knoll for 21 years. He has published five the Year. Noctuary (2019) was shortlisted for full collections and most recently a pamphlet, the Forward Prize for Best Collection. The Very Selected. He runs The Garlic Press. Guest Roy McFarlane’s debut collection was Helena Nelson’s Starlight on Water was a Beginning With Your Last Breath (Nine Arches Jerwood Aldeburgh first collection prize-winner. Press, 2016), followed by The Healing Next Time Since then she has published collections of both (2018), nominated for the Ted Hughes Award, serious and light verse, as well as setting up the Jhalak Prize and a Poetry Book Society and running the award-winning HappenStance recommendation. Press.

Guest Dean Parkin has published four pamphlets, one full collection, The Swan Machine and, most recently, The Bubble Wrap, for children. 1–6 June, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 15–20 June

39 POETRY: TOWARDS 40 POETRY A COLLECTION Mining personal histories

Writing quickly, writing genuinely Welcoming and encouraging for both new and experienced In this extraordinary course we will hope to develop a short poets, and focusing particularly on the enjoyment of making collection in just one week. Beforehand you will be sent a new poems, this course is designed to mine personal small reading and writing task, so that we will hit the ground histories and push our subject matter further. Prompted running. Drawing on a range of classic and contemporary by a stimulating variety of accessible modern poems and verse, we will write new poems in each morning session, focusing on the vital elements of imagery and music, we some of which will be drafted during the rest of the day. will discover exciting ways to rethink our past and find new Advice will be given on strengthening new and existing language to capture our contemporary moment. poems, which you are encouraged to bring with you, and on putting them together into a coherent short collection. Andrew McMillan’s two collections are The course will also address fundamental principles of the multi-award-winning physical and, most the practice of poetry, including form, imagery, ‘eloquent’ recently, playtime. He is Senior Lecturer in the Manchester Writing School at Manchester 70 detail and voice; as well as finding possible ways towards 71 publication. This will be a challenging but hugely enjoyable Metropolitan University. week, which is sure to move your writing on a long way. Hannah Lowe has published two full Ann Sansom’s poetry books are published by collections of poetry: Chick, which won the Bloodaxe, with a new collection forthcoming. Michael Murphy Memorial Award for Best First Ann has been a visiting writer at Leeds and Collection, and Chan. She has published four Sheffield Hallam universities, as well as a guest chapbooks – most recently, The Neighbourhood poet at Tes. – and a family memoir, Long Time No See.

Peter Sansom’s six books for Carcanet include Guest Toby Campion’s debut collection, Selected Poems and Careful What You Wish For. Through Your Blood, was longlisted for the Writing Poems is published by Bloodaxe. With Polari First Book Prize and his work was highly Ann Sansom he is a co-director of The Poetry commended in the Forward Poetry Prizes 2019. Business in Sheffield.

Guest Warda Yassin won the 2018 New Poets Prize. Her debut pamphlet is Tea with Cardamom. 3–8 August, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 17–22 August

41 QUEER POETRY 42 POETRY Using your own fire Making the most of the external world

“You cannot use someone else’s fire. You have to use your This course will focus on how poets can draw broad and own” (Audre Lorde). What makes a poem queer, and how various stimuli into their poems. Taking inspiration from a do you write one? We instinctively understand that poetry diverse pool of materials, including visual art, genre fiction, springs from ourselves, our own visual imaginations, so how theory, pop music, leaves, dreams, animals and buildings, do we shed our fears and use our own fire to write explicitly, we will consider what exists outside of a poem and how this unapologetically and joyously? During this, the first queer can imbue our writing with a sense of hybridity and brand- poetry week run by Arvon, we will create a safe space to newness. Alongside this, we will consider poets who have generate new work (lots of it!) and explore our sexualities on made this practice a part of their own writing, focusing the page. Looking at sex, gay pride and gay shame, queer on contemporary writers who utilise various practices and theory and ancestry, as well as how language and form specialisms so that their poems breach the usual confines of themselves might be queered, this week is for anyone who what we expect a poem to ‘be’. Be prepared to upend usual identifies as queer and wants to write towards that, in hope. conceptions of poems while working with other forms, so that your poems may break new ground. 72 73 Caroline Bird has five collections of poetry published by Carcanet. Her most recent, In Jack Underwood’s collection Happiness These Days of Prohibition, was shortlisted for was published in 2015 and was winner of the the 2017 Ted Hughes Award and the TS Eliot Somerset Maugham Award. He also writes Prize. essays, short fiction and criticism, and is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths Richard Scott’s pamphlet Wound (Rialto) won College. the Michael Marks Award for Poetry 2016 and his poem Crocodile won the 2017 Poetry Rachael Allen’s first collection, Kingdomland, London Competition. Soho (2018, Faber & is published by Faber & Faber. She is the poetry Faber) is his first book. editor at Granta, and writes on poetry for Tank magazine, The White Review and Music & Guest Mary Jean Chan is an editor of Oxford Literature. Poetry, advisory board member at the Poetry Translation Centre, and a member of the Folio Guest Sandeep Parmar is a poet, critic and Prize Academy. Flèche (Faber & Faber) is her Professor of English at the University of Liverpool. first book. Her books include Eidolon and The Marble Orchard. She co-directs Liverpool’s Centre for New and International Writing. 31 August–5 September, Lumb Bank The Hurst, Friday 2–Sunday 4 October

43 POETRY 44 POETRY SHORT COURSE Exploring the lyric self Waking up your poems

For poets at every level, this course will encourage new and Is your notebook full of uncompleted and abandoned vibrant approaches to generating work and sharing it. How poems? Are you constantly re-writing the same default do we write the self? Where does it reside? What might we poem? This course aims to provide different stimuli and do to release other selves? Bring your notebook and writing strategies for pushing past blocks, managing complex tools, to explore how a sense of diverse and inclusive poetics ideas and staying with the poem even when it feels and varied formal techniques can enrich your reading and uncomfortable. Aimed at beginning and intermediate writing life. You may have poems on the go, or be brewing poets, we will revitalise our work as well as kick-start new something that just needs the time, space and fizz of the ones. Come armed with those ready-made ingredients workshop to happen on the page. The tutors will tailor the like a notebook of drafts, work-in-progress and course to the individual needs of the participants. Come exploratory themes. This workshop is ideal for anyone prepared to write, to read, and with a sense of exploratory who is keen to step out of their comfort zone to make openness to forms and approaches, both new and traditional. fresh and original poems.

74 75 Jacob Polley won the 2016 TS Eliot Prize Mona Arshi is a poet and a lawyer. Her for his fourth book of poems, Jackself. He is debut collection Small Hands (Pavilion Poetry, Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle Liverpool University Press) won the Forward University and lives with his family on the North Prize for Best First Collection in 2015. Her East coast. second collection Dear Big Gods was published by Pavilion Poetry in 2019. Karen McCarthy Woolf is a Fulbright Scholar/Writer in Residence at the Promise Malika Booker is an award-winning poet, who Institute for Human Rights at UCLA. Her latest is published with the poets Sharon Olds and book is Seasonal Disturbances, which explores Warsan Shire in Penguin Modern Poets 3: Your nature, the city, the sacred and the self. Family, Your Body (2017) and currently lectures at Manchester Metropolitan University. Guest Kayo Chingonyi’s latest book, Kumukanda (Chatto & Windus, 2017) was a Guardian and Telegraph book of the year and won the Dylan Thomas Prize and a Somerset Maugham Award. Kayo is Poetry Editor for The White Review. 12–17 October, The Hurst Lumb Bank, 19–24 October

45 POETRY: TOWARDS 46 PROSE POETRY A COLLECTION A week of formal and narrative play

Developing the character What is prose poetry? Why is it resurfacing now as a of your own poetry popular mode of writing? What are the ways into writing in this innovative form? We will cover topics such as starting Are you at 'that' stage, wondering whether the poems you’ve points for the prose poem and the notoriously tricky subject been working on have the makings of a book? The move of editing. By discussing various historical and contemporary from thinking one poem at a time to visualising series and examples of the prose poem, we will not attempt to pin sequences can be scary as well as exciting. This course is it down but to simply enable writers to explore its many designed to support you through that transition, by looking manifestations, to develop their own work and share its at strategies for harnessing your existing poems so that delights with others. This course is suitable for beginners they work with each other, and also creating new work that as well as more experienced writers, and for those coming speaks to what you’ve already written. We can’t guarantee from either poetry or prose backgrounds. As well as the that you’ll come away with a finished manuscript. But we workshops and one-to-one tutorials, there will be plenty of can promise to stimulate your ideas, stretch your writing, space to write and play with the creative possibilities that 76 77 and help you gain new insights into the character of your prose poetry offers. own poetry. Anne Caldwell is a poet and short fiction Fiona Sampson has received a number writer. She has recently co-edited The Valley of national and international honours for Press Anthology of Prose Poetry and has a new her poetry, which has been published in 37 collection of prose poetry forthcoming with languages. Her eighth collection, Come Down, Valley Press. was published in 2019. Sophie Collins is the author of Who Is Mary Sean O’Brien has received the TS Eliot and Sue? (Faber, 2018) and small white monkeys Forward Prizes. His ninth collection, Europa, (Book Works, 2017). She is a Fellow of the was published in 2018 and a new collection Royal Society for Literature and a lecturer at the will appear in 2020. He is Professor of Creative University of Glasgow. Writing at Newcastle University. Guest Luke Kennard is a poet and novelist Guest Kim Moore’s first collection, The Art of who lectures at the University of Birmingham. Falling (Seren, 2015), won the 2016 Geoffrey His fifth collection, Cain, was shortlisted for the Faber Memorial Prize. International Dylan Thomas Prize in 2017. Monday 2–Thursday 5 November, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 2–7 November

47 POETRY SHORT COURSE 48 POETRY Getting poems done Form, freedom and discovery

If you are having trouble getting ideas down and finished, Form, freedom and tension are the engines at the heart of then this is the course for you. Studying a diverse range living verse. This course looks at how poems start, expand, of poems and their techniques, we will create many first move and break to land the poet in new, vital territory. drafts. We will then take those first drafts through an editing Drawing on examples from around the world, from micro- process to the finished poem. Perfect for those who are just forms like the haiku to the Somali Gabay, and exploring starting out, haven’t produced poems in a while, or are how forms translate across cultures, this course will be a rich trying to extend their body of work, this rigorous – yet fun – mixture of international reading, exercises and conversation, course will take your writing to the next level. Close reading, taking your work in new directions. writing sessions and tutor feedback will be the main focus of this well-structured week, dedicated to your poetry. George Szirtes’s first book of poems was The Slant Door in 1979. Reel (2004) won the Roger Robinson is a writer who has TS Eliot Prize, for which he has been twice 78 performed worldwide and is an experienced shortlisted since. His latest is Mapping the 79 workshop leader and lecturer on poetry. Delta (2016). He was chosen by the arts organisation Decibel as one of 50 writers who have Clare Pollard has published five collections influenced the black-British writing canon. of poetry with Bloodaxe. She edits Modern His latest book A Portable Paradise is Poetry in Translation. Her latest book is published by Peepal Tree Press. Fierce Bad Rabbits: The Tales Behind Children’s Picture Books. Clare Shaw has three poetry collections from Bloodaxe. Often addressing political Guest Khairani Barokka is Modern Poetry and personal conflict, her poetry – like her in Translation’s inaugural poet-in-residence. workshops – is fuelled by a deep faith in Her most recent works are Indigenous the transformative and redemptive power Species (Tilted Axis) and debut collection of language. Rope (Nine Arches). 51 55 NON-FICTION NON-FICTION WORK-IN- 3–8 August NON- PROGRESS The Hurst, Shropshire 11–16 May Tutors: Horatio Clare & Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Laura Barton p.88 Tutors: Elise Valmorbida FICTION & John-Paul Flintoff p.84 56 LIFE WRITING 52 17–22 August NATURE WRITING Totleigh Barton, Devon 18–23 May Tutors: Cathy Totleigh Barton, Devon Rentzenbrink & Wyl Tutors: Tim Dee & Miriam Menmuir p.89 Darlington p.85 57 53 POPULAR NON- 80 NARRATIVE NON- FICTION 81 FICTION 14–19 September 1–6 June The Hurst, Shropshire Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Darcy Nicholson Tutors: William Atkins & & Nell Frizzell p.90 49 Marina Benjamin p.86 NON-FICTION 58 TUTORED RETREAT 54 LIFE WRITING 13–18 April MEMOIR 5–10 October The Hurst, Shropshire 27 July–1 August The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Justin Marozzi & The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Marina Rose George p.82 Tutors: Rachel Cantacuzino & Francesca Lichtenstein & Gillian Martinez p.91 50 Slovo p.87 LIFE WRITING SHORT COURSE Mon to Thu 4–7 May Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Christie Watson & Rhik Samadder p.83 13–18 April, The Hurst Lumb Bank, Monday to Thursday 4–7 May

49 NON-FICTION TUTORED 50 LIFE WRITING SHORT RETREAT COURSE Unleash your creative With head and heart non-fiction project Non-fiction is increasingly popular in all its forms. This course is ideal for anyone who wants to write narrative non-fiction It doesn’t matter whether you are writing a memoir, travel or memoir, and to develop writing skills in a supportive book, history, biography or any other work of non-fiction. and inspiring environment. We will offer detailed advice on A writer’s voice is at the heart of it. Finding your voice getting started and keeping going, structure and architecture, and developing your writing takes time and effort. This is character, description and practicalities, as well as how to your chance to do both, and we’ll be on hand to provide present and shape a non-fiction proposal to attract an agent. detailed, friendly and professional advice on structure, narrative, voice and character through focused in-depth tutorials in a nurturing and inspiring environment. This course will suit experienced writers who need time, space Christie Watson is a bestselling writer of 82 and support to develop a project. Participants are invited to both fiction and non-fiction. The Language of 83 submit up to 2,000 words of a work-in-progress, to be sent Kindness, a memoir of her 20 years as a nurse, to [email protected] by Friday 13 March. was published in 2018 and was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. It is currently being Justin Marozzi is a travel writer and historian, adapted for theatre and television. the author of six books on travel, exploration and the Muslim world. His latest book is Islamic Rhik Samadder is author of the memoir I Empires: Fifteen Cities that Define a Civilization. Never Said I Loved You. He writes first-person features for GQ, the Sunday Times and others, Rose George, a journalist and author of four and created the cult column ‘Inspect a Gadget’ books, writes about the invisible and ignored, in the Guardian. from shipping to sanitation. Her latest book is Nine Pints: A Journey through the Mysterious, Miraculous World of Blood.

Guest Damian Le Bas is an author and poet. His first book, The Stopping Places: A Journey through Gypsy Britain, won a Somerset Maugham Award. 11–16 May, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 18–23 May

51 NON-FICTION 52 NATURE WRITING WORK-IN-PROGRESS Putting wildness into words You’re closer than you think How can we refresh our seeing and ‘green up’ our writing? What is nature writing, and how does it differ from, say, Memoir, travel, self-help… Whatever you’re writing, whatever a field guide to orchids? We’ll think about the self and the your genre, there’s usually a point where you feel stuck, subject and how to balance the two, and explore how to uncertain or unfocused. Join us for this week to reboot. write positively about wildness at a time when the natural Together, we’ll explore what you’re really writing about and world is so vulnerable. Paying attention is a kind of love, how best to shape your material. And if your project is at the and our efforts begin here: getting down first words in the early concept stage, the same applies! As you bring it to life, wild (notebooks and close looking) and then moving on you’ll gain new confidence and focus. Help yourself to two from field observation to sentences and more. Nestled in multidisciplinary experts. deepest Devon countryside, Totleigh Barton in May is a feast for nature writers. Bring outdoor kit if possible, and be Elise Valmorbida is an award-winning author prepared to look at a hedge or a tree for long enough to 84 published in several languages – four novels feel it looking back at you. 85 including The Madonna of the Mountains, and non-fiction such as The Book of Happy Endings. Tim Dee writes about birds and people and Her latest non-fiction book is about creative places: Greenery, about the spring, is out in writing and wellbeing. 2020; The Running Sky was a birdwatcher’s memoir; Four Fields his version of pastoral; John-Paul Flintoff is an author, illustrator and Landfill is ripe with gulls and rubbish. theatrical improviser. He’s published five books in 16 languages (fiction and non-fiction). He set Miriam Darlington started out as a poet and up, then wrote for, the Financial Times Saturday now writes on nature and the environment magazine. in The Times. Her books are Windfall, Otter Country and Owl Sense. Guest Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor, former journalist and author of the bestselling Guest Elizabeth-Jane Burnett’s publications medical memoir Your Life in My Hands. Her include Swims, A Social Biography of second book, Dear Life (forthcoming), explores Contemporary Innovative Poetry Communities life, love, loss and death in an NHS hospice. and The Grassling. 1–6 June, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 27 July–1 August

53 NARRATIVE NON-FICTION 54 MEMOIR Finding your voice Bringing what’s in your head and

Two of the most difficult things to master in non-fiction are heart onto the page voice and structure. During this week we will help you to This course is aimed at writers of all levels. We hope find authentic ways to articulate your story, rooted in your to inspire you by offering practical techniques and tips commitments and experiences as much as your knowledge into ways of writing about your own life. We have both and research. What role does quotation play in long- written works within the memoir genre and we will use form non-fiction, and how can the words of others, from our experience to explore the technical and creative interviewees to writers, be deployed to develop your own opportunities and challenges of writing in this form. We story? Above all, we will help you to translate your own lived will focus on guiding you on the journey of turning your experiences into a form that will absorb, challenge and particular experience into a book with universal appeal. emotionally engage your readers.

William Atkins is the author of The Rachel Lichtenstein is a writer and artist. Her Immeasurable World: A Desert Journey (Faber), publications include Estuary, Diamond Street, 86 87 which won the 2019 Stanford Dolman Travel On Brick Lane and Rodinsky’s Room (with Book of the Year Award. His journalism has Iain Sinclair). Her artwork has been widely appeared in Granta, the Guardian, Harper’s exhibited both in the UK and internationally. and the New York Times. Gillian Slovo is a novelist and playwright Marina Benjamin’s works draw on poetic whose family memoir Every Secret Thing sensibilities. Her latest, Insomnia, explores the was an international bestseller. She has also joys and terrors of darkness and what it means published 14 novels, ghostwritten a memoir to live fully awake. She’s also written The and produced four verbatim plays. Middlepause, Rocket Dream, and Last Days in Babylon. Guest Geoff Thompson is a BAFTA-winning screenwriter and playwright who has published Guest Raynor Winn writes about nature, more than 40 books which have been homelessness and wild camping. Her award- translated into 21 languages. His musical We’ll winning first book was The Salt Path. Her Live and Die in These Towns premiered in 2018. second book will be published by Michael Joseph in 2020. 3–8 August, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 17–22 August

55 NON-FICTION 56 LIFE WRITING Writing to discover Mining the self for fiction and memoir

This course is aimed at writers of all levels, from beginners Do you have real-life experiences that you would like to to published authors, who wish to hone and develop their turn into a book? Whether you want to write a novel or a non-fiction, with a particular emphasis on mining personal memoir, or can’t make up your mind, this course will help experiences – your own and those of others. Taught by you to turn your raw material into a crafted narrative that two award-winning authors and journalists, the course other people will want to read. Memoirists need to think will explore a range of techniques, drawing inspiration like novelists when it comes to characterisation, dialogue and instruction from a sweep of influences, from poetry to and creating a sense of time, place and atmosphere, and features. We will study and practise the creation of places novelists need to explore the possibilities and challenges of you can feel, people you can see and hear, and stories that using their own life experiences to inspire fiction. On this grip and engross. course we will learn tools and techniques for excavating the self and bringing our stories to life on the page. Horatio Clare has won awards for his non- 88 fiction, travel and children’s books. As well as Cathy Rentzenbrink is the author of The Last 89 working as a tutor and lecturer in numerous Act of Love and A Manual for Heartache. She settings, he writes regularly for the Financial speaks and writes regularly on life, death, love Times, the Spectator, the Observer and BBC and literature, presents The Bookseller Podcast, Radio. writes a column for Prospect and reviews books for the Times. Laura Barton was a Guardian feature writer and music columnist for a decade, and now Wyl Menmuir’s first novel was nominated for writes for a variety of publications. She is also the Man Booker Prize and was an Observer a regular contributor to Radio 4. Her novel, Best Fiction of the Year pick. His short fiction Twenty-One Locks, was the recipient of a Betty has appeared in Best British Short Stories and Trask Award. Her next book, Sad Songs, will be has been published, among others, by Nightjar published in autumn 2020. Press and the National Trust.

Guest Guy Stagg is the author of The Guest Nina Stibbe is the author of two Crossway, an account of his ten-month walk works of non-fiction – Love, Nina and An from Canterbury to Jerusalem, which won an Almost Perfect Christmas – and three novels: Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award. Man at the Helm, Paradise Lodge and Reasons to be Cheerful. 14–19 September, The Hurst The Hurst, 5–10 October

57 POPULAR NON-FICTION 58 LIFE WRITING Writing for the modern reader How to turn life into prose

In this information-hungry world, more people are reading Maya Angelou once said, “There is no greater agony more non-fiction more of the time. But they’re not just there than bearing an untold story inside of you.” This course to be educated and informed. Readers are flocking to non- will support writers to give voice to challenging personal fiction for entertainment, for enlightenment, for a jolly good experiences; to write in an authentic and engaging way, time. Even if it isn’t laugh-out-loud funny, non-fiction with moving from simply telling the story of ‘what happened’ a healthy dose of personality – popular non-fiction – is on to crafting a work of meaning and originality. Turning the up. Between us, we have the full range of non-fiction a personal story of hurt or harm into credible, expressive experience – from idea conception, to writing, to editing, to or comic prose can be exciting but also challenging. We publishing. On this course, we’ll show you how to channel will consider how writers avoid falling into the genre of your topic into a pitchable concept, how to use your voice to misery memoir and instead create a work of beauty, truth captivate the reader and why non-fiction needs as much of and humour. We will look at how to make the epic intimate a narrative arc as fiction. Whatever your topic, whatever gets and the intimate epic; how to blend comedy with serious you out of bed in the morning, this course will help you map issues of isolation and prejudice; and how to reveal your 90 91 out your approach and teach you some priceless techniques inner life without feeling compromised or exposed. This to ensure that your readers want to come back for more. course is aimed at writers of all levels including those who have experiences from their own life which only now need to be told. Darcy Nicholson, Commissioning Editor at Transworld (Penguin Random House), Marina Cantacuzino is the author of four publishes non-fiction on subjects that are both books including Till Break of Day and The timeless and timely. Her authors include Lauren Forgiveness Project: Stories for a Vengeful Age. Bravo, Jessica Pan and Nell Frizzell. Francesca Martinez describes herself as Nell Frizzell is a journalist, writer and Vogue a ‘wobbly comedian, writer and speaker’. columnist. She has written for the Guardian, She is the author of What the **** is Normal?! Vice, the Telegraph, Elle, the Observer, Grazia Her first play All of Us opens at the National and i-D among many others. Her first book is Theatre in 2020. The Panic Years. Guest Winnie M Li is the author of Guest Bec Evans is the author of How to Have Dark Chapter. It won the Guardian’s Not a Happy Hustle: The Complete Guide to Making The Booker Prize. Your Ideas Happen. 59 62 STARTING TO WRITE YOUNG ADULT YOUNG ADULT AND FICTION WORK-IN- WRITING CHILDREN’S FICTION PROGRESS 27 April–2 May 5–10 October The Hurst, Shropshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Marcus Sedgwick Tutors: Melvin Burgess & FOR & Elen Caldecott p.94 Jenny Valentine p.97 60 CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT CHILDREN FICTION 25–30 May Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Catherine AND Johnson & Christopher 92 William Hill p.95 93

61 YOUNG PICTURE BOOKS 24–29 August Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Petr Horáček & ADULTS Joyce Dunbar p.96 27 April–2 May, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 25–30 May

59 STARTING TO WRITE 60 CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG YOUNG ADULT AND ADULT FICTION CHILDREN’S FICTION Sharpen your writing and let your Playful and brave writing imagination go

Perhaps you’re starting a story for the first time, returning to Whatever stage you’re at – forging on with work-in-progress writing, or changing your focus. Whatever brings you to this or a true beginner – this course offers helpful writing course, we’ll ask you to be bold, be adventurous and, above prompts and experimental exercises to encourage you on all, to write from your heart. We’ll cover the essentials of your way. We will look at building a world for your story, picture books, chapter books and writing for teens or young either in this reality or in an entirely imagined setting, and adults. Together, we’ll discuss the books that mattered to there will be tips and advice on how to create convincing us as children, our favourite contemporary classics and – characters and dynamite dialogue. We will also lift the lid with luck – get you writing the fiction of the future. With an on life as a published author. Most importantly, you will take approach that is collaborative and supportive, we will invite away a sense of delight in the process of story-making. 94 you to learn, as children do, through ‘serious play’ and 95 experimentation. Catherine Johnson has written more than 20 books for young readers. These include Marcus Sedgwick has written picture books, Sawbones, The Curious Tale of The Lady fiction for children, teens and adults, and non- Caraboo, Race to the Frozen North and fiction. His work has been translated into over Freedom. She also writes for film, TV and 40 languages, and has won or been shortlisted computer games. for more than 50 book awards. Christopher William Hill is an award- Elen Caldecott writes contemporary winning children’s author, playwright and adventures, always with a sense that ordinary radio dramatist. His books for children include life can be extraordinary. She has published Osbert the Avenger, The Woebegone Twins and with Bloomsbury, Hodder and OUP. What Manor of Murder?

Guest Ele Fountain is the author of Boy 87 Guest Sita Brahmachari’s novel Artichoke and a former editor, responsible for launching Hearts won the Waterstones Children’s and nurturing the careers of many bestselling Book Prize and was nominated for the CILIP children’s authors. Carnegie Medal. 24–29 August, Lumb Bank Lumb Bank, 5–10 October

61 PICTURE BOOKS 62 YOUNG ADULT FICTION Dancing with words; dreaming WORK-IN-PROGRESS in pictures Getting on with it

What comes first in the making of a picture book? Words? So you’ve started your novel. Maybe it’s just an outline and An idea? An image? This course is for anyone interested in a few hundred words; maybe you’re polishing up the final writing and/or illustrating picture books. We’ll explore the manuscript. Our aim is to help you get it done – to move it many elements of picture book making in order to inspire forward and make it real. Writing a novel can be a long and and shape ideas. By investigating the relationships between arduous business, and it’s easy to lose your enthusiasm and writers, illustrators, editors and designers, plus giving a crash sense of what you’re trying to create. Let us help you foster course in how to approach a publisher and agent, we aim to that spirit of inspiration, creation and discovery that makes give you the confidence to take your picture book forward. It writing such a joy. By giving you time to get on with it in a will be a playful, fun, experimental and enlightening week. supportive atmosphere, surrounded by others with the same aim and your tutors to guide you, we hope to put some real fire and drive into your work and help you bring the vision of 96 Petr Horáček has published more than 97 30 books for children. His latest books are your imagination forward into the light. The Mouse Who Wasn’t Scared and The Greedy Goat. Melvin Burgess’s book Junk kick-started the YA genre in the UK in 1996, winning both the Joyce Dunbar has written more than 80 Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the books, working with world-class illustrators Carnegie Medal. His latest book, The Lost and published in many languages. Her most Witch, came out in 2018. recent title – Grumpy Duck – is illustrated by Petr Horáček. She is the author of the Mouse Jenny Valentine is an award-winning writer & Mole stories. for young adults. Her first novel, Finding Violet Park, was published in 2007 and her latest, Guest Vivian French MBE has published Hello Now, is out in 2020. Her work has been over 300 books, all illustrated except for one. published in 19 countries. She is the co-founder of Picture Hooks, a project supporting emerging illustrators. Guest Simon Mason is the author of fiction for both adults and younger readers, including, for young adults, the Garvie Smith series of crime thrillers. 64 68 SCREENWRITING THEATRE: WRITING FOR TELEVISION FOR PERFORMANCE PLAY- DRAMA 14–19 September 15–20 June Totleigh Barton, Devon The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Tim Crouch & Tutors: Hannah Griffiths Caroline Horton p.105 WRITING/ & Manda Levin p.101 69 65 WRITING FOR RADIO THEATRE 28 September–3 T V/ F IL M / 4–9 May October Totleigh Barton, Devon Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Amy Rosenthal & Tutors: Lu Kemp & Oliver Mark Rosenblatt p.102 Emanuel p.106 RADIO 66 70 98 THEATRE: WORK-IN- SCREENWRITING 99 PROGRESS TUTORED RETREAT 27 July–1 August 5–10 October Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Evan Placey & Tutors: Tony Grisoni & Tessa Walker p.103 Colin McLaren p.107

67 71 63 MUSICAL THEATRE THEATRE FEATURE FILM 24–29 August 19–24 October SCREENPLAYS Totleigh Barton, Devon The Hurst, Shropshire INDUSTRY BOOT Tutors: Willy Russell & Tutors: Chris Thorpe & CAMP Nick Stimson p.104 Rachel Mars p.108 27 April–2 May Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Samm Haillay & Sophie Mathisen p.100 27 April–2 May, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 15–20 June

63 FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAYS 64 SCREENWRITING FOR INDUSTRY BOOT CAMP TELEVISION DRAMA Script to pitch to screen (and phone) The importance of story in the golden age of TV drama Aimed at both the first-timer and the experienced screenwriter, this workshop-intensive course focuses on We are in a golden age of TV. New dramas are appearing the changing nature of the screen industry and how this every week; new streaming services and bigger budgets is impacting on the journey from script to screen, for have raised the bar for prestige shows. But what makes stories and their creators. Beginning with rigorous story a great TV series? And how do you know if your story will surgery, writers will gain greater understanding of the work on TV? What are the key ingredients that will make need for distinctiveness and innovation in the age of your script stand out? This course is for writers getting their digital distribution. You’ll also have the chance to develop heads around TV drama writing, who have an idea they cut-through pitch materials to deliver maximum impact. are developing but are open to new ideas too. Through a Individual and group sessions will cover writing, producing, mixture of discussion, workshops and one-to-ones, we will programming, distribution and exhibition, transcending 100 help shape your stories into scripts and share our insights 101 the mechanics of ‘how to’ handbooks to offer unique into the world of drama development. insight into the business derived from almost 40 years of professional screen practice. Hannah Griffiths moved into television after working as a book agent and editor for many Samm Haillay has eight feature credits – years. Her role at super-indie production four fictions and four documentaries – to his company All3Media is to find writers, books name. His films have collected top festival and and great stories for the many drama industry prizes including a BAFTA. producers in the group.

Sophie Mathisen is a film-maker and the Manda Levin recently returned to the BBC as Executive Director of For Film’s Sake, Australia’s a Senior Commissioning Editor at BBC Drama female-focused not-for-profit distributor. She is having worked in film and TV for 20 years as an active commentator on the BBC, ABC, and a script editor, head of development, producer, in the New York Times and the Guardian. executive producer and creative director.

Guest Corrina Antrobus is the Founder of Guest William Ivory has written for film, Bechdel Test Fest and was awarded a Women television and theatre, including Common as in Hollywood Trailblazer award in 2017. Muck, The Sins, Made in Dagenham and Diary of a Football Nobody. 4–9 May, Totleigh Barton Lumb Bank, 27 July–1 August

65 THEATRE 66 THEATRE: From kitchen table to opening night WORK-IN-PROGRESS

In the life of any performed play, there’s a moment when The next level the writer meets the director. This course will shine a light on that collaboration and encourage you to write with This course is for playwrights who already have a draft of that future life in mind. What are the building blocks of a a play in progress. Test, interrogate and hone your craft new piece of theatre, and how do you keep faith with your on this robust and rigorous week, with the added element ideas throughout the writing process? We’ll help you craft a of working with professional actors on extracts from your practical, stageable script, and create strong roles for actors. script. Hands-on and intensive, this course is all about We’ll also share what you can expect from working with a pushing your script to the next level. Instead of a midweek director at any stage – from the first inklings of a concept, guest, we will dedicate two days to workshopping scenes through a series of drafts, all the way to the rehearsal room. from your script with professional actors. You’ll discover how thinking like a director can expand your theatrical vision beyond the page. From kitchen table to Evan Placey’s plays include Girls Like That, opening night, this course will track the life of your play and Consensual, Pronoun, Mother of Him, Jekyll & 102 103 enable you to get the best from this unique relationship. Hyde, Holloway Jones, Scarberia and WiLd! His plays have won numerous awards, including Amy Rosenthal has written extensively for the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Play for theatre and radio. Her latest play will tour in Young Audiences. autumn 2020. She is currently working on an audio dramatisation of a novel, and a new play Tessa Walker has directed numerous for Hampstead Theatre. productions by a wide variety of playwrights. She has been an Associate Director at Birmingham Rep, a Literary Associate at Mark Rosenblatt has developed and directed National Theatre Scotland and the Literary new work, both intimate and epic, across Director at Paines Plough. the UK and off-Broadway. He has worked as Associate Director at Leeds Playhouse and as Studio Associate at the National Theatre.

Guest Erica Whyman OBE is Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Director of The Other Place. 24–29 August, Totleigh Barton Totleigh Barton, 14–19 September

67 MUSICAL THEATRE 68 THEATRE: WRITING FOR Using music and lyrics to tell the tale PERFORMANCE Exploring performance as writers and This is a course for anyone who wants to experiment with how the story can be told through song and drama. We theatre-makers will cover setting the scene, assailing the heart, making the point and moving the plot along. Each evening there will This is a course for writers who also classify themselves as be a presentation of the day’s completed work. This week is theatre-makers – or who want to. Writers who are looking to suitable for both tunesmiths and wordsmiths. Please bring develop their relationship with more practical processes of instruments where practical. theatre-making; who see writing as one aspect of the stage world. We will balance the week between practical writing Willy Russell is the creator of Blood Brothers, exercises and more physical approaches to generating one of the longest-running musicals in West text. We welcome writers, devisers, improvisers, company End history. His other musical works include members and actors who are looking to deepen their John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert, Our Day understanding of the written word. Caroline Horton and 104 Out and film scores for Mr Love, Terraces and Tim Crouch both place themselves in their written work as 105 Shirley Valentine. performers. They come from a practical background and take responsibility for the physical rendition of their written work. Nick Stimson has written many musicals including Korczak with Chris Williams, A Tim Crouch’s plays include An Oak Tree, Winter’s Tale with Howard Goodall, Fight Like The Author, Adler and Gibb, Beginners and a Girl with James Atherton and The Sunshine Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Gang with Annemarie Lewis Thomas. He also Salvation. directs. Caroline Horton was nominated for a 2013 Olivier Award for You’re Not Like the Other Girls Chrissy. Other work includes Mess, Islands, Tranklements and Penelope Retold. All of Me opened in 2019.

Guest Selina Thompson is an artist and performer. She was featured in The Stage 100 Most Influential Leaders 2018, and received the Forced Entertainment Award in 2019. 28 September–3 October, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 5–10 October

69 WRITING FOR RADIO 70 SCREENWRITING Holding your audience TUTORED RETREAT How to test and strengthen Radio is the most intimate of the dramatic mediums – one voice, one listener. But it’s also the easiest dramatic form your screenplay for the audience to walk away from. This week looks at how you capture the listener in the first two minutes, and Creativity is all about confidence. We’ll help you strengthen how you keep hold of them until the end credits. The course your film or TV project from inside out, giving you a series is suitable for early-career writers, as well as experienced of questions to ask of your story and characters; digging writers who are new to the form of radio. There will be an deep to find what your story’s really about, raising the stakes opportunity during the week to produce a short, recorded and testing your characters to breaking point, in the process piece with an experienced sound designer. making you a more confident writer. Never give them (the audience or the funders) what they want – give them what they didn’t know they were looking for. Writers are invited Lu Kemp is a radio drama director, theatre to send a one-and-a-half-page (max) outline and the first director and dramaturg. She has nearly 20 five-to-ten pages of a script by 5 September 2020 to 106 years’ experience working for the BBC as 107 [email protected]. an in-house and freelance producer. Lu and Oliver regularly collaborate on both radio plays and theatre productions. Tony Grisoni is an award-winning screenwriter and film director. His credits include Southcliffe, Oliver Emanuel has written more than 30 The Red Riding Trilogy and The Unloved. plays for stage and radio. When the Pips Stop won the Tinniswood Award for Best Audio Colin McLaren is an award-winning Drama Script, 2019. The Truth About Hawaii screenwriter. He wrote the film The Legend of won Best Series at the BBC Audio Drama Barney Thomson, directed by Robert Carlyle, Awards, 2019. starring Carlyle, Emma Thompson and Ray Winstone. He is also a lecturer at Screen Guest Eloise Whitmore has been working Academy Scotland. in radio for 20 years. In 2013, she won the Radio Sound Designer and Producer of the Guest Justin Haythe is a short story writer, Year Award. novelist and screenwriter. He wrote the screenplays for The Clearing, Revolutionary Road, A Cure For Wellness and Red Sparrow. He was an Executive Producer for Snitch, A Cure For Wellness and Bohemian Rhapsody. 19–24 October, The Hurst

71 THEATRE Re-thinking the way you write for performance OTHER

It’s easy to think of yourself as a certain ‘type’ of writer. Whether you’re working on your first piece or you’ve been at it for years, you form an idea of the thing you do, and your strengths and preferences. You repeat yourself. You fall back on what you know works. This is a week for challenging those ideas. We’ll look at ourselves and the pieces we’re 72 75 currently working on – anything from a full draft to a vague HYBRID WRITING LIFE WRITING WITH idea – in new ways. We’ll ask questions about the forms we 18–23 May COACHING use, the relationship of our work to the audience, and how The Hurst, Shropshire 21–26 September we can widen the way we see ourselves as writers. This is a Tutors: Tania Hershman The Hurst, Shropshire week for all levels of experience. & Holly Corfield Carr Tutors: Colin Grant & Jo 108 p.110 Alderson p.113 109

Chris Thorpe has written for the Royal Court, 73 76 Royal Exchange, the Unicorn Theatre and PREPARE FOR SONGWRITING others. He collaborates with artists such as PUBLICATION 21–26 September Rachel Chavkin, Rachel Bagshaw, Hannah 10–15 August Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Jane Walker and Third Angel. Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Kathryn Williams Tutors: James Spackman & Polly Paulusma p.114 Rachel Mars is a writer and performer from & Suzie Dooré p.111 London. Her recent work includes Our Carnal Hearts and Your Sexts are Sh*t: Older Better 74 Letters. ESSAYS SHORT COURSE Guest Abbi Greenland is one third of Fri to Sun 14–16 physical theatre company RashDash. Work August includes Three Sisters, Two Man Show and The Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Darkest Corners. Tutors: Sinéad Gleeson & Jenn Ashworth p.112 18–23 May, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 10–15 August

72 HYBRID WRITING 73 PREPARE FOR PUBLICATION Unbox your words Navigating your way from manuscript to book deal Swap your pen for a box cutter and get ready to unpack your writing and peel off labels for this wild and wide- Is your fiction project ready to share with the world? We will ranging exploration of forms and hybrids. Over the week, guide you through every stage of the publication process, we will slip across slashes, reading and writing new ways from traditional publishing – how it works and how you into the spaces between poetry and prose, essay and can work it – to the pros and cons of self-publishing and fiction as well as image, sound and performance. Expect crowdfunding. How do you grab an agent’s attention? How to experiment, examining your own writing process and do advances and royalties work? What does a PR campaign generating new work through playful and productive do for your book, and how should authors engage with exercises designed to help you invent the shapes and social media? We’ll help you learn how to tackle your inner structures you need. Be ready for adventure. No experience critic, edit your own work effectively, and polish your pitch to necessary. perfection. Competition is fierce – but there are ways to give your book the very best chance of success, and we’ll help 110 Tania Hershman is the author of three story you find them. 111 collections, two poetry books and a hybrid James Spackman trains publishers in pamphlet, forthcoming in 2020. A former presentation and copywriting. He has worked science journalist, she recently completed a in sales, marketing and management at fictional-memoir-in-collage and is working on Bloomsbury and Hodder amongst others. He is a hybrid book about time. a publisher of cycling books with Profile and is co-founder of the non-fiction agency bks. Holly Corfield Carr has made poems, books and performances for BBC Radio 4, the Suzie Dooré is Publishing Director of The National Trust and a passenger ferry called Borough Press, and has been editing and Matilda. Her writing has won the Frieze Writer’s acquiring for 14 years. Before jumping to Prize and an Eric Gregory Award. where the grass was greener, she was the head office fiction buyer for Waterstones. Guest Harry Josephine Giles is a writer and performer from Orkney who lives in Leith; their Guest Carrie Plitt is a literary agent at Felicity new book is The Games. They were shortlisted Bryan Associates. She represents Sunday Times for the 2016 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award. bestseller Reni Eddo-Lodge, Wellcome Book Prize winner Will Eaves, and Royal Society Science Prize shortlisted Joseph Jebelli. Friday to Sunday 14–16 August, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 21–26 September

74 ESSAYS SHORT COURSE 75 LIFE WRITING The personal essay – exploring the self, WITH COACHING the world and the work Freeing yourself from procrastination

Over the course of this weekend you will work with two Have you begun a life story or biography and abandoned experienced essayists, to develop ideas and techniques it because you are stuck? Perhaps like many writers you’re suitable for exploring your personal and literary interests. mired in procrastination. We will guide you through a We’ll help you find your subject and work towards what’s process to kick-start your writing again and to keep going most important to you. We’ll talk about finding a place once you have done so. Colin will lead you through to start, writing when you don’t know the answer, making techniques and practices to find the centre of your story. Jo, connections and surprising both the reader and yourself. an experienced hypnotherapist, will take the group through We'll explore structure using lists, fragments, life stories a guided meditation each day. In her tutorials Jo will focus and fiction, to enliven and complicate your work and also on coaching you to access your confidence so that you investigate what methods and techniques an essayist can can write your story. New to Arvon, this week is a unique borrow from poetry, fiction and journalism. opportunity to open yourself up to something fresh and 112 potentially transformative. 113 Sinéad Gleeson’s debut collection of essays, Constellations, was published by Picador in Colin Grant is the author of Negro with 2019. Her short stories have appeared in Being a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey Various (Faber, 2019) and Repeal the 8th. She and Bageye at the Wheel, which was has edited three short story anthologies. shortlisted for the PEN Ackerley Prize 2013. His latest book is Homecoming: Voices from Jenn Ashworth is a novelist living and the Windrush Generation. working in the North West of England. Her latest book, Notes Made While Falling, is a Jo Alderson is a coach and cognitive collection of essays exploring illness, creativity hypnotherapist. She has worked with a and spirituality. range of artists, writers, opera singers and public speakers, who have gone from feeling paralysed with self-doubt to having the confidence to achieve their goals.

Guest Gabriel Gbadamosi is an Irish Nigerian poet, playwright, novelist and essayist. 21–26 September, Lumb Bank

76 SONGWRITING Mining for gold RETREATS Through exercises and workshops, we will create a warm and open environment, free from the distractions of daily life. We will excavate and mine for the unique nuggets of gold that make a good song into a great song. Concentrating on lyrics, form and co-writing, no one will be left with an empty page. The priority will be to find your own, unique voice and also to see the shaping and editing that goes into good songwriting. All artists will leave with the tools to see a song to the end when inspiration hits, plus exercises for when a creative jump-start is needed back at home.

114 Kathryn Williams has been nominated for the 115 Mercury Prize and has released 14 albums to date. She writes with artists from folk, pop and 77 79 rock around the world. Her 20 CD box set was WRITING RETREAT WRITING RETREAT released on the One Little Indian label. WITH WALKING WITH WALKING 8–13 June 24–29 August Polly Paulusma released Scissors in my Pocket Lumb Bank, Yorkshire The Hurst, Shropshire in 2003 to critical acclaim. Since then she has Tutors: Jay Griffiths & Tutors: Lucy Burnett & supported Bob Dylan and made four albums. Christopher Goddard Grevel Lindop p.118 She teaches at Cambridge and is completing p.116 her PhD on Angela Carter. 80 78 DIGITAL DETOX Guest Chris Difford is a Grammy-nominated WRITING RETREAT WRITING RETREAT and double Ivor Novello Award-winning lyricist. WITH PILATES 12–17 October With his collaborator, Squeeze co-founder 6 –11 July Totleigh Barton, Devon Glenn Tilbrook, Chris has written some of the Totleigh Barton, Devon p.119 best-loved songs of our time such as Up the Tutor: Lynne Rogers p.117 Junction, Cool for Cats and Labelled with Love. 8–13 June, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 6 –11 July

77 WRITING RETREAT 78 WRITING RETREAT WITH WITH WALKING PILATES Creating maps, walking the land, Centre, stretch and engage tracing stories yourself in the present “It is not down on any map; true places never are” (Melville). Tap into your creativity from a place of balance and An experiential week including idiosyncratic map-making, symmetry, physically and mentally. Too often we find literary walks and personal songlines. Each morning will be ourselves rushing through life, which leaves us off balance spent on guided walks exploring local landscapes of woods, and our nervous system buzzing all over the place. This moors and rivers, with a focus on mapping from different week, give your writing project the time and focus it needs, perspectives. The rest of the day will be for the creation, while daily Pilates classes will help you breathe consciously, through your own eyes and with your own words, of the move well, and feel grounded and strong. The classes will hidden places and secret worlds of landscapes outside us include mindfulness and movements specifically chosen to and within. We will also explore the politics of land and unwind the body from sitting for long periods, unravelling the vital importance of writing about – and for – the living blockages in body and mind. Suitable for all levels, this 116 world. Moral compass (and wellies) required. We welcome retreat offers two group Pilates classes per day, plus an 117 writers of all genres and levels of experience. individual session tailored to your body and needs.

Lynne Rogers has worked in human Jay Griffiths is author of Wild: An Elemental movement internationally, focusing on Pilates Journey, Pip Pip: A Sideways Look at Time, and dance for 26 years. Trained in South Anarchipelago, A Love Letter from a Stray Africa, she now works in Devon as a movement Moon, Kith: The Riddle of the Childscape and therapist and is constantly evolving her Tristimania: A Diary of Manic Depression. understanding and practice of biomechanical human movement. Christopher Goddard is a cartographer and writer with several hand-drawn publications on the Yorkshire landscape and an intimate knowledge of the local area.

Guest Mike Parker‘s books include On the Red Hill, Map Addict and The Wild Rover. 24–29 August, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 12–17 October

79 WRITING RETREAT 80 DIGITAL DETOX WRITING WITH WALKING RETREAT Exploring landscape and language Our constant engagement with the online world – the in search of inspiration scrolling doom of news and frantic alerts from social media – can be at best distracting and at worst damaging to one’s mental wellbeing. Many writers even resort to blocking apps Writing has often been compared to walking. This course will to free themselves from the tyranny of the internet. If you’re seek to explore, expand and challenge such an idea. There looking for space and time to focus on your writing project, are as many ways of walking as there are of writing, and the there’s no better environment than Totleigh Barton, a 16th- two are linked. Landscape shapes our words, but language century manor house in tranquil Devon countryside, where itself is a landscape and a living entity, with its own patterns, the only distraction is the occasional owl and a crackling energies and legacies. And our words shape the landscape log fire. With the day to yourself, Wi-Fi a distant dream, and we participate in. Each day will include a group walk and fellow writers to dine with in the evening, you’ll be amazed writing time, and individual consultation with tutors, helping by the progress you can make. you take your writing in whatever form and direction you 118 choose, developing your own creative path. 119

Lucy Burnett has written two poetry collections: Leaf Graffiti and Tripping Over Clouds. Her hybrid novel Through the Weather Glass combines travel writing, poetry and documentary photography; her work reflects a particular interest in the relationship between writing and the environment.

Grevel Lindop has published seven Carcanet collections, and represented the UK at the Granada (Nicaragua) Poetry Festival in 2013. He is also a travel writer, biographer and critic.

Guest Thomas A Clark lives in a fishing village on the east coast of Scotland where, with the artist Laurie Clark, he runs Cairn Gallery, a space for minimal and conceptual art. ARVON 1–1

Online one-to-one tutorials

You’ve told us how much you value our one-to-one tutorials on Arvon courses. So we are now offering you the 18-25 chance to get one-to-one feedback on your writing from an Arvon tutor via Skype.

The tutorial includes two hours of a tutor’s time:

• One hour for the tutor to read 2,000 words of your work-in-progress, or up to three poems • One hour of one-to-one feedback about this writing via Skype Young writers’ opportunities • A follow-up email outlining three recommendations 120 121 from the tutor on how to move forward Half-price courses Arvon 1–1s are open to all writers. You do not need to Free tips and exercises have attended one of our residential courses.

We are currently offering 1–1s in Fiction, Poetry and Non- fiction, with more genres to be added throughout the year.

To find out more visit www.arvon.org/1-1

"My 1–1 session with Chris Wakling was the most constructive mix of praise and criticism Join now I have had since I began my novel five years ago. www.arvon.org/18-25 With a clear understanding of my goals in mind, Chris told me what he felt I needed to do to make my novel what I want it to be." —Jeff Probst WRITERS RETREAT AT THE CLOCKHOUSE

Give your writing the time and space it deserves

The Clockhouse is in the grounds of The Hurst, our Shropshire centre. Everything has been planned to help you focus on your writing, away from the distractions of everyday life.

We offer four comfortable self-contained apartments, each with a bedroom, study-lounge and en-suite bathroom. The communal space includes a cosy shared lounge with log-burner, and the building is set in 26 “I came to the retreat seeking a distraction-free acres of woodland, with a spring-fed lake and inspiring environment to move words out of my head and onto 122 views of the Shropshire Hills. Wi-Fi is available and all paper. I also wanted to take time to transition writing 123 food is provided – fresh local produce. as a career rather than a hobby. During my time at The Clockhouse, I was included amongst accomplished Six-day (Tuesday to Monday) and four-day (Thursday to writers in an environment where every single detail Monday) Writers Retreats are available, and writers can was handled with excellence.” also book multiple retreats together for a longer stay or —B Bertrand book as a group of up to four writers.

Cost: from £725 for six-day retreats / from £480 for four-day retreats. ARVON’S WORK WITH SCHOOLS GRANTS FOR TEACHERS AND GROUPS Arvon supports the professional development of practising We run over 40 residential and city courses a year with teachers, who may apply for a special fixed grant of £200 schools, young people and adult groups; recent groups towards a course fee. You will need to send evidence that include Bi’an (the UK Chinese Writers’ Network) and you are a practising teacher at a UK primary or secondary spoken word poets from the Apples and Snakes Writing school, or further education college. Teachers’ grants are Room project. limited in number and can be applied for in addition to the usual grant if further financial assistance is needed. We also offer courses for teachers and creative writing tutors, grants for teachers to attend our public programme, and a mentoring programme for emerging “I feel renewed, energised and excited about writers. In some cases we can work with groups to find the process of writing. I felt challenged, resolved, financial assistance for courses, thanks to the generosity more determined – in a refreshed way – to work of funding partners. with these students on my return, as well as 124 continue my own writing projects.” 125 To find out more, visit www.arvon.org/learning or email [email protected]. —Teacher

JERWOOD/ARVON MENTORING PROGRAMME

For ten years the Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Programme has offered Arvon course participants the opportunity to take their writing to the next level. Over the course of a year, nine unpublished writers in the fields of poetry, playwriting and fiction receive one-to-one mentoring, attend two Arvon retreats, and produce a group anthology. We aim to run this programme biennially, with the 2021–22 programme opening for applications in November 2020. For information on future opportunities from Arvon, see our website www.arvon.org. ARVON IS A CHARITY HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US

Do you believe that everyone should have the Make a donation via our website: opportunity to unlock their creative potential? www.arvon.org/support

With your help we can: Become an Arvon Friend from £4 a month.

• Inspire hundreds of young people a year to write Donate to our #OPENTOALL campaign to give by bringing schools and groups to Arvon those on low incomes the opportunity to attend Arvon’s courses. • Keep our courses open to everyone by providing grants for those on low incomes to attend Give to our Learning work: Arvon’s Crenham Award provides the opportunity for those on the margins of • Change lives for the better by working with society to find their self-confidence and voice through vulnerable groups, such as young people in care attending an Arvon week. and adults who have experienced homelessness 126 127 Remember Arvon in your will and help secure our • Support teachers to develop how they teach creative work for future generations. writing in the classroom, making a difference to the confidence and ability of thousands of To discuss supporting any area of Arvon’s work, students annually please contact Dean Stigwood, Head of Development, 020 7324 8906, [email protected].

“For me the experience was amazing! The tutors made me believe I could write. It was an incredible opportunity and the best week of my life ever.”

—Crenham Award participant THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT OUR WORK

Arvon relies on your generosity

The Barbour Foundation Capital Crime Writing Festival The John S Cohen Foundation The Barbara and Philip Denny Charitable Trust The Eranda Rothschild Foundation The Garrick Charitable Trust Gold Dust Writers Award In memory of Nick Grant and Sir Robin Chichester-Clark The Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Programme 128 129 Mark Haddon and Sos Eltis is generously supported by Hays Travel Foundation Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation The McGrath Trust The Mercers’ Charitable Foundation Queen Anne’s Fund The Francis W Reckitt Arts Trust The Tedworth Charitable Trust The John Thaw Foundation The Unwin Charitable Trust The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation

Arvon Friends, Angels, Trustees, and other supporters, and those donors wishing to remain anonymous. PHOTO CREDITS Arvon is very grateful to all the photographers who kindly gave us permission to reprint their photographs. We aim to credit every photographer. Please let us know if we have been unable to credit you.

Alison MacLeod by Kate MacLeod Michael Laskey by Jovita Valaityte Amy Rosenthal by Tally Francis Miriam Darlington by Richard Austin Andrew McMillan by Adrian Pope Mona Arshi by Svetlana Cernenko Chris Power by Claudia Burlotti Nick Makoha by Sam Burnett Christopher William Hill by Oliver Dixon Nina Stibbe by Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi Clare Pollard by Justine Stoddart Patricia Duncker by Anita Schiffer-Fuchs Darcy Nicholson by Beci Kelly Raynor Winn by Alice Walker Ele Fountain by Debra Hurford-Brown Romalyn Ante by Suriya Chadawong Eley Williams by Idil Sukan Selina Thompson by Ndrika Anyika Erica Whyman by Ellie Kurttz Shahnaz Ahsan by Imogen Forte Fiona Sampson by Ekaterina Voskresenska Sita Brahmachari by Martin Levenson George Szirtes by Joanna Millington Suzie Dooré by Toby Madden 130 Gregory Norminton by Kezia Tan Toby Litt by Katie Cooke 131 Hannah Lowe by Dirk Skiba Tom Lee by Jon Cartwright Jacqueline Saphra by Naomi Woddis Tim Crouch by Amelia Dowd Kerry Young by Françoise Paton Tim Dee by Claire Spottiswood Khairani Barokka by Wasi Daniju Wyl Menmuir by Dave Muir Malika Booker by Siro Micheroli Marcel Theroux by Madeeha Syed Marina Cantacuzino by Katalin Karolyi Design by me&him Michael Donkor by David Yiu Cover illustration © Clare Melinsky TERMS & CONDITIONS

In making a booking for an Arvon residential When you make a booking for an Arvon residential course course or retreat (whether by phone, online or retreat you explicitly confirm that you have read and or by any other means) you agree to the understood this section of the Terms and Conditions following terms and conditions: (“Arvon staff: employee hours”).

Travel insurance Bookings We cannot reimburse travel costs or other losses incurred All bookings must be accompanied by your deposit of £200 by you in the event of cancellation by us or you. You are as a minimum (unless you are applying for a grant). You strongly advised to take out travel insurance to cover should not consider your booking as definite until we have potential loss arising from cancellation or other eventuality confirmed it in writing (usually by email). The remainder affecting your booking, including course fees and travel or of the course fee must be paid no later than six weeks other consequential costs. You should check that any policy before the course or retreat starts. If we do not receive your you purchase meets your needs. balance when it’s due, we reserve the right to treat this as a 132 cancellation by you and offer the place to someone else. Cancellations 133 You may cancel your booking and have all fees paid Arvon staff: employee hours returned to you for the first 14 days after you have paid your Arvon’s staff members are present at the writing centres deposit (except where the course or retreat begins within this during their working hours. The times when employees are period, in which case we can only offer a complete refund on site vary according to the day of the week and the type of fees up until two days before the start of the course or of course taking place. Staff typically arrive on site between retreat). 8.30am and 9.30am and leave in the evening between 5.30pm and 10pm on different days of the week (between Following this initial 14-day period, cancellations of 10.30am and 12.30pm on Saturdays). No Arvon employees bookings will be accepted up to six weeks before the course are on site overnight or at the weekends after Saturday or retreat begins and your deposit (or any amount above morning, and you will not be able to contact Arvon staff this level which you have paid) will be returned less a £50 members when they are off site. You will be briefed by staff cancellation charge. on what to do in the event of an emergency at the beginning of your course or retreat. In the event of an emergency when If you cancel your booking less than six weeks before the no staff are present at the centre you should call 999 for the course or retreat begins (but before the first day of the course emergency services. or retreat), the following cancellation conditions apply: • Any refund which may be due to you (see below) will be an administration charge of £50. We will normally accept processed after the course/retreat has taken place. transfers up to six weeks before your course or retreat begins, and all of the fee paid will be allocated to the • If you cancel less than six weeks but more than two weeks new course or retreat. If we receive a request to transfer a before the course/retreat begins, we will retain your £200 booking after this time, we will do so only if we have already deposit and return to you any amount above this level which received the full course fee from you. If this condition is you have paid. not met, we regret we are unable to transfer the booking. Our standard cancellation terms (see above) will apply to • If you cancel less than two weeks before the start of the the new booking. Please note that we can only transfer a course/retreat, 80% of your full fee will be payable to Arvon booking to a course or retreat within the same calendar and we will return to you any amount above this level which year, and that once a booking is transferred we are unable you have paid. to offer further transfers. We cannot accept transfers from a residential course or retreat to an online course or tutorial. • However, if following your cancellation, all available places on the course/retreat are ultimately sold (so that the Changes to the programme course/retreat is fully occupied), then after the course/retreat Arvon reserves the right to make changes to the advertised 134 has taken place we will refund to you all fees paid less a programme and tutors. As we plan the Arvon programme 135 £50 cancellation charge. in advance, changes will inevitably occur to some courses, and occasionally the original tutors are unavailable. We Please note that if you leave the course or retreat after always endeavour to replace tutors with someone of similar it has begun or if you fail to attend all or any part of experience, and to give you as much notice as possible. On the course (without reasonable cause such as illness, rare occasions we may need to cancel a course; in this case bereavement or family emergency), no refund will be made we will offer you an alternative course or return all of the and we will retain 100% of your fee. Any refunds made in fee paid. Please note that where we have to change tutors, these circumstances due to illness, bereavement, family you do not have additional rights of cancellation and our emergency or similar events will be at the sole discretion of standard terms still apply. We cannot reimburse travel or Arvon. other costs, which you may, however, be able to reclaim from your travel insurance policy, and our liability to you in Transfers case of a cancellation by Arvon is limited to the course fee At our discretion, you may be able to transfer your booking you have paid. to another Arvon course or retreat at the same or another Arvon centre, subject to availability and payment of any Conduct and safety on site difference in the fees due. Where we agree to the transfer Arvon courses and retreats rely on a supportive environment and the fee for the new booking is less than the fee for that depends on tolerance and understanding from all the original booking, we will refund you the difference less participants and tutors. We therefore ask that you are thoughtful and respectful of the other writers and help foster Guests an atmosphere conducive to creativity. Arvon reserves the A place on a course or retreat may be used only by the right to refuse a place and/or to exclude from a course participant named in the booking. It may not be transferred or retreat any writer who, in the judgement of the Centre to another person without agreement in advance from Director (or, in the absence of the Centre Director, of Arvon. Please note that you are not permitted to have guests the responsible member of Arvon staff on site) behaves or visitors on site during your stay. in an abusive or disruptive manner or engages in any discriminatory conduct. No refund will be given if exclusion The Hurst is made for these reasons. Our centre at The Hurst includes two facilities: The Hurst itself, in which Arvon runs residential courses and group Arvon reserves the right to ask a writer to leave the course retreats, and the Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse. or retreat if the Centre Director (or, in the absence of the During your stay at either facility, we ask that you respect Centre Director, the responsible member of Arvon staff the privacy of writers at the other and do not enter those on site) judges that it would not be in the interests of the buildings. However, residents at the Writers Retreat may participant or others in the group, or that it would be visit the office in The Hurst. A Writers Retreat booking does otherwise unsafe for that person to remain on site as a result not entitle you to participate in our courses, to interact with 136 of their mental or physical health, behaviour or apparent the tutors or participants, or to attend readings, meals, 137 state of mind. Any refunds made in these circumstances will workshops or other activities taking place within The Hurst. be at the sole discretion of Arvon. Conversely, a course booking does not permit entry to The Clockhouse or its immediate grounds. However, the wider Damage and cleaning estate and grounds at The Hurst are shared among all the Arvon’s buildings and grounds are your home during your activities on site and you are welcome to walk and write stay; please treat them with care and respect. You agree to throughout the gardens and woods. reimburse us promptly on demand for all reasonable costs incurred by us as a result of any damage caused by you to the Under-18s centre or excessive cleaning required as a result of your stay. Arvon’s public courses and retreats are only open to people aged 18 and over. By booking on a course you Pets confirm that the participant named in the booking is aged Please note that with the exception of assistance dogs, pets 18 or over. Find out more about our work with under-18s are not permitted anywhere at Arvon. at www.arvon.org/learning.

Smoking Privacy and data Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside Arvon’s buildings, By booking, you agree that we may collect and store and only allowed in designated smoking areas outside. personal information about you and your interactions with Arvon. This includes: your personal contact details; gender; details of your booking and booking history, including any and you give us sufficient advance notice. (Please note that access and dietary needs you have told us about; records a care assistant will not be able to take part in the course of payments (not including credit/debit card numbers, except to give you direct assistance.) While we offer some etc.); details of any grant applications, any correspondence accessible facilities, our centres do vary considerably and and any other information we need to keep in order to we regret we may not be able to accommodate some administer your booking. All personal information is kept requirements. If you have specific needs, it is important securely on electronic systems. We do not store payment that you discuss these with centre staff before booking, to card details. We will use this information to communicate establish whether your needs can be met. with you about your booking and we may, unless you tell us otherwise, communicate with you occasionally about Comments and complaints our work and other courses and support for writers that we While Arvon makes every effort to maintain high standards offer. We never share or sell information about our course and provide high-quality experiences for all writers, you may participants with any third party, either in aggregate or in want to offer comments or make a complaint. At the end individual form. Our full privacy policy is available to read of every Arvon stay we give you the opportunity to provide on our website. feedback through our evaluation form, but if you feel this is not sufficient, you may wish to make a formal complaint. 138 Loss A copy of our complaints procedure can be found on our 139 Arvon cannot accept responsibility for any loss, damage or website. Note that all complaints should be made in writing, expense sustained by participants on courses and retreats and we ask that you notify us within ten working days of the as a result of an event or circumstance, whether arising end of your course or retreat. from natural cause, human agency, or otherwise beyond its control. Where Arvon is unable to provide a course or VAT retreat place to you for any reason, our liability is limited to Arvon is registered for VAT and our prices include VAT return of the fees paid. where appropriate. If VAT rates change we reserve the right to amend our prices accordingly. Participation and access Arvon is committed to providing a supportive and English law welcoming environment to all, while leaving you to work The contract between you and Arvon is governed by with as few interruptions as possible. During your stay, you English law. will be expected to live and work independently, as if in your own home, including (on most courses and retreats) basic domestic duties such as washing-up and cooking. Arvon staff will provide limited general support. We will always aim to accommodate a personal care assistant provided a suitable room remains available on the relevant course COURSE INDEX COURSE INDEX Date Course title Centre Page Date Course title Centre Page March June 30–04 Apr Poetry TH 66 01–06 Starting to Write TH 33 April 01–06 Poetry: Towards a Collection LB 70 13–18 Non-Fiction Tutored Retreat TH 82 01–06 Narrative Non-Fiction TB 86 20–25 Starting to Write LB 32 08–13 Editing a Novel TB 47 20–25 Editing Fiction TH 41 08–13 Writing Retreat with Walking LB 116 20–25 Poetry: Towards a Collection TB 67 15–20 Crime Fiction LB 48 27–02 May Starting to Write Fiction TB 42 15–20 Poetry TB 71 27–02 May Starting to Write Young Adult and TH 94 15–20 Screenwriting for TV Drama TH 101 140 Children’s Fiction 22–27 Short Story TH 49 141 27–02 May Feature Film Screenplays Industry LB 100 July Boot Camp 06 –11 Editing Fiction LB 50 May 06 –11 Writing Retreat with Pilates TB 117 04–09 Poetry Tutored Retreat TH 68 13–18 Experimental Fiction TB 51 04–07 Life Writing Short Course LB 83 27–01 Aug Fiction: Work-in-Progress TB 52 04–09 Theatre TB 102 27–01 Aug Memoir TH 87 08–10 Fiction Short Course LB 43 27–01 Aug Theatre: Work-in-Progress LB 103 11–16 Starting to Write a Novel TH 44 August 11–16 Fiction TB 45 03–08 Queer Poetry TB 72 11–16 Non-Fiction Work-in-Progress LB 84 03–08 Non-Fiction TH 88 18–23 Poetry LB 69 10–13 Starting to Write Short Course LB 34 18–23 Nature Writing TB 85 10–15 Writing a Novel TH 53 18–23 Hybrid Writing TH 110 10–15 Prepare for Publication TB 111 25–30 Fiction TH 46 14–16 Essays Short Course LB 112 25–30 Children’s and Young Adult Fiction TB 95 17–22 Fiction LB 54 COURSE INDEX COURSE INDEX Date Course title Centre Page Date Course title Centre Page 17–22 Poetry TH 73 12–17 Digital Detox Writing Retreat TB 119 17–22 Life Writing TB 89 19–24 Editing Fiction TB 61 24–29 Picture Books LB 96 19–24 Prose Poetry LB 77 24–29 Musical Theatre TB 104 19–24 Theatre TH 108 24–29 Writing Retreat with Walking TH 118 30–01 Nov Starting to Write Short Course TH 36 31–05 Sep Fiction Tutored Retreat TB 55 November 31–05 Sep Historical Fiction TH 56 02–05 Poetry Short Course LB 78 31–05 Sep Poetry LB 74 02–07 Editing Fiction Tutored Retreat TH 62 September 02–07 Poetry TB 79 142 14–19 Sci-Fi and Fantasy LB 57 143 14–19 Popular Non-Fiction TH 90 14–19 Theatre: Writing for Performance TB 105 21–26 Short Story TB 58 21–26 Life Writing with Coaching TH 113 21–26 Songwriting LB 114 28–03 Oct Starting to Write TB 35 28–01 Oct Fiction Short Course TH 59 28–03 Oct Writing for Radio LB 106 October 02–04 Poetry Short Course TH 75 05–10 Life Writing TH 91 05–10 Young Adult Work-in-Progress LB 97 05–10 Screenwriting Tutored Retreat TB 107 12–17 Fiction LB 60 12–17 Poetry: Towards a Collection TH 76 STAY IN TOUCH CONTACTING ARVON

Arvon National Office: Totleigh Barton: 020 7324 2554 01409 231 338 @arvonfoundation arvonfoundation [email protected] The Hurst: @TotleighBarton 01588 640 658 @Hurstonthescene Free Word Lumb Bank: @Lumb_Bank @arvon__ 60 Farringdon Road 01422 843 714 London EC1R 3GA

Founders Board of Trustees NEWSLETTER John Fairfax Jeremy Treglown www.arvon.org/mailing-list John Moat (Chair) Sign up to our email mailing list for monthly updates on 144 Dr Judith Abbott 145 new courses, tips from tutors, writing opportunities, and to Patrons receive our annual e-brochure. Lee Bilson Simon Armitage CBE Alison Flood Lord (Melvyn) Bragg FRS, FRSL Neil Harris Alan Brownjohn FRSL Ashley Holloway Lady Chichester-Clark Christian Lewis Dr David Cohen CBE Nick Makoha Dame Carol Ann Duffy DBE Meriel Schindler Jerry Hall Jon Teckman Professor Sir Andrew Motion Andy Wimble Nigel Pantling David Pease MBE Chief Executive and Sir Salman Rushdie FRSL Artistic Director Wole Soyinka FRSL Andrew Kidd President Terry Hands CBE ARVON FRIENDS WRITING ADVICE KEEP WRITING BECOME AN ARVON FRIEND ‘Mere colour can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways,’ so said Oscar Wilde. And it’s well worth thinking consciously about using colour in your poems. Used judiciously – and with a clear emotional focus – it can add a flash of intensity to a poem, introduce a visual element in a world of the You’ll receive fortnightly aural/oral, as well as taking you sometimes by surprise in what it reveals… writing tips and exercises by Arvon Tutors Here’s an exercise to get you thinking about this. Pick a colour plus access to the online or a shade of colour that you like, that means something to library of writing advice. you. Then conjure it up in a number of different ways, as varied images.

Try the following: a piece of furniture, song, animal, body part, tree, taste, character in a novel or film. Take advantage of Friends 146 Priority Booking on Arvon’s Now free associate from your list, expand it, shape it into a poem. Then pull out the phrase that feels most significant to courses and retreats. you and amplify that one. You may even expand this one into a complete poem – the colour trigger long forgotten, it has taken on a life of its own. Sequences can often grow from this exercise, as you amplify different images.

The interesting thing about working in this way is that the And know that your support images/revelations have come to you ‘aslant’, creeping up on helps over 500 young people you not through language but through sight. and vulnerable adults attend an Arvon course each year. Robert Seatter is an award- winning poet who has published four poetry collections.

JOIN TODAY from £4 a month JOIN TODAY from £4 a month Visit www.arvon.org/friends Visit www.arvon.org/friends or call 020 7324 2554 or call 020 7324 2554 Escape to a beautiful place where you can free your imagination and let your writing bloom. Our residential creative writing courses span a wide range of genres and are tutored by acclaimed authors. You’ll have time and space to write, and the support of your fellow writers.

“Every time I’ve taught at Arvon 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, socialising, 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

www.arvon.org

The Arvon Foundation Limited is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number 1086582, registered charity number 306694). Its registered office address is Free Word, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA. VAT Registration Number: 287 9329 41.