HOME OF CREATIVE WRITING COURSES AND RETREATS 2019 RETREATS AND COURSES

2019

—Monica Ali —Monica to helpto with the course fee. or technique. The essential part is truly or technique. The For me, Arvon isn’t just about teaching craft just about me, Arvon isn’t For writing about. An Arvon week seems to cram writing about. An Escape a beautiful to place where you a month into five days. The breakthroughs are a month into five what’s what they’re driving their writing, really connecting with the writers to help them unlock connecting with the rewarding – for the tutors as well as the writers. rewarding – for the time and space and write, to the support courses span a wide range genres of and of your fellow writers. fellow your of Grants are available off the leash. Our residential creative writing are tutored acclaimedby haveauthors. You’ll can free imagination your and writing let your The Arvon Foundation Limited is a charitable company limited byguarantee registeredand Wales in England with company number 1086582, registered charity number 306694 and number VAT 287 Its9329 registered 41. office address is FreeWord Centre, 60 Farringdon Road London 3GA.EC1R About Arvon 5 Courses & Retreats Welcome 6 Starting to Write 30 The Arvon week 8 Fiction 38 Short courses 10 Poetry 75 Choosing a course 12 Non-Fiction 97 Centre facilities 14 Writing for Our centres 18–23 Children/YA 111 Course fees 24 Playwriting/TV/ How to book 26 Film/Radio 119 Grants 26–27 Other 130 Retreats 138 More about Arvon 142–153 Course Index 162 3 Terms and –165 conditions 154–161 ARVON

Step into an Arvon writers’ house and experience the transformative power of community, creative support and freedom to write.

Arvon has been inspiring generations of writers for 50 years as the UK’s home of creative writing. We have three centres in the beautiful rural landscapes of Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire. Our residential courses and retreats, led by highly acclaimed writers, span poetry to playwriting, song to screenplay, fact to fiction, starting to finishing – and we offer grants to help with course fees for those who need it.

4 Each year, over 40 of our courses are with vulnerable 5 groups and schools, from young people who have “It’s been the most experienced bullying to adults recovering from an productive writing addiction. We also work closely with teachers to support their professional development. We rely on donations week of my life.“ from charitable trusts and individuals to ensure our doors stay open to all. If you’d like to support Arvon, —Iain Rowan please see page 149.

We provide a space where anyone, regardless of writing experience, can break away from their normal routine, immerse themselves in the creative process, be inspired by experienced writers and release their imaginative potential. WELCOME TO ARVON’S 2019 COURSE PROGRAMME Ruth Borthwick, Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Arvon is always thinking of new ways to support writers We often hear how valuable writers find the one-to- developing their craft and we are proud to say that one tutorials on our courses. So we are excited to be this year’s programme is the most varied we have ever launching Arvon 1-1: online tutorials where you can offered. get personal feedback from an Arvon tutor on your writing, delivered via Skype – see p.143 We have 92 courses and retreats to spark you to write and keep you writing. Our backbone of fiction, poetry And if you’d like more time to focus on your own and playwriting is always well represented, and, with writing, The Clockhouse at The Hurst offers comfortable, our fingers on the pulse, we have several new courses expansive space for up to four writers to work to their 6 this year: Folk Fiction, Hybrid Writing, Creative Writing own schedule. 7 and Wellbeing, and two courses for those Preparing for Publication. Arvon offers much more of course, for 2018 was Arvon’s 50th birthday, and the wonderful example, writing for young adults, film, TV comedy and anthology The Golden Book is full of inspiring stories radio, as well as support for beginner writers with our and poems from Arvon tutors and alumni. See p.11 for famous Starting to Write weeks, and Work-in-Progress details on how you can buy the book – all proceeds go courses in many genres for those of you who are further to support Arvon’s charitable work. down the track. Whichever variety of Arvon you choose, you will find If you can’t wait for spring, we have our Winter Warmers a warm welcome at the home of creative writing. short season in January, February and March with five courses to kick-start your new year. We are also expanding our Short Course programme, with six courses running at Lumb Bank and The Hurst. The Short Course offers you the chance to come to Arvon for a more concentrated writing experience either Monday to Thursday, or Friday to Sunday. THE ARVON WEEK

On 5-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 retreats are a little different):

• Each morning the tutors • On Tuesday evening lead workshops to help the tutors read from you explore ideas, their own work. forms and techniques. • On Wednesday evening • Afternoons are your the guest speaker joins time for writing and the group. one-to-one tutorials to 8 consider your writing in • On Friday evening 9 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 6pm, settle in, enjoy breakfast. Have a tissue dinner and attend the handy – you may shed tutors’ introduction to a farewell tear or two! the week. SHORT RESIDENTIAL WRITING COURSES

We have captured all the essential elements that make the Arvon week unique and distilled them into a short course.

We offer two types of short courses (3-day or 4-day), where 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 midweek guest and no cooking duties, so you can enjoy additional time to write while our centre staff cook delicious meals for you each day.

See courses on pages 49, 66, 69, 92, 93 and 101. 10 THE GOLDEN BOOK 11

4-DAY COURSE 3-DAY COURSE In honour of Arvon’s 50th anniversary we are proud to Monday – Thursday Friday – Sunday release The Golden Book, celebrating 50 years as the UK’s home of creative writing. Four-day courses run The long weekend from Monday lunchtime course begins on Friday with departure after lunchtime with departure This landmark anthology brings together stories, poems breakfast on Thursday. mid-afternoon on and memories from just a few of the thousands who have Sunday. come through Arvon’s doors. Contributors include Simon The course includes Armitage, Mark Haddon, Tim Firth, Patience Agbabi, ten hours of workshop- The three days includes Esther Freud and David Almond. based group tuition; eight hours of workshop- each student gets two based tuition; each We’ll be giving a free copy to course participants who one-to-one tutorials and student gets two one-to- come to our centres in 2019. there is a celebratory one tutorials and there reading night on is a short reading to end The Golden Book is available to buy at Wednesday. the course. www.arvon.org/golden-book - all proceeds go towards Arvon’s charitable work. CHOOSING A COURSE

Our courses are designed with writers of all levels For the more experienced writer, we recommend: of experience in mind. If you’re unsure which course is right for you, feel free to call our team on Work-in-Progress 020 7324 2554 to discuss possibilities. For writers who already have significant experience and would like to receive project-specific feedback as well as the space and time to write. We have Work-in-Progress Starting to Write courses in several different genres. Work-in-Progress If you have a burning desire to write but feel you have courses include workshops and one-to-one tutorials. little experience – perhaps you are returning to writing after a long time away, have writing experience in one Tutored Retreats field but are keen to explore a new genre, or maybe Like our Work-in-Progress courses above, but without you are a complete beginner – then a Starting to Write morning workshops. Instead you will have more time for course would be ideal. The Starting to Write courses are one-to-one tutorials. We have Tutored Retreats in several designed to build your confidence within a supportive different genres. 12 environment, providing you with the tools to inspire and 13 develop your writing. We offer Starting to Write courses Centre Retreats in specific genres, and more general Starting to Write The time and space to write with a group of up to 15 courses that include fiction and poetry writing. other writers, sharing one of our three historic houses – The Hurst, Lumb Bank or Totleigh Barton. No workshops, Open Courses no tutorials. We also offer retreats with activities, We have a wide range of courses in specific genres such including yoga. as Fiction, Playwriting, and Short Story. Writers of all levels of experience are welcome on these courses. The Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse weeks will all have a focus on generating new writing Choose between four or six days in your own apartment rather than getting feedback on work-in-progress. Open at The Clockhouse, tucked away in the peaceful grounds courses include workshops and one-to-one tutorials. of our Shropshire centre. Write, plan, walk, think, dream, edit, in solitude, away from it all with no distractions. The Clockhouse has four apartments in total. Writers Retreats are untutored. See p.144 for more information. CENTRE FACILITIES

Accommodation An Arvon centre is your home for the week. The accommodation is welcoming and comfortable. The centre staff will be your hosts, ensuring a relaxed, friendly and informal atmosphere. Each centre has a living room, a well-stocked library and 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 centre.

You do not need a computer on our courses, but you are welcome to bring your own laptop. We have a few computers and a printer at each centre, which you 14 can use for writing and printing out your own work 15 (a donation for printing is requested).

Due to the rural location of our centres, mobile phone signal can be poor (pay phones are available at Totleigh Barton and The Hurst). We do not provide an internet connection or Wi-Fi – so you can immerse yourself in your writing without distraction. 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. Communal spaces, early in the week. We’re firmly committed to buying including workshop spaces, are accessible to people seasonal and local produce. with mobility issues. Each centre can accommodate a personal assistant or carer if required, and if there are You’ll help yourself to breakfast and a tasty lunch is suitable rooms available. Accessibility to bedrooms and provided for you every day by centre staff. Each evening, bathrooms varies depending on the centre. The Hurst a different team of writers takes a turn cooking dinner. is the most accessible of our centres, with a lift to all The recipes and ingredients are provided and there’s floors and 16 en-suite rooms – see pages 18–19. All of lots of help at hand. Cooking teams also take turns to our centres have a portable loop system available on do the washing-up. request. On short courses and Clockhouse retreats, all food is provided for you, 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 of our centres can be reached by train. On booking your course you will be sent a full booking confirmation by email. Check our website for detailed information on how to reach our centres. 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 recently renovated 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 centre 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 dedicated 19 Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse. It consists of four “There is something about the natural beauty at The apartments, each with a bedroom, study and en-suite Hurst which supports the endeavour of writing, which bathroom, and all food provided, for six-day and four- makes wanderings and musings inevitable.” day writing retreats. For more details please see pages 144–145. —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 single rooms and one shared room. One 20 bedroom has a specially adapted bathroom for people 21 with mobility issues and can also accommodate a “I think I speak for all my young writer companions personal carer. when 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 Centre, 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. People have lived at Totleigh for nearly a thousand years.

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 12 single and two shared rooms. There is a wheelchair-accessible bedroom with en-suite 22 bathroom. 23 “To step over the threshold into Totleigh Barton has Totleigh Barton, Sheepwash, Beaworthy, Devon always been to step into a world of writing.” EX21 5NS —Penelope Shuttle Telephone: 01409 231 338 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @TotleighBarton 2019 FEES

5-day courses single room Writers Retreat at The Clockhouse

– The Hurst (en-suite room) £835 6-day retreats (Tues – Mon) – Totleigh Barton and Lumb Bank £795 – 1st floor apartment £750* 5-day courses shared room £745 – 2nd floor apartment £710* (only available at Lumb Bank and Totleigh Barton) 4-day retreats (Thurs – Mon) 5-day Tutored Retreat single room – 1st floor apartment £500* – The Hurst (en-suite room) £835 – 2nd floor apartment £470* – Totleigh Barton and Lumb Bank £795

24 5-day Retreat (untutored) *Price includes VAT @ 20% 25

– The Hurst (en-suite room) £684* – Lumb Bank £648* Course and retreats fees cover

5-day Retreat with activity – full-board accommodation (not including alcohol) (single room only) – all tuition (where applicable) – a writing desk – The Hurst (en-suite room) £725 – Totleigh Barton and Lumb Bank £690 You can apply for a grant towards a course if you cannot afford the full fee (please see pages 26–27). 4-day courses Monday – Thursday The Hurst (en-suite room) £560 Lumb Bank £545

3-day courses Friday – Sunday The Hurst (en-suite room) £530 Lumb Bank £515 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 credit or debit card by calling 2. Reserve a place on your chosen course, either online the centre where your chosen course/retreat is held. or by phoning the centre hosting your course, and make To secure your place, you will need to pay a deposit of sure you indicate that you wish to apply for a grant. You £200 at the time of booking (unless you’re applying do not need to pay a deposit at this stage. for a grant). You are welcome to pay in instalments via our online booking system. The full balance of your fee 3. Complete the application form and send it along with is payable no later than six weeks before the course or your supporting documents to your chosen centre within retreat starts. a week.

26 4. Within seven days we will assess your application, 27 HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT contact you with a decision, and finalise your booking. If you have any questions, please contact the If you are a UK resident and cannot afford the full appropriate centre. course fee, we encourage you to apply for one of our grants, which are awarded on the basis of financial See page 29 for how to support the Grant Fund. need and not writing ability.

Last year we were able to provide a grant to over 120 GRANTS FOR TEACHERS writers. Priority is given to those coming to Arvon for the first time. You may apply for any amount up to the Arvon supports the professional development of full course fee. The average grant we awarded in 2018 practising teachers, who may apply for a special fixed was £420. We offer higher amounts only in exceptional grant of £200 towards a course fee. You will need to cases. To help us support as many people as possible, send evidence that you are a practising teacher at a please apply only if you’d be unable to attend the course UK primary or secondary school, or further education without a grant, and ask for the minimum amount you college. Teachers’ grants are limited in number and can need. You are encouraged to apply by January 2019, as be applied for in addition to the usual grant if further the Grant Fund is limited. Grants are only available for financial assistance is needed. those booking a course, not a retreat. GIFT VOUCHERS #OPENTOALL

Do you have a friend with a flair for fiction? Or A donation to Arvon’s Grant Fund gives the a relative who is harbouring a desire to pen poetry? opportunity for those on low incomes to attend An Arvon Gift Voucher is an inspirational present. Arvon’s courses. Arvon Gift Vouchers can be made up to any amount – perfect for a friendly nudge or a grand gesture. Arvon has played a formative role in the careers and identities of thousands of writers for over 50 years. To find out more, visit www.arvon.org/gift-voucher Currently we can only support the equivalent of one or call 020 7324 2554. person on a low income to attend each of Arvon’s courses. You can help us double our support by making a donation to Arvon’s Grant Fund.

ARVON 28 GIFT 29 VOUCHER

“I’ve been a student on two Arvon courses and I’ve taught nine. I know how life-changing they can be for aspiring writers. It is absolutely vital that they are equally accessible to everyone who might benefit.” —Mark Haddon, Arvon tutor, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Mark has made a donation to help keep Arvon open to everyone. Join him by visiting www.arvon.org/opentoall or contact [email protected], 020 7324 8906. WINTER WARMER: STARTING TO STARTING TO WRITE STARTING WRITE 9–14 September 14–19 January Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Mark Illis & Tutors: Tiffany Murray & Gillian Allnutt p.36 TO WRITE Luke Wright p.32 STARTING TO STARTING TO WRITE WRITE 21–26 October 20–25 May The Hurst, Shropshire Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Kerry Hudson & Tutors: Ross Sutherland JJ Bola p.37 & Laura Barnett p.33

30 STARTING TO 31 WRITE STARTING TO 8–13 July WRITE FICTION p.47 Lumb Bank, Yorkshire STARTING TO Tutors: Hollie McNish & WRITE FICTION p.54 Malachy Tallack p.34 STARTING TO STARTING TO WRITE A NOVEL p.64 WRITE 19–24 August Short Course The Hurst, Shropshire STARTING TO Tutors: Graham Mort & WRITE FICTION p.69 Jo Furniss p.35 STARTING TO WRITE NON- FICTION p.110 14–19 January, Totleigh Barton Totleigh Barton, 20–25 May

WINTER WARMER: STARTING TO WRITE STARTING TO WRITE Capturing ideas Finding the key to your writing A fun, creative and supportive course for those who are just starting out on their journey as authors and You have ideas. You may even have some words on a poets, taught by two writers who are a little further page. But where do you go from here? We will discover along the road. We’ll use short, inspiring exercises new ways to sift and structure your thoughts and aimed at generating and capturing ideas, and then material. We will spark your imagination and allow you find the building blocks to explore them on the page. to experiment with form and storytelling. This week will Expect to open up new channels of creativity within be supportive, productive, creative and fun. You will be yourself, and to leave refreshed and ready to tackle given the space to fall in love with writing, and the tools your next writing project. to carry on.

Tiffany Murray is a Hay Festival Fiction Ross Sutherland was shortlisted for the 32 Fellow and Director of Hay’s Writers at Work. Art Foundation Award for Poetry. He has 33 Her novels Diamond Star Halo and Happy four poetry collections and is a regular Accidents were shortlisted for the Bollinger contributor to BBC Radio 4. His podcast Everyman Wodehouse Prize. Her most recent Imaginary Advice won Gold at the 2018 is Sugar Hall. British Podcast Awards.

Luke Wright is the author of two books of Laura Barnett’s first novel, The Versions poems, two verse plays and ten poetry stage of Us, was a number one bestseller; her shows. He has toured his work all over the second, Greatest Hits, was published in world and his work is regularly broadcast on 2017 with an accompanying soundtrack the radio. album by the musician Kathryn Williams.

Guest Guy Gunaratne is a writer, Guest Eley Williams’s collection of prose, filmmaker and video journalist. In Our Mad Attrib. and other stories, was awarded the and Furious City is his first novel. It was Republic of Consciousness Prize 2018 and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and the 2018. Goldsmiths Prize. 8–13 July, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 19–24 August

STARTING TO WRITE STARTING TO WRITE Telling your stories in poetry and prose Becoming you, the writer

Writing can be daunting. It can also be one of the most How do you face the blank page? In our supportive enjoyable ways to spend your time. Join these two young community, we’ll transform any trepidation into authors, whose works and loves span poetry, prose, fiction, exploration and exhilaration. This course suits writers fact and live touring, to explore new – and sometimes who are beginning to work in fiction or poetry but are challenging – ways for your thoughts to spill on to the searching for voice, style and confidence. We’ll consider page. There will be tips to get you started, advice on how the fundamentals of writing: how to engage the reader to shape and edit your work, as well as the opportunity in rhythms, actions, sounds and silences; how to realise to share in this welcoming setting. We’ll help you build language as experience. We’ll look at deepening themes confidence and enthusiasm for your writing and guide you and characters to create work that resonates. Your writing towards finding your own voice, style and stories. will be enriched by an understanding of how stories connect us through webs of meaning. The blank page has never looked so enticing! 34 Hollie McNish is author of three poetry 35 collections, one short play on UK women’s football and one poetic memoir, Nobody Graham Mort is Professor of Creative Told Me, for which she won the Ted Hughes Writing at Lancaster University. His latest Award. books are short story collection Terroir and poetry collection Black Shiver Moss. Malachy Tallack is the award-winning author of two works of non-fiction – Sixty Jo Furniss is the bestselling author of Degrees North and The Un-Discovered domestic thrillers All the Little Children and Islands – and a novel, The Valley at the The Trailing Spouse. A former BBC journalist, Centre of the World. she has written, studied and taught on three continents. Guest Michael Pedersen is a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship winner, a Guest Nick Makoha was shortlisted for Canongate Future 40, a John Mather’s the 2017 Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Trust Rising Star of Literature and is Collection for his debut Kingdom of Gravity. co-founder of Neu! Reekie! xxxxxx 9–14 September, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 21–26 October xxxxxx

STARTING TO WRITE STARTING TO WRITE Ways into writing Turning inspiration and ideas into stories and poems During this enjoyable and supportive course we’ll use a variety of inspiring exercises to develop your skills in How do you take the seed of an idea and make it a story creating both fiction and poetry. If you have trouble or poem that will capture the imagination? If you are starting or you have trouble finishing, we’re here to help. new to fiction and poetry and wish to take your first steps You’ll develop characters, explore a sense of place and into writing, come and be nurtured by two experienced learn about structure and form. You’ll discover how to tutors. This inspiring and lively course will give you the let your words find shape in sound and on the page. ideas and building blocks you need to start exploring Throughout the week we’ll listen – to each other, to creative writing. Exploring both fiction and poetry, varied, ourselves and to the voices of stories and poems within. stimulating exercises and conversations will set you on the road to your own unique writing journey. Mark Illis has written five novels for adults 36 and two for teenagers – most recently The Kerry Hudson was born in Aberdeen and is 37 Impossible and The Impossible: On the an award-winning novelist. She is currently Run. He has also written a prize-winning writing Lowborn, her first work of non-fiction, screenplay, radio drama and for TV. and a companion column on poverty in the UK for The Pool. Gillian Allnutt’s ninth poetry collection, wake, was published in 2018. She was JJ Bola is a writer, poet and educator, with awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry an MA in Creative Writing. He is the author 2016. of three poetry collections and a debut novel, No Place to Call Home. Guest Adelle Stripe’s debut novel, Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile, was shortlisted for Guest Ali Land’s debut novel Good Me, the Gordon Burn Prize. She teaches Creative Bad Me is an international and Sunday Writing at York St John University. Times bestseller and has been translated into 24 languages. WINTER WARMER STARTING TO FICTION: TUTORED WRITE FICTION RETREAT 29 April–4 May FICTION Totleigh Barton, Devon 4–9 February Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Mark Haddon & Tutors: Stephen May & Molly McGrann p.47 Jane Harris p.43 FICTION WINTER WARMER: 6 –11 May FICTION The Hurst, Shropshire 11–16 March Tutors: Andrew Taylor & The Hurst, Shropshire Claire Fuller p.48 Tutors: Kirsty Gunn & Meaghan Delahunt p.44 SHORT COURSE: SHORT STORY Monday 6–Thursday 38 FICTION 39 15–20 April 9 May Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Samantha Tutors: Vanessa Gebbie Harvey & Jason Hewitt & Tom Vowler p.49 p.45 EDITING FICTION FICTION 27 May–1 June 22–27 April Totleigh Barton, Devon The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Ellah Wakatama Tutors: Jenn Ashworth & Allfrey & Tom Bullough Adam Foulds p.46 p.50 WRITING A NOVEL FICTION FICTION: WORK-IN- SHORT STORY: 3–8 June 29 July–3 August PROGRESS TUTORED RETREAT The Hurst, Shropshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire 2–7 September 7–12 October Tutors: Maggie Gee & Tutors: Diane Setterfield The Hurst, Shropshire The Hurst, Shropshire Patrick McGuinness p.51 & Russ Litten p.55 Tutors: Nicholas Royle & Tutors: Courttia Liz Jensen p.59 Newland & Joanna FICTION: WORK-IN- WRITING A NOVEL: Walsh p.63 PROGRESS TUTORED RETREAT CRIME FICTION 17–22 June 5–10 August 9–14 September STARTING TO Totleigh Barton, Devon The Hurst, Shropshire The Hurst, Shropshire WRITE A NOVEL Tutors: Jacob Ross & Tutors: Toby Litt & Tutors: Dreda Say 7–12 October Clare Fisher p.52 Rachel Seiffert p.56 Mitchell & Adam Hamdy Totleigh Barton, Devon p.60 Tutors: Chibundu Onuzo FICTION: TUTORED FOLK FICTION & Rob Doyle p.64 RETREAT 12–17 August FICTION 24–29 June Totleigh Barton, Devon 16–21 September 40 FICTION: WORK-IN- 41 The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Adam Marek & Lumb Bank, Yorkshire PROGRESS Tutors: Lisa Blower & Zoe Gilbert p.57 Tutors: Christopher 14–19 October Leone Ross p.53 Wakling & Cathi Lumb Bank, Yorkshire FICTION: TUTORED Unsworth p.61 Tutors: Amanda Smyth STARTING TO RETREAT & Chris Cleave p.65 WRITE FICTION 19–24 August FICTION: WORK-IN- 8–13 July Lumb Bank, Yorkshire PROGRESS SHORT COURSE: The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Diana 23–28 September FICTION Tutors: Jo Mazelis & Wyl Evans & Rajeev Totleigh Barton, Devon Friday 18–Sunday 20 Menmuir p.54 Balasubramanyam p.58 Tutors: Kamila Shamsie October & Gillian Slovo p.62 The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Isabelle Grey & Abir Mukherjee p.66 Lumb Bank, 4–9 February

FICTION SHORT STORY WINTER WARMER FICTION: 28 October–2 25–30 November November Totleigh Barton, Devon TUTORED RETREAT Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Cynan Jones & New horizons, fresh perspectives Tutors: Catriona Ward & Carys Davies p.71 Natasha Pulley p.67 You don’t need another workshop. What you need are WRITING A NOVEL fresh insights, together with the space and time to work EDITING FICTION 2–7 December on your manuscript. Through supportive tutorials, we’ll 4–9 November The Hurst, Shropshire help to give you the necessary propulsion to reinvigorate The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Mike Gayle & your work. We’ll look hard at your narrative voice, your Tutors: Rachael Kerr & Freya North p.72 characters and your structure, in order to give you a clear Emma Jane Unsworth road map for the way ahead. You’re invited to submit up p.68 EDITING FICTION to 2,000 words of a work-in-progress plus a 300-word 9–14 December synopsis, to [email protected] by 7 January 2019. SHORT COURSE: Lumb Bank, Yorkshire STARTING TO Tutors: Alexa von 42 Stephen May has published four novels, 43 WRITE FICTION Hirschberg & Jake including Life! Death! Prizes!, which was Monday 11–Thursday Arnott p.73 shortlisted for the Costa Book Award (Novel). 14 November His latest book is acclaimed literary thriller Lumb Bank, Yorkshire FICTION: TUTORED Stronger Than Skin. Tutors: Nikesh Shukla & RETREAT Emylia Hall p.69 9–14 December Jane Harris’s novels are published in 20 Totleigh Barton, Devon languages and have been nominated for FICTION: WORK-IN- Tutors: Alison MacLeod prizes including the National Book Awards PROGRESS & Tim Pears p.74 and the Orange Prize. She has taught fiction 18–23 November writing for Guardian Masterclasses and Lumb Bank, Yorkshire University of East Anglia. Tutors: James Scudamore & Beth WRITING FOR Guest Linda Green is the author of nine Miller p.70 CHILDREN AND novels, which have sold more than a million YOUNG ADULTS p.111 copies in the UK and been translated into a dozen languages. 11–16 March, The Hurst Lumb Bank, 15–20 April

WINTER WARMER: FICTION FICTION Re-energising your creativity Unlearning rules, building instinct

Do you want to create novels and short stories that are We write from unseen places within ourselves. Rules can distinctive and fresh? Do you want to make your prose help as waymarkers, but unhelpful rules often get in the interesting to read and stimulating to write? Then this is way of that inner propulsion: our instinct. What is it that the week for you. We will show you how to think about makes you want to write? What is it, really, that you want fashioning your short stories and novels to make them to say? Which conventions might help, and which might individual and particular and we will guide and inspire hinder? We’ll spend this week engaging in free and bold you to discover your writer’s voice. As the days become writing practice. This is an intermediate course, for those longer and winter recedes, join us for a warm, playful who’ve started writing a work of fiction. We want to help and stimulating week. you connect with the initial urge that set the process going and explore approaches that allow that urge to take its best form. Kirsty Gunn has written five works of 44 fiction. Translated in over 12 territories and 45 widely anthologised, her award-winning Samantha Harvey is the author of four books have been broadcast, turned into film novels, most recently The Western Wind, and dance theatre. A regular contributor which was published in 2018. She is a to newspapers and magazines, she is also Reader in English and Creative Writing at Professor of Writing Practice and Study at the Bath Spa University. University of Dundee. Jason Hewitt’s debut novel The Dynamite Meaghan Delahunt is a novelist and short Room was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott story writer. Awards for her work include a Prize for New Writing, while Devastation Commonwealth Prize and a nomination for Road was longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize the Orange Prize. Her most recent book is for Historical Fiction. He is also a playwright. Greta Garbo’s Feet & Other Stories. Guest Darcy Nicholson is Commissioning Guest Tony White’s latest novel is The Editor at Transworld (Penguin Random Fountain in the Forest. Formerly Writer-in- House). She works across fiction and non- Residence at London’s Science Museum, his fiction, and her authors include Rebecca previous novels include Foxy-T. Reid, Katie Khan, Jessica Pan, AA Dhand and Lauren Bravo. 22–27 April, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 29 April–4 May

FICTION STARTING TO WRITE FICTION Technique and tenacity: a good Finding fresh connections first draft and beyond This course, aimed at beginners, will be tailored to your unique and varied needs as a new writer. Workshops will A structured, focused course that will propel you onwards inspire fresh writing; the natural environment will offer with your writing project. We will help turn several sparks relaxation and new perspectives. You will come to know into a substantial fire by delving deeply into character not only the value of your own skills but the importance creation, plotting, point of view, editing and improving. of living, working and eating together as a community With plenty of time to write, you will leave surprised at the of writers, finding confidence and sustenance in these progress you have made. connections. Jenn Ashworth’s first novel, A Kind of Intimacy, was published in 2009 and won a Mark Haddon is the author of three novels Betty Trask Award. On the publication of her and one short story collection. He has also 46 second, Cold Light, she was featured on the written for the stage, television and radio. 47 BBC’s The Culture Show as one of the UK’s His latest novel, The Porpoise, is a response 12 best new writers. Her latest novel is Fell. to Shakespeare’s Pericles.

Adam Foulds is an award-winning poet and Molly McGrann is a literary critic, poet novelist. His latest novel, Dream Sequence, is and novelist. A former contributing editor at published in 2019. The Paris Review, she is the author of three novels, 360 Flip, Exurbia and The Ladies of Guest Tor Udall began her career in the House. theatre and dance. Her critically acclaimed debut A Thousand Paper Birds was Guest Sophie Mackintosh won the 2016 longlisted for The Authors’ Club Best First White Review Short Story Prize and her Novel Award. fiction has been published in Granta and The Stinging Fly, among others. Her debut novel, The Water Cure, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018. 6 –11 May, The Hurst Lumb Bank, Monday 6–Thursday 9 May

FICTION SHORT COURSE: SHORT STORY Finding your way through the woods Unlocking the mysteries of this dazzling form

Writing fiction is always a journey of exploration. This A good short story is gloriously deceptive. Within its week is designed to give you the essential tools and limited word count is a complete world inhabited by living, techniques to help you on your way. We will discuss the breathing characters whose lives open up to us for a main elements of fiction in a series of workshops, from pivotal moment. Building stories is a challenging process character and theme to setting and narrative; examine – we will work together to unravel some of the mysteries the variety of fiction sub-genres and their commercial of this most fantastic form, supporting you as you create considerations; and you will receive one-to-one guidance your own unforgettable characters, vibrant settings and from each of the tutors. wonderful stories. This packed few days at beautiful Lumb Bank will enrich and sharpen your writing skills. Designed for beginners to intermediates, more experienced writers Andrew Taylor is an award-winning crime will also benefit and be most welcome. and historical novelist. His 40-plus books 48 include the number one bestsellers The 49 American Boy and The Ashes of London. His Vanessa Gebbie has won awards ‘Roth Trilogy’ was adapted for television. for fiction, non-fiction and poetry and teaches widely. Author of seven story and Claire Fuller’s first novel won the Desmond poetry collections and a novel, she is also Elliott Prize, and her second was shortlisted contributing editor of Short Circuit: Guide to for the Encore Award. Her third is Bitter the Art of the Short Story. Orange. Her stories have been shortlisted in and won several major competitions. Tom Vowler is an award-winning novelist and short story writer. His debut collection, Guest David Hayden’s debut collection of The Method, won the Scott Prize. He’s a short stories Darker With the Lights On has commissioning editor with Unthank Books, and been published on both sides of the Atlantic. his latest story collection is Dazzling the Gods. 27 May–1 June, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 3–8 June

EDITING FICTION WRITING A NOVEL Now to make it sing The art of crafting a world

You have spent months, maybe years, working on a A novel is a world in itself, a place on the page where novel or a collection of stories. How do you make that the reader goes to be amazed, enlightened, excited final leap and bring it to a publishable level? This course, or moved. But to make this world work, the writer led by an editor and a novelist, will look at character, must learn to manage the nuts and bolts of structure, plotting, setting, tightening scenes and sharpening character, story, setting and plot. Does your novel have a images. It will show you how to step back from your work voice? Does it hold together? Do the plotlines, the people and allow you to see it afresh. It will also give you solid, and the places fit? This week we will address the basics professional advice about the next stage: submission to that remain the writer’s hardest challenges: how to begin an agent or publisher. and how to maintain momentum. Whatever kind of novel you are writing, we will try to help you make it better. Ellah Wakatama Allfrey is Publishing Director of The Indigo Press. She has judged Maggie Gee’s last novel was Virginia Woolf 50 the Dublin International Literary Award and in Manhattan. Her 15 books include The 51 Man Booker Prize, and has been Deputy White Family, the memoir My Animal Life, Editor of Granta magazine and Senior Editor and Blood, a black comedy, forthcoming in at Jonathan Cape. 2019. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. Tom Bullough is the author of four novels, most recently Addlands. He is the Royal Patrick McGuinness’s memoir, Other Literary Fund Fellow at Swansea University People’s Countries, won the Duff Cooper and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Prize, and his first novel, The Last Hundred South Wales. Days, won the Writers’ Guild Prize for Fiction. Throw Me to the Wolves will be Guest Jenny Hewson is a literary agent published in 2019. at Rogers, Coleridge and White. Authors she represents include Sarah Perry, Melissa Guest Louise Doughty is the author Harrison, Thomas Keneally, Christos Tsiolkas of nine novels, including the bestselling and Amy Sackville. Apple Tree Yard. 17–22 June, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 24–29 June

FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT Developing your narrative craft The end is nigh: plotting your finish

How do you write, develop and revise compelling works Often writers get stuck because they don’t consider their of fiction? How do successful writers exploit narrative work in the context of its ending. Where are you headed structure, setting and character to create work that and how will you know when it’s done? You’ve heard shines? This course is for those who have already of a ‘killer first line’ – we’ll consider that killer last page, started a work of fiction, be it long or short. Participants how to bring your plot together and what it takes to are invited to submit up to 1,500 words of a work-in- return to page one and edit language. This tutored progress, to be sent to [email protected] by retreat is for beginner and intermediate writers with 17 May 2019. a manuscript. Participants are invited to submit up to 2,000 words plus a 500-word synopsis specifying Jacob Ross is Associate Fiction Editor at form, genre and a summary of the work-in-progress, to Peepal Tree Press, author of several story [email protected] by 24 May 2019. collections and editor of five short story 52 53 anthologies. His latest novel, The Bone Lisa Blower is an award-winning short Readers, won the inaugural Jhalak Prize story writer, novelist and lecturer. Taking and was shortlisted for the Association of inspiration from Alan Bennett’s work, her Caribbean Writers Award. books Sitting Ducks and It’s Gone Dark Over Bill’s Mother’s are Potteries-based Clare Fisher is the author of the novel All political fiction. the Good Things, which won a Betty Trask Award, and the short story collection How Leone Ross is an award-winning novelist, the Light Gets In. She lives, writes and short story writer, editor and teacher. Her teaches creative writing in Leeds. latest book is the short story collection Come Let Us Sing Anyway. Guest Patrick Gale’s works include the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes from an Guest Tom Rachman is the author of four Exhibition, the Costa-shortlisted A Place works of fiction, including the international Called Winter, and, most recently, Take bestseller The Imperfectionists and his latest Nothing With You. acclaimed novel The Italian Teacher. 8–13 July, The Hurst Lumb Bank, 29 July–3 August

STARTING TO WRITE FICTION FICTION Secrets and lies: exploring the imagination Fuel for the fire

The engine of fiction is a combination of carefully How can we, as writers, transcend our initial influences constructed lies that unfold like secrets and set off the while still harnessing the thrill that first inspired us? In imagination in both writer and reader. You will explore this course, we will investigate how we can use our the many possibilities of fiction, free up your imagination reading life as fuel for writing. We’ll look at style, and create structures for your work of fiction. In a technique, tone and content in existing texts and explore supportive and enthusiastic atmosphere you will find various ways we can absorb the influences that excite your voice and a passion for further writing. This week is us and still arrive at our own unique writing voice. You’ll suitable for beginners and those who wish to refocus and come away having developed your individual craft and find new inspiration for their work. eager to carry on writing.

Jo Mazelis is a prize-winning novelist, short Diane Setterfield is the author of The story writer and poet. Her novel Significance Thirteenth Tale, a number one New York 54 won The Jerwood Prize. Her third collection Times bestseller, filmed for the BBC. 55 of stories, Ritual, 1969, was longlisted for the Following the genre-defying Bellman & Edge Hill Prize. Black, her latest book, Once Upon a River, is storytelling at its most spellbinding. Wyl Menmuir was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for his debut novel, The Many. Russ Litten is the author of the novels As well as novels, he writes short stories and Scream If You Want To Go Faster, Swear journalism, and teaches creative writing at Down and Kingdom. His first short story Falmouth University. collection We Know What We Are was published in 2018. Russ runs writing Guest Carys Bray is the author of a short workshops in prisons, schools and story collection and two novels. Her work community centres. has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Award (First Novel) and the Desmond Elliott Guest Libby Page’s debut novel, The Lido, Prize, and she won the 2015 Authors’ Club was published in 2018 and was a Sunday Best First Novel Award. Times bestseller for five consecutive weeks. 5–10 August, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 12–17 August

WRITING A NOVEL: FOLK FICTION TUTORED RETREAT Looking for life in fantastical places Re-energising your writing and Writers like George Saunders, Angela Carter, David supercharging your novel Mitchell and Margaret Atwood combine the fantastic with the everyday to explore human truths. How can Where are you with your novel? Has it been too long you bring elements of science fiction, folklore, fantasy since you’ve had some really focused feedback? Or and the uncanny into your own fiction to create deep some detailed analysis of your story, characters, structure meaning that speaks to readers? Together we’ll explore and voice? Or some insightful suggestions about new practical techniques for making the surreal convincing, approaches you might try? The middle of a novel can be and writing fiction about human drama through the lens a very lonely place. Whether your draft is the final or the of the weird. This course is for dreamers, fantasists and first, we will help you get it much closer to what you know wonderers of all levels. it can be. You’re invited to submit up to 2,000 words of a work-in-progress to [email protected] by 6 July 2019. Adam Marek is the award-winning author 56 57 of two short story collections: Instruction Toby Litt teaches creative writing at Birkbeck Manual For Swallowing and The Stone College, London. He is the author of four Thrower. His work has appeared on BBC books of short stories and 11 novels, including Radio 4 and in The Penguin Book of the Notes for a Young Gentleman and Corpsing. British Short Story.

Rachel Seiffert has published four novels Zoe Gilbert won the Costa Short Story that have been shortlisted for prizes Award 2014, and her first book, Folk, was including the Booker Prize, and longlisted published in 2018. She is completing a three times for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Creative Writing PhD on folk tales in new In 2011 she received the EM Forster Award fiction. from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Irenosen Okojie’s debut novel Butterfly Fish won a Betty Trask Award. Her short Guest Kirsty Logan is the author of two story collection Speak Gigantular was novels, The Gloaming and The Gracekeepers, published in 2016. and two story collections, A Portable Shelter and The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales. 19–24 August, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 2–7 September

FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS Finding your way Next steps in the journey

A story is a journey, a puzzle, a forest, and it’s all too easy Starting is one thing, but finishing is another. It’s common to get lost in the woods. If you have a novel or short story in the writing process to find yourself stuck, hesitating that’s refusing to cooperate and need help finding your between projects, or simply wondering where to go way, this could be the course for you. We will provide next. In a course designed to give you a nudge in an one-to-one feedback on process, character, style, structure exciting forward direction, we’ll offer you new ways of and editing, though you will have plenty of time to work thinking and exercises designed to get you going again. in solitude and to enjoy the company of fellow writers for You are invited to submit up to 1,000 words to additional empathy and support. This course is aimed [email protected] by 5 August 2019. at writers who have a work-in-progress. Participants are invited to submit up to 1,500 words of their writing in Nicholas Royle is the author of three short advance to [email protected] by 19 July 2019. story collections – Mortality, Ornithology and The Dummy & Other Uncanny Stories – 58 59 Diana Evans is the award-winning author and seven novels, most recently First Novel. of Ordinary People, The Wonder and 26a, Reader in Creative Writing at Manchester which won the inaugural Orange Award for Met, he also runs Nightjar Press. New Writers. She began her writing career as a journalist and continues to write for the Liz Jensen is the author of eight novels, national press. including the bestselling The Rapture, the Hollywood-adapted The Ninth Life of Louis Rajeev Balasubramanyam has a PhD in Drax, and, most recently, The Uninvited. She English and Creative Writing. He is the prize- has tutored regularly for Arvon since 1997 winning author of In Beautiful Disguises and and in 2005 was awarded Fellowship of the his latest novel is Professor Chandra Follows Royal Society of Literature. His Bliss. Guest Sarah Winman has written three Guest Nuala Ellwood was chosen as one of books: When God Was a Rabbit, A Year of the Observer’s New Faces of Fiction 2017 for Marvellous Ways and Tin Man. her novel, the bestselling My Sister’s Bones. She teaches Creative Writing at York St John University. 9–14 September, The Hurst Lumb Bank, 16–21 September

CRIME FICTION FICTION The essentials of murder and mayhem Brave new words

This week will cover the essentials of good crime writing: This course will help turn your will-to-write into how to come up with an original and convincing plot, compelling fiction. We’ll explore all aspects of story develop compelling characters, deliver realistic dialogue, writing – from sources of inspiration, starting well, manage pace, setting and narrative techniques. We will plotting and characterisation, to the discipline of self- also make suggestions as to how to incorporate factual editing – through practical workshops packed with crimes into fictional stories. While ideal for those who examples and exercises. And we’ll help apply the already have a criminal idea they want to put on the theory to your own writing through one-to-one tutorials. page, this week will also help those who know they want Whether you have a full draft or half an idea - come to write in the genre but are uncertain how to get started. prepared to look at your work afresh.

Dreda Say Mitchell is an award-winning, Christopher Wakling’s seven acclaimed 60 bestselling crime writer, broadcaster, novels include, most recently, Escape and 61 campaigner, and journalist. She is the author Evasion. He runs novel-writing courses for of 11 novels, with her debut awarded The Curtis Brown Creative and writes travel Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey journalism for the national press. Dagger. She has been a frequent guest on television and radio, and has presented BBC Cathi Unsworth is the author of six pop- Radio 4’s Open Book. cultural noir novels, three of which are fictionalisations of true crimes: That Old Adam Hamdy is the author of the Black Magic, Without the Moon and Bad ‘Pendulum’ trilogy. He also works as Penny Blues. a screenwriter for producers on both sides of the Atlantic, and studios such as Guest Louise Beech has been writing since NBCUniversal, BBC and ITV. she could hold a pen. She’s the author of four novels: How to be Brave was a Guardian Guest Imran Mahmood is an author Readers’ Pick, and Maria in the Moon was a and barrister. His 2017 debut novel, You Sunday Mirror ‘must read’. Don’t Know Me, draws on his 20 years of experience at the criminal bar in London. 23–28 September, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 7–12 October

FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS SHORT STORY: TUTORED Building fiction brick by brick RETREAT Exploring the magic of short stories It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the different components that go into a piece of fiction – plot, An up close and personal course aimed at the experienced character, setting, dialogue. Each one has to work for the short story writer, entirely made up of tutorials with story or novel to be successful. During the week we’ll take an optional masterclass. We’ll set tasks and exercises your work-in-progress back to basics, breaking down focused on each writer’s particular practice and help several of these components into distinct ‘building blocks’ you mine theme, character and emotional development. and helping you to explore them, refining and clarifying We’ll also discuss the role of place in fiction, routes to your text along the way. publication and the resources that can help you sustain yourself economically and creatively. And of course, this Kamila Shamsie has written seven novels, all takes place on the idyllic grounds of The Hurst, an including Burnt Shadows, Kartography and ideal environment to explore the magic of short stories. Home Fire (winner of the Women’s Prize for 62 Participants are invited to send up to 1,500 words of a 63 Fiction). She was one of Granta’s Best of short story to [email protected] by 6 September 2019. Young British Novelists in 2013.

Gillian Slovo is the author of 13 novels and Courttia Newland is the author of seven a family memoir. Ice Road was shortlisted books. His short stories appear in many for the Orange Prize for Fiction and Red anthologies, including Best of British Short Dust became a Hollywood film. Gillian also Stories 2017. produces verbatim plays. Joanna Walsh is the author of seven books, Guest Rupert Thomson is the prize-winning including three short story collections: author of 11 novels, including The Insult, Death Vertigo, Worlds from the Word’s End, and of a Murderer and The Book of Revelation, and Grow a Pair. She also works as an editor, the memoir This Party’s Got to Stop. His latest literary journalist and university teacher of novel is Never Anyone But You. creative writing. Guest KJ Orr is the author of the short story collection Light Box. She won the BBC National Short Story Award 2016. 7–12 October, Totleigh Barton Lumb Bank, 14–19 October

STARTING TO WRITE A NOVEL FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS Lessons on voice, character, plot and setting Digging deep

Writing a novel can be a daunting process. Writing a An inspiring week to focus on a work-in-progress and chapter is a more achievable task. Writing a page is how to bring it to completion, with practical guidance almost manageable. This course is for writers who have and workshops to help navigate the challenging and started novels but have had trouble finishing – or for exciting process of developing your narrative. We will those who are at the very beginning. We break down the explore the bare bones of writing fiction – sourcing ideas, novel into its parts of story, character, plot and setting, plot, character, setting, dialogue and point of view. This working with participants to refine each component as structured, focused course will send you away knowing they start, or re-start, their writing journey. what you need to do to finish your fiction project, and leave you feeling surprised at how much progress you’ve Chibundu Onuzo grew up in Lagos. She is made. Come with your curiosity and ideas. the author of two novels, The Spider King’s Daughter and Welcome to Lagos. In June Amanda Smyth’s first novel Black Rock won 64 65 2018 she was elected as a Fellow of the the Prix du Premier Roman Etranger and Royal Society of Literature. was selected as an Oprah Winfrey Summer Read. Her second novel A Kind of Eden was Rob Doyle’s debut novel Here Are the Young published in 2013. She is currently writing Men was chosen as one of the ‘Twenty her third novel, Fortune. Greatest Irish Novels 1916–2016’ by Hot Press magazine. His second book is This Chris Cleave’s award-winning novels have Is the Ritual. He is the editor of a major been published in 30 countries. His most anthology of Irish literature. recent novel Everyone Brave Is Forgiven was published in 2016. He is currently writing Guest Mick Kitson is a novelist with previous screenplays. careers as a newspaper reporter and English teacher. His debut novel, Sal, was published Guest Rosie Garland is a novelist, poet in March 2018. and singer with post-punk band The March Violets. She is author of The Night Brother, Vixen and The Palace of Curiosities. Friday 18–Sunday 20 October, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 28 October–2 November

SHORT COURSE: FICTION FICTION Vivid characters, suspenseful stories Haunting your text

Suspense lies at the heart all good storytelling. This This course is designed to help those interested in writing three-day fiction course, tutored by writers of thrillers and the uncanny to unlock their fictional ghosts. Ghosts make crime fiction, is for those who might already have an their way into all genres of fiction, and good writing is idea – from notes on the back of an envelope to a first- always haunted in some way. We will explore the many draft manuscript – for any kind of genre fiction and are forms ghosts take in literature, how to create one, write looking for fresh ways to develop their story. Workshops fear, build suspense and haunt your reader. We will will focus on how the creation of vivid, multidimensional encourage those at the beginning of the creative process characters can enable more complex plots and open up to develop their ideas and help writers with works in opportunities for unforced surprise and suspense. It’s progress fine-tune and illuminate their plots, characters time to put your characters to work! and settings.

Catriona Ward’s debut Rawblood won Best 66 Isabelle Grey writes the DI Grace Fisher 67 crime novels. The most recent, Wrong Way Horror Novel at the British Fantasy Awards Home, was a Sunday Times Crime Book of 2016 and was shortlisted for the Author’s the Month. She has also written drama for Club Best First Novel Award. Her second television, radio and film. novel, Little Eve, was published in 2018.

Abir Mukherjee is the Times bestselling Natasha Pulley’s international bestseller author of the Sam Wyndham series of crime The Watchmaker of Filigree Street won a novels. The debut A Rising Man was a Times Betty Trask Award and hit the Sunday Times and Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month bestseller list in summer 2017. Her second, and won the CWA Endeavour Historical The Bedlam Stacks, was longlisted for the Dagger for best historical crime novel 2017. Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. His second novel, A Necessary Evil, has been chosen as a Zoe Ball Book Club pick. Guest Andrew Michael Hurley’s first novel, The Loney, won the 2015 Costa Book Award (First Novel). Devil’s Day was joint winner of the 2018 Royal Society of Literature Encore Award for Best Second Novel. 4–9 November, The Hurst Lumb Bank, Monday 11–Thursday 14 November

EDITING FICTION SHORT COURSE: STARTING TO Getting your draft ready for publication WRITE FICTION Walking the walk – write that story You’ve finished your first draft: now what? Time for the challenging task of editing, polishing and honing your own work. How can you look at it with fresh eyes when Whether you’ve always dreamt of writing fiction but are you’ve sweated blood over it? Over the course of a week, yet to get started, or you’re wading through that tricky we’ll offer practical advice on a range of frequently first draft, this course is for you. We’ll look at where ideas encountered problems and help you to stop feeling come from and how to recognise a good one when it snow-blind, redraft your work and ready it for the next comes along. We’ll examine the fundamentals of fiction stage. You don’t have to kill all your darlings, but you writing – structure, setting, dialogue, character – and how will learn, as Diana Athill advises, to “look at them with to use them to your story’s advantage. We’ll explore ways a very beady eye”. of finding, and maintaining, inspiration and motivation, so you can be sure you’re giving the best of yourself to your writing – and enjoying the process. 68 Rachael Kerr has worked in publishing 69 for more than 30 years, most notably at Nikesh Shukla is the author of three novels. Jonathan Cape, Picador and The Harvill His latest, The One Who Wrote Destiny, Press. Since 2011, she has been Editor- came out in 2018. His debut novel, Coconut at-Large for Unbound, the crowdfunding Unlimited, was shortlisted for the Costa Book publisher. Award (First Novel). Nikesh is the editor of the bestselling essay collection The Good Emma Jane Unsworth is the author of two Immigrant. award-winning novels. She adapted her second novel, Animals, into a screenplay, the Emylia Hall is the author of four novels. film of which is due to be released in 2019. Her debut, The Book of Summers, was a She is editing her third novel and writing a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, and was fourth. translated into eight languages. Her latest is The Thousand Lights Hotel. Guest Gautam Malkani is author of the 2018 novel Distortion. His debut novel was Londonstani and he spent 19 years as an editor and journalist at the Financial Times. 18–23 November, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 25–30 November

FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS SHORT STORY Stuck in the middle Finding your story

Inspiration is harder to come by in the middle of writing A good story knows how long (or short) it wants to be, but a novel than at the beginning or the end. What about seeing that can prove elusive. This course will help you that point about 40,000 words in, when the writer’s focus; to cut to the chase of your narrative, encouraging enthusiasm starts to flag? This course is aimed at you to take risks and dig for the gold in what you write. anyone who has a piece of fiction underway. We’ll Whether you’re up and running as a writer or just starting explore techniques to do with character development, out, we’ll guide you towards being your own best critic, so style, structure and pacing to help you create a you can recognise where your story really is and have the satisfying and distinctive work that will hold a reader’s confidence to pursue it. Participants are invited to submit interest throughout. Participants are invited to submit up to 2,000 words of a work-in-progress, to be sent to up to 2,000 words of a work-in-progress, to be sent [email protected] by 25 October 2019. This is to [email protected] by 18 October 2019. entirely optional.

70 James Scudamore is the author of the Cynan Jones writes short novels and short 71 novels Wreaking, Heliopolis and The Amnesia stories. He’s been published in Granta and Clinic. He has received the Somerset the New Yorker, and, among other prizes, Maugham Award and been nominated for won the BBC National Short Story Award in many other prizes, including the Costa Book 2017. Award (First Novel) and the Man Booker Prize. Carys Davies is the author of a novel and Beth Miller is the author of When We Were two collections of short stories. Her most Sisters and The Good Neighbour, with two recent awards include a Cullman Fellowship, more novels coming out in 2019. She has the Frank O’Connor International Short also published two non-fiction books about Story Award and the Jerwood Fiction Shakespeare and The Archers. Uncovered Prize.

Guest Sarah Moss grew up in northern Guest Tessa Hadley has written six novels England. She is the author of six novels, – including The London Train and The Past, including The Tidal Zone, Ghost Wall and which won the Hawthornden Prize – and a memoir about her year in Iceland. She is three collections of short stories. Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Warwick. 2–7 December, The Hurst Lumb Bank, 9–14 December

WRITING A NOVEL EDITING FICTION Re-ignite and refresh your writing Looking at your work in depth

Got a great idea for a novel but can’t get started? Got Have you finished the first draft of a novel or short story? your novel off the ground but struggling to make it Now the real work begins. This course will look at how work? Finished a first draft but have a feeling something you edit your own writing and the process of working about it isn’t quite right? Covering everything from the with an editor or publisher. Led by an author and an generation of ideas through to understanding story editor ready to share their perspectives from both sides structure, this week focuses on giving you the tools to of the business, this week will help you fine-tune your build a firm foundation for your work and aims to inspire prose, make the most of feedback, balance creative and you to keep going once you leave The Hurst. commercial concerns and demystify the editing process. Come prepared to look at your work anew and we’ll help Mike Gayle is the author of 15 novels, you maximise its chances of publication. Bring a polished including the top ten bestseller My 2,000-word extract (preferably the beginning) and a Legendary Girlfriend. His latest, The Man I 300-word synopsis. 72 Think I Know, was selected for the Zoe Ball 73 Book Club on ITV. Alexa von Hirschberg is a Senior Commissioning Editor at Bloomsbury Freya North is an internationally bestselling Publishing, where she works with authors author of 14 novels, including The Way Back including Melissa Harrison, Patrick deWitt, Home and The Turning Point. She also set up Kate Tempest, Aminatta Forna, Natasha the Hertford Children’s Book Festival and is Pulley and Benjamin Myers. an ambassador for Beating Bowel Cancer. Jake Arnott is the author of seven novels, Guest Lucy Atkins has written four novels including The Long Firm, which was adapted and several works of non-fiction. She is a as a BAFTA award-winning TV series for book critic for the Sunday Times and has BBC2. His latest novel is The Fatal Tree. been a Costa Book Awards judge. Guest Juliet Pickering works for the Blake Friedmann Agency, where she is Vice Head of Books. She represents a wide-ranging list of fiction and non-fiction. 9–14 December, Totleigh Barton

FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT Bring your story to life POETRY An opportunity to give your work-in-progress an electric jolt forward. It’s hard to sustain the endeavour of creating a work of fiction amidst the hurly-burly of everyday life. Immerse yourself, get feedback from tutors and share experiences with fellow writers. We will also offer an optional masterclass. Participants are invited to submit up to 1,000 words of their work in advance to [email protected] by 9 November 2019.

Alison MacLeod’s second short story collection, All the Beloved Ghosts, was published in 2017. Her most recent novel, 74 Unexploded, was longlisted for the 2013 75 Man Booker Prize for Fiction.

Tim Pears has written 11 novels, including In The Place of Fallen Leaves (awarded the Hawthornden Prize), Landed and the ‘West Country Trilogy’.

Guest Amanda Craig is an acclaimed novelist, critic, journalist and short story writer. She is the author of A Vicious Circle, In a Dark Wood and The Lie of the Land. WINTER WARMER: POETRY: TUTORED POETRY SHORT COURSE: POETRY RETREAT 12–17 August SPOKEN WORD 28 January–2 February 20–25 May Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Monday 28– The Hurst, Shropshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Mimi Khalvati & Thursday 31 October Tutors: Ann Sansom & Tutors: David Morley & Mona Arshi p.88 Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Roger Robinson p.78 Kim Moore p.83 Tutors: Steven Camden POETRY & Belinda Zhawi p.93 WINTER WARMER: POETRY 26–31 August POETRY 27 May–1 June The Hurst, Shropshire POETRY 25 February–2 March The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Luke Kennard & 4–9 November Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: George Szirtes & Colette Bryce p.89 Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Jo Shapcott & Clare Shaw p.84 Tutors: Deryn Rees-Jones Karen McCarthy Woolf EDITING POETRY & Sasha Dugdale p.94 p.79 POETRY 2–7 September 3–8 June Totleigh Barton, Devon POETRY: TUTORED 76 POETRY Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Tom Chivers & RETREAT 77 22–27 April Tutors: Chris McCabe & Sarah Hesketh p.90 18–23 November Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Vahni Capildeo p.85 Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Ian Duhig & POETRY Tutors: Fiona Benson & Catherine Smith p.80 POETRY 16–21 September Katrina Naomi p.95 15–20 July The Hurst, Shropshire POETRY: TOWARDS Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Jean Sprackland POETRY A COLLECTION Tutors: Jack Underwood & Jacob Polley p.91 2–7 December 29 April–4 May & Morgan Parker p.86 Lumb Bank, Yorkshire The Hurst, Shropshire SHORT COURSE: Tutors: Clare Pollard & Tutors: Caroline Bird & POETRY POETRY Antony Dunn p.96 Jane Commane p.81 29 July–3 August Monday 14–Thursday The Hurst, Shropshire 17 October POETRY Tutors: Pascale Petit & The Hurst, Shropshire 6 –11 May Andrew McMillan p.87 Tutors: Liz Berry & Totleigh Barton, Devon Matthew Francis p.92 Tutors: WN Herbert & Fiona Sampson p.82 28 January–2 February, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 25 February–2 March

WINTER WARMER: POETRY WINTER WARMER: POETRY New year, new writing The poetry workout

Make a resolution to move your poetry writing practice Aimed at poets of every level, this course will stimulate fresh a long way forward in 2019. This demanding but hugely work and encourage you to share it. Bring your notebooks enjoyable course will take your writing to another level, and writing tools to explore the many ways poetry can bear whether you are well published or only just starting witness to stories, politics, geographies and emotions in out. Working from classic and contemporary poems, these turbulent times. You may have projects on the go or the exhilarating writing sessions and sensitive expert new ideas for poems that need a kick-start. As tutors we will feedback will be the main focus in a well-structured week suit the course to the individual needs of the participants. dedicated to your poetry. Come prepared to write, to be open to techniques, forms and approaches new and traditional. Ann Sansom is an experienced tutor and has published six collections of poetry. Ann Jo Shapcott’s most recent collection, Of is a co-director of The Poetry Business, has Mutability, won the Costa Book Award 78 been awarded an honorary doctorate by (Poetry). In 2011 she was awarded the 79 the University of Sheffield, and co-edits The Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. Poems from North magazine and Smith/Doorstop Books. her previous award-winning collections are gathered in a collection of selected poems, Roger Robinson has published three books Her Book. of poetry, the latest being The Butterfly Hotel. He was shortlisted for The OCM Karen McCarthy Woolf’s An Aviary of Small Bocas Poetry Prize and highly commended Birds was shortlisted for the Felix Dennis by the Forward Poetry Prize 2013. He is a Prize for Best First Collection and the Fenton co-founder of Spoke Lab and Malika’s Poetry Aldeburgh First Collection Prize. Seasonal Kitchen. Disturbances is a PBS Recommendation. An editor of five literary anthologies, she holds a Guest Jackie Hagan is a working-class doctorate from the University of London. queer amputee, an award-winning writer and performer, and a Jerwood Compton Guest Raymond Antrobus is the author Poetry Fellow. She writes plays, stand-up of The Perseverance and To Sweeten Bitter. comedy, and performance poetry. He has an MA in Spoken Word Education from Goldsmiths University. In 2018 he was awarded The Geoffrey Dearmer Prize. 22-27 April, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 29 April–4 May

POETRY POETRY: TOWARDS A COLLECTION Seeing your poetry in the round Navigating a maze of your own creation

This course will explore how your poetry fits into your life, Do you have some poems in a pile? Do you need that the contemporary scene and new directions you might extra push to step out into the sky and create a book? consider. It is aimed at new to intermediate level poets. The word ‘collection’ is misleading, since the process of The sessions will help you to develop better critical writing a poetry book is so much deeper than ‘collecting’. perspectives on your writing and to decide how and Poems have chemical reactions with each other, and where you might take it further. Participants are invited collections have personalities far beyond the sum of their to send 2–3 poems and a paragraph about yourself and parts. With guidance from both a poetry and publishing your work to [email protected] by 29 March 2019. perspective, prepare to think hard about the poems you already have, and to write an almost criminal amount of Ian Duhig’s most recent book The Blind new work too. Roadmaker was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection and the TS Eliot Caroline Bird has five poetry collections 80 81 Prize for Poetry. He has been awarded the published. Her most recent, In These Days Forward Prize for Best Single Poem and won of Prohibition, was shortlisted for the Ted the National Poetry Competition twice. Hughes Award and the TS Eliot Prize for Poetry. Catherine Smith’s first pamphlet, The New Bride, was shortlisted for the Forward Jane Commane is a poet and editor at Nine Prize for Best First Collection. Her book Arches Press and Under the Radar magazine. The Butcher’s Hands won the Aldeburgh/ Her debut collection is Assembly Lines, and Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection. Lip she is a Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellow. was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection. Guest Rishi Dastidar’s debut collection is Ticker-Tape, and a poem from it was included Guest Zaffar Kunial’s debut collection Us in The Forward Book of Poetry 2018. was published in 2018. 6 –11 May, Totleigh Barton Lumb Bank, 20–25 May

POETRY POETRY: TUTORED RETREAT Celebrating curiosity The house of poetry

Curiosity may have killed the cat but it is a vital character This tutored retreat will give you a chance to reflect on trait of writers. So how do you take that inquisitiveness your own work and process as a poet. There’ll be time to and turn it into art? When do you let your imagination be alone with your poems and space to be inspired by run away with you, and at what point do you think about walking, running, or simply sitting, looking and listening. form? Open to all levels of experience, this week will We’ll create an encouraging atmosphere where you can celebrate and stretch a wide range of poetic forms, with a focus on your poetry, while building your confidence to particular focus on looking at international genres, to help step back and see the bigger picture. Participants are you explore ways to bring your unique poetic voice to the invited to submit up to five poems to [email protected] page. Come with an open mind, plenty of blank pages by 20 April 2019. Tutors will look at this work, as well as and a willingness to go beyond your current practice. work-in-progress created during the week’s tutorials.

WN Herbert is author of eight books of 82 David Morley won the Ted Hughes Award 83 poetry and five pamphlets, most recently for The Invisible Gift. His collections include Omnesia and Murder Bear. He was editor The Magic of What’s There, The Gypsy and of the poetry anthology Strong Words. He is the Poet, and Enchantment. He is a Fellow of Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at the Royal Society of Literature. Newcastle University. Kim Moore’s first collection The Art of Fiona Sampson has been published in Falling was published in 2015 and won the more than 30 languages and received an Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. Her first MBE for services to literature. The recipient pamphlet If We Could Speak Like Wolves won of a number of honours for her poetry, she the 2011 Poetry Business Book & Pamphlet recently published a critically acclaimed Competition Award. biography of Mary Shelley. Guest Penelope Shuttle lives in Cornwall. Guest Ruth Stacey’s poetry collection, Her most recent collections are Will You Walk Queen, Jewel, Mistress was published A Little Faster? and Lzrd, in collaboration in 2015. She is currently working on an with Alyson Hallett. imagined memoir of the tarot artist Pamela Colman Smith. 27 May–1 June, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 3–8 June

POETRY POETRY Words as pictures and film The poetry of unearthly delights

In poetry, words are both things in themselves and the Expand your editorial mind and dreamer’s consciousness as triggers that conjure the images and sequences that lie a writer in response to the night, day, ghosts and gardens. at the core. This course will concentrate on the power Vahni Capildeo and Chris McCabe’s development of their of such images in both shorter and longer forms. We original multimedia ‘expanded translation’ collaboration will think about street photography and film clips that is the basis for activities that encourage your interweaving become a narrative without completely filling out a story, of ‘day language’ and ‘night language’. Creative prompts but also about poetic forms, both set and discovered, come from a range of writers and artists who enjoy this where such images can prosper. People might bring territory, including Nashe, Borges, Bosch, Lorca and Lowry. along examples of street photography snipped from In the hauntingly beautiful setting of Totleigh Barton, you will newspaper and magazines but we will not be dependent explore site-specific and takeaway techniques to produce on these. material for your own ‘Day Book’ and ‘Night Book’ by the end of the course. 84 85 George Szirtes has published many books of poems since his first in 1979, Reel, winning Chris McCabe’s most recent collections are the TS Eliot Prize, for which he has been Speculatrix and The Triumph of Cancer. His twice shortlisted since. His latest is Mapping experimental novel Dedalus was published in the Delta. 2018. He was shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award in 2013. Clare Shaw has published three collections: Straight Ahead, Head On, and Flood. She Vahni Capildeo won the Forward Prize works for the Royal Literary Fund. 2016 with their collection Measures of Expatriation. Their sixth full-length book, Guest Sophie Collins’s first full-length Venus as a Bear, was shortlisted for the same collection Who Is Mary Sue? was published Prize in 2018. in early 2018, when it was named the Poetry Book Society’s Spring Choice. She is an Guest Jay Bernard’s work Surge: Side assistant professor at Durham University. A, a multimedia piece (forthcoming as a collection in 2019), won the Ted Hughes Award 2018. 15–20 July, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 29 July–3 August

POETRY POETRY Using everything: expanding your How to make opposites attract poetic field of images and influences within our poems

This course will inspire participants to fold their personal For poets who feel they’ve perhaps become ‘stuck’ in and cultural worlds into their poetry. By exploring the one mode of writing, or in one particular subject in their poem as a space of endless potential connectivity and poems, this course will look at how the tension caused symbolism, writers will expand their work with new between differing subject matters can bring a poem points of references and influences, allowing for poems alive. What does it mean for a poem to combine the that accumulate, reach, and interact in exciting and natural with the unnatural, the urban and the pastoral, surprising ways. the bodily and the intellectual, the emotional and the detached, the human and the animal? Throughout the Jack Underwood’s collection Happiness course you will be encouraged to let your imagination fly was published in 2015 and was winner of and to write as boldy, colourfully and deeply as you dare. 86 the Somerset Maugham Award. He also 87 writes essays, short fiction and criticism, and Pascale Petit’s seventh collection Mama is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Amazonica won the 2018 RSL Ondaatje Goldsmiths College. Prize, was shortlisted for the Roehampton Poetry Prize, and was a Poetry Book Society Morgan Parker is the author of Magical Choice. Her sixth, Fauverie, was her fourth to Negro, There Are More Beautiful Things Than be shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. Beyoncé, and Other People’s Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night. She lives in Los Angeles, Andrew McMillan’s new collection is California. playtime. His previous collection was the multi-award-winning physical. He is Senior Guest Momtaza Mehri is a poet and Lecturer in the Manchester Writing School at essayist. She is the current Young People’s Manchester Met University. Laureate for London and a columnist-in- residence at the San Francisco Museum of Guest Malika Booker is a widely published Modern Art’s Open Space. writer, poet, multidisciplinary artist and author of Pepper Seed. She is the founder of the writers’ collective Malika’s Poetry Kitchen. 12–17 August, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 26–31 August

POETRY POETRY Building a repertoire Grand designs

This course will encourage you to examine and think What’s new in poetic form? Whether reinventions of the again about the skills and techniques you are currently traditional or innovations driven by the times, we’ll be employing to give voice and shape to your poems and testing the structural aspects of contemporary poems and to work towards developing a broader spectrum of trying fresh approaches for ourselves. Does the content resources. Exercises and examples of poems in a wide guide the form or vice versa? You’ll be encouraged range of styles and forms will inspire you to experiment, to examine your own formal practice and to strike out to move out of your comfort zone, and to build on your in new directions, with a focus on critiquing your own own repertoire of poems. poems and generating new drafts through innovative writing exercises. Mimi Khalvati’s eight collections include The Meanest Flower, shortlisted for the TS Eliot Luke Kennard is a poet and novelist. Prize for Poetry, and The Weather Wheel, a His last collection of poems, Cain, 88 Poetry Book Society Recommendation. She is was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas 89 a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. International Prize, and his first novel The Transition was published in 2017. He lectures Mona Arshi’s debut collection, Small at the University of Birmingham. Hands, won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2015. Her second collection will Colette Bryce’s four collections include The be published in spring 2019. Whole & Rain-domed Universe, shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection, Costa Guest James Sheard is the author of three Book Award (Poetry) and the Roehampton collections of poetry. His recent collection Poetry Prize. Selected Poems was awarded The Abandoned Settlements was shortlisted the Pigott Poetry Prize for Irish poetry. for the TS Eliot Prize. He lectures at Keele University. Guest Jacqueline Saphra’s collection All My Mad Mothers was shortlisted for the 2017 TS Eliot Prize. In the same year, A Bargain with the Light: Poems after Lee Miller was published. 2–7 September, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 16–21 September

EDITING POETRY POETRY From first draft to publishing deal New ways of making new work

You’ve done it! You’ve written the first draft of a poem. To get you writing in fresh ways, this week will focus on But really, you’re only just beginning. What happens generating new work through different ‘habits of art’. next? Does it need more lines and stanzas, or should As well as re-writing, re-reading and re-thinking, we you swell the white spaces? How can you tell if it’s raw will be celebrating the sheer joy of the best words in or cooked, hard-edged or polished? And when you’ve the best order. Bring your drafts and we will help you got enough poems for a collection, how do you go cook them into poems that delight and inspire both you about shaping it for publication? Become your own best and your readers. editor with the guidance of two poet-editors expert at giving and receiving criticism. Participants are invited Jean Sprackland’s latest collection Green to send three poems of no more than 40 lines each to Noise was published in 2018. Her books [email protected] by 19 August 2019. include Tilt (winner of the Costa Book Award (Poetry)), Sleeping Keys and Hard Water. 90 Tom Chivers’s books include How to Build She is Professor of Creative Writing at 91 a City and Dark Islands. He was shortlisted Manchester Metropolitan University. for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and the Michael Marks Poetry Award, and received Jacob Polley’s fourth book of poems, an Eric Gregory Award in 2011. He runs Jackself, won the 2016 TS Eliot Prize. He is publisher Penned in the Margins. Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University. Sarah Hesketh’s books include Napoleon’s Travelling Bookshelf, The Hard Word Box Guest Paul Farley received the EM Forster and The Emma Press Anthology of Age. She Award from the American Academy of Arts is the Managing Editor of Modern Poetry in and Letters, and presents The Echo Chamber, Translation. BBC Radio 4’s contemporary poetry programme. Guest Mary Jean Chan is the author of A Hurry of English (2018 Poetry Book Society Summer Pamphlet Choice). Her debut collection is forthcoming in 2019. Monday 14–Thursday 17 October, The Hurst Lumb Bank, Monday 28–Thursday 31 October

SHORT COURSE: POETRY SHORT COURSE: SPOKEN WORD The art of storytelling in poetry Exploring our histories and diving into spoken stories Writers have been using poetry to tell stories at least since Homer, and its economy and vividness make it ideal for the purpose. This course gives you the chance to This course is for spoken word artists and poets explore this exciting area, now popular again. Narrative interested in mining their memories and family histories poems can be as short as a stanza or as long as a novel, in order to make sense of the present. Participants will be they can re-tell old stories or invent new ones, they can encouraged to explore those intangible parts of our lives be as complex as a thriller or as spare and haunting as that live on in us through the use of objects, photographs a haiku. Best of all, there are no rules, only possibilities! and other triggers, to then celebrate and explore the Suitable for anyone with an interest in poetry and a tangential, messy routes to those ideas that really matter. willingness to experiment. This will be an informal and open course, exploring collaborative investigation and discussion to unearth gems that might lead to that piece that feels worthy of Liz Berry is the author of The Republic of a time capsule. 92 Motherhood and Black Country, which won 93 a Somerset Maugham Award, the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and the Forward Prize Steven Camden (AKA Polarbear) has for Best First Collection. In 2018 she won the written and toured five feature-length Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. theatrical spoken word pieces internationally. He has written for TV, film, radio and Matthew Francis’s five collections all theatre, and is the author of three novels and include narrative elements. In particular, a collection of spoken word pieces. Mandeville and The Mabinogi are book- length poetic treatments of classic texts. Belinda Zhawi is a Zimbabwean-born He is also the author of two novels and a writer and educator. Belinda was a 2015/16 collection of short stories. London Laureate and the 2016/17 Institute of Contemporary Arts Associate Poet. She’s co-founder and host of poetry social BORN::FREE. Her debut pamphlet is Small Inheritances. 4–9 November, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 18–23 November

POETRY POETRY: TUTORED RETREAT Developing a personal poetics Developing strengths and finding new avenues A course for experienced poets who wish to advance their writing through the careful reading of other poets’ work. Through rigorous and encouraging critiques of your Over the week you will be exposed to a wide range of current poems, we will help identify centres of interest international and British work and we’ll look together at and energy in your work. We will challenge and support how you can use this work to develop your own poetics, you both in developing your strengths and in taking themes and concerns. There will also be opportunities to new and exciting risks within the nurturing environment focus on assembling a volume for publication and the final of Totleigh Barton. This is not a rest, but an adventure, editing processes. and an opportunity to dive into your next unknown. Participants are invited to submit up to six pages of Deryn Rees-Jones is the editor of Pavilion poetry to [email protected] by 18 October 2019. Poetry and teaches at the University of Liverpool, where she co-directs the Centre Fiona Benson’s pamphlet was included 94 for New and International Writing. Her new 95 in Faber New Poets 1 and her debut Bright book of poems, Erato, is due in 2019. Travellers received the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize and the Geoffrey Sasha Dugdale is a poet and translator Faber Memorial Prize. Vertigo & Ghost will from Russian. Her fourth collection Joy was be published in January 2019. a Poetry Book Society Selection and the title poem won the Forward Prize for Best Single Katrina Naomi is an award-winning poet Poem. Her translation of Maria Stepanova’s whose most recent collection is The Way the War of the Beasts and the Animals is Crocodile Taught Me. She holds a PhD in published in Autumn 2019. Creative Writing and mentors for the Poetry Society. Guest Mark Ford’s collections of poetry include Landlocked, Soft Sift, Six Children Guest Richard Scott’s pamphlet Wound and Enter, Fleeing. He is also the author of won the Michael Marks Poetry Award 2016 a biography of Raymond Roussel and of and his poem ‘crocodile’ won the Poetry Thomas Hardy: Half a Londoner. London 2017 Competition. Soho, published in 2018, is his first book. 2–7 December, Lumb Bank

POETRY New ways into poems NON- Where do you get your ideas from? Lucille Clifton wrote that poems “come out of wonder, not out of knowing.” This week we’ll try to re-ignite your sense of wonder with unusual prompts, starting points and writing challenges. FICTION Whether translating from languages you don’t know, experimenting with nonsense or participating in surrealist games, you can expect to surprise yourself and generate lots of new work. A rich mix of reading, writing and conversation – in a friendly and supportive environment – will give you a range of skills and techniques to take away with you.

96 Clare Pollard’s latest collection of poetry is 97 Incarnation. Her translations include Ovid’s Heroines, which she toured as a one-woman show. She edits Modern Poetry in Translation.

Antony Dunn has published four collections of poems: Pilots and Navigators, Flying Fish, Bugs and Take This One to Bed. He is a regular tutor for The Poetry School in York and Leeds.

Guest Martha Sprackland is Editor of Offord Road Books, co-editor of La Errante, and Associate Editor for Poetry London. Her debut pamphlet, Glass As Broken Glass, was published in 2017. NARRATIVE NON- NON-FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT: FICTION WORK-IN- NON-FICTION 22–27 April PROGRESS 18–23 November Totleigh Barton, Devon 5–10 August The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Horatio Clare & Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Colin Grant & Bella Bathurst p.100 Tutors: Richard Beard & Caitlin Davies p.108 Sarah Churchwell p.104 SHORT COURSE: LIFE WRITING: WRITING FROM EDITING NON- FAMILY HISTORY LIFE FICTION 2–7 December Friday 10–Sunday 12 9–14 September Totleigh Barton, Devon May Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: John-Paul Flintoff Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Alexander & Melanie McGrath Tutors: Ian Marchant & Masters & Jenny Lord p.109 Catherine Fox p.101 p.105 98 STARTING TO 99 POPULAR NON- NARRATIVE NON- WRITE NON- FICTION FICTION FICTION 27 May–1 June 23–28 September 9–14 December Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Lois Pryce & Tutors: Julie Summers & Tutors: Rory MacLean & Emily Robertson p.102 Lucinda Hawksley p.106 Kapka Kassabova p.110 MEMOIR LIFE WRITING 17–22 June 28 October–2 Lumb Bank, Yorkshire November Tutors: Hannah Lowe & The Hurst, Shropshire Tim Lott p.103 Tutors: Cathy Rentzenbrink & Marina Benjamin p.107 22–27 April, Totleigh Barton Lumb Bank, Friday 10–Sunday 12 May

NARRATIVE NON-FICTION SHORT COURSE: WRITING The secret to writing luminous and FROM LIFE commercial prose Turning life’s raw material into good writing This course is aimed at writers of all levels, from beginners to published authors, who wish to hone and develop their This hands-on course is aimed at those who have a non-fiction. Taught by two award-winning authors and story based on their life they are longing to write but journalists, the course will explore a range of techniques, can’t decide how to go about it. Fiction? Non-fiction? drawing inspiration and instruction from a sweep of Or something in between? We will help you get past the influences, from poetry to features. We will study and blank page and turn the raw material of life into good practise the creation of places you can feel, people you writing. We will explore how to produce non-fiction that can see and hear, and stories that grip and engross. has the suspense, character development and emotional depth of a good novel, and fiction that packs the same Horatio Clare has won awards for his non- punch as a memoir. 100 fiction, travel and children’s books. His books 101 include Running for the Hills, A Single Swallow Ian Marchant is a writer and broadcaster. and Icebreaker - A Voyage Far North. His non-fiction books include Parallel Lines, The Longest Crawl, and Something of the Bella Bathurst is a writer, photojournalist, Night. His latest is A Hero For High Times, and the author of several non-fiction published in 2018. books, including The Lighthouse Stevensons and Sound. Catherine Fox is the author of six adult novels, a memoir about judo, and a teen Guest John Grindrod is the author of fantasy novel. Her most recent is Realms Outskirts: Living Life on the Edge of the of Glory, the final book in the ‘Lindchester’ Green Belt, shortlisted for the Wainwright trilogy. She teaches Creative Writing at Book Prize, and Concretopia: A Journey Manchester Metropolitan University. Around the Rebuilding of Postwar Britain. He works at Faber & Faber. 27 May–1 June, Lumb Bank Lumb Bank, 17–22 June

POPULAR NON-FICTION MEMOIR From imagination to industry Transforming real life into art

Great storytelling isn’t confined to the world of fiction. “What happened to the writer is not what matters; what Whether you’re writing from real life, a how-to guide or matters is the large sense that the writer is able to make a collection of your research, readers are looking for a of what happened,” wrote VS Pritchett. This course is for page-turning read. But how best to combine hard facts writers who wish to take truth and experience from their with solid storytelling that will hook the reader from own lives, or another’s, and transform it into a memoir, the get-go? How do you tackle writing about real-life with the focus on the telling of a story. We will consider characters, or use dialogue effectively? How much of the technical and creative opportunities and challenges your hard-earned research do you include – and which of writing in this form, and focus on turning the particular bits do you leave out? With both editorial and authorial into the universal. This course is aimed at writers of all input from us as tutors, by the end of this week you’ll levels and will provide invaluable and inspiring ways of have shaped a proposal, explored your storytelling seeing, and writing about, ‘life’. world, and picked up plenty of industry secrets. 102 Hannah Lowe has published three 103 Lois Pryce is an author of three travel chapbooks of poetry and two full collections, memoirs. Her latest book, Revolutionary Chick and Chan. Her family memoir Long Ride, tells the story of her 3,000-mile solo Time, No See was chosen for BBC Radio 4’s motorcycle ride through Iran and was Book of the Week. shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award. Tim Lott is the author of ten books. His first novel won the Whitbread First Novel Award Emily Robertson is the Editorial Director and his memoir The Scent of Dried Roses is of Penguin Life at Penguin Random House, a Penguin Modern Classic. He has taught at commissioning and publishing popular the Faber Academy and lectures on writing non-fiction and personal development titles, for Guardian Masterclasses and the How including The Little Book of Hygge, The 4 Pillar To Academy. Plan and The Old Man and the Sand Eel. Guest Helen Stevenson is the author of Guest Stuart Maconie’s latest book, three novels and two memoirs, most recently The Long Road From Jarrow, was a Sunday Love Like Salt. Times bestseller. 5–10 August, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 9–14 September

NON-FICTION: WORK- EDITING NON-FICTION IN-PROGRESS Developing a critical eye Finding and shaping the story Have you finished a first draft? Do you feel that your The residues of real life – your own or someone else’s work needs shaping but you aren’t quite sure how to go – rarely assemble neatly into ready-made stories. about it? Editing can sometimes seem like a mysterious Different non-fiction genres can help identify that vital process – even if you know that your work needs to narrative thread, from family history to biography to be improved, it isn’t easy to know what to cut, what to travel writing. Maybe the project is also shaped by hone and what should be left as it is. Join us for an argument or an idea. Whatever you want to write, we’ll invigorating, inspiring and instructional week where you look at various ways of seducing readers while respecting will learn to develop a critical eye and gain confidence in non-fiction truth. You are invited to submit up to 2,000 improving your work – and an appreciation for the joyful words of a work-in-progress, plus a short summary of the art of editing. whole piece, to [email protected] by 22 July 2019. Please note that this is optional. Alexander Masters is the author of A Life 104 Discarded: 148 Diaries Found in a Skip, 105 Richard Beard is a novelist and non-fiction Simon: The Genius in My Basement and writer who won the 2018 PEN Ackerley Prize Stuart: A Life Backwards, which won the for his memoir The Day That Went Missing. Hawthornden Prize and the Guardian First Book Award. Sarah Churchwell is the author of Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the Invention Jenny Lord is Publishing Director for of The Great Gatsby, The Many Lives of Weidenfeld & Nicolson. She has edited Marilyn Monroe, and, most recently, Behold, many bestselling and prize-winning non- America: A History of America First and the fiction writers, including Olivia Laing, Adam American Dream. Rutherford, Simon Garfield, Philippe Sands and Mark Kermode. Guest Wendy Moore is an award-winning journalist and author of four non-fiction Guest Peter Straus is the Managing books, including Wedlock, which was a Director of literary agency Rogers, Coleridge Sunday Times bestseller. and White. He works with bestselling and prize-winning writers from around the world. 23–28 September, Lumb Bank The Hurst, 28 October–2 November

NARRATIVE NON-FICTION LIFE WRITING History, memory and the art Mining your memories and experiences of telling stories to create compelling writing

A trunk in the attic, a hundred-year-old photograph How do you select which of your memories and album, travel journals, letters in an archive. How do we experiences will make a good story? What are the turn experience – our own or others’ – into a compelling common pitfalls and tangles that memoir writers should story? Whether you are inspired by a personal journey, avoid? And how do you find a storytelling voice that is an adventurous grandparent or simply want to explore true to your experience while also being compelling for the art of writing non-fiction, we will help you to capture others to read? During this week we will share techniques the golden thread of narrative and explore the wonderful for crafting strong narratives while stimulating you to find diversity of possibilities of family history, biography and your distinctive writer’s voice. travel writing. Cathy Rentzenbrink is the author of 106 Julie Summers is the author of 12 non- The Last Act of Love and A Manual for 107 fiction books, some drawing on her family Heartache. She regularly chairs literary and all focusing on 20th-century adventure events, interviews authors, reviews books or the Second World War. Her book and runs writing workshops. Jambusters inspired the ITV drama series Home Fires. Marina Benjamin’s latest memoir, Insomnia, explores the joys and terrors of Lucinda Hawksley is the author of more darkness and what it means to live fully than 20 books, including three biographies awake. She’s also written The Middlepause, of female artists. Her other titles include Rocket Dreams and Last Days in Babylon. March, Women, March, Bitten by Witch Fever and Charles Dickens and Christmas. Guest Michael Odell’s 2017 memoir Rock Bottom documented ten years spent Guest Damian Le Bas’s The Stopping Places: interviewing the world’s biggest rock stars. A Journey Through Gypsy Britain won the He is an interviewer and features writer for Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction and was the Times. chosen for BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. 18–23 November, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 2–7 December

TUTORED RETREAT: LIFE WRITING: FAMILY HISTORY NON-FICTION Turning family stories into powerful, Finding the heart of your universal narratives

non-fiction story Do you have a family story you want to tell? Not sure where research ends and storytelling begins? If you Whether at the start, midway or nearing the completion have a powerful story but aren’t certain how to keep of a draft of your work, there are strategies that can help people’s interest and deliver real impact, this course you more fully realise the story you’ve been itching to tell. will teach you how best to use your research to create a How do you become more secure in your writing voice satisfying narrative structure. You’ll learn how to select and weave your research seamlessly into the writing? telling details and share the moments that matter most. We’ll help to guide your prose – use of language, Participants are invited to submit up to 2,000 words of a character and structure – to enable you to find the centre work-in-progress, to be sent to [email protected] of your story and the best means of telling it. Participants by 1 November 2019. are invited to submit up to 2,000 words of a work-in- 108 progress to [email protected] by 18 October 2019. 109 John-Paul Flintoff is a journalist, performer and author. His books, including a novel and Colin Grant’s books include A Smell of two memoirs, are published in 16 languages. Burning: A Memoir of Epilepsy, and Bageye The Family Project, written with his wife Harriet at the Wheel, shortlisted for the PEN/Ackerley Green, was published in 2015. Prize. England Fever: Voices of Caribbean Migration to Britain is published in 2019. Melanie McGrath is a bestselling author of fiction and narrative non-fiction. Her Caitlin Davies is the author of six novels and family memoir Silvertown was shortlisted for six non-fiction books, including her memoir the James Tait Black Award for Biography. Place of Reeds. Her latest book is Bad Girls: Pie and Mash Down the Roman Road A History of Rebels and Renegades. is shortlisted for the Historical Writers Association Non-Fiction Crown. Guest Helen Jukes is a writer, beekeeper, and writing tutor. Her first book, A Honeybee Heart Guest Clover Stroud’s memoir The Wild Has Five Openings, was published in 2018. Other was shortlisted for the Wainwright Book Prize. Her book on motherhood will be published in 2020. 9–14 December, The Hurst

STARTING TO WRITE NON-FICTION Turning real-life material into a story WRITING

At the heart of all good non-fiction is a writer’s passion. This course, ideal for those who are new to writing FOR non-fiction, is your chance to explore your passions, obsessions or memories and to develop your writing in a supportive and inspiring environment. Kapka and Rory will offer detailed advice on motivation, starting points, structure, character and description of place, exploring CHILDREN the transformation of experience – our own and others’ – into stories and books. AND 110 Rory MacLean’s dozen books include UK 111 bestsellers Stalin’s Nose, Under the Dragon and recently Berlin: Imagine a City, chosen as a Book of the Year by the Washington Post. YOUNG Kapka Kassabova is a poet, novelist, and the author of three books of narrative non- fiction. Her latest prize-winning book Border ADULTS was published in 2017.

Guest Helen Pankhurst’s book Deeds Not Words: The Story of Women’s Rights – Then and Now was published in 2018. The Hurst, 8–13 April

YOUNG ADULT YOUNG ADULT YOUNG ADULT FICTION FICTION FICTION 8–13 April 26–31 August Enthralling the young adult reader The Hurst, Shropshire Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Tutors: Sheena Tutors: Chelsey (CJ) When teenagers and young adults read, they read with intensity and passion. Our job as writers is to match Wilkinson & Anthony Flood & Alex Wheatle that intensity and passion, creating work that engages McGowan p.113 p.116 and enthrals young readers. YA fiction ranges from gritty realism to fantasy, by way of horror, romance and CHILDREN’S AND CHILDREN’S AND comedy. We will cover all the key areas, from building YOUNG ADULTS’ YOUNG ADULTS’ your characters, and putting them in a convincing world, FICTION: TUTORED FICTION: TUTORED to plotting, narrative structures, and editing your work. RETREAT RETREAT This week is intended for all those wanting to write 3–8 June 14–19 October for young adults, whether starting out or nearing the Lumb Bank, Yorkshire Totleigh Barton, Devon completion of a novel. Tutors: Marcus Sedgwick Tutors: Melvin Burgess & 112 & Catherine Johnson Emma Carroll p.117 Sheena Wilkinson has won many awards 113 p.114 for contemporary and historical YA fiction, YOUNG ADULT most recently for her seventh novel Star By CHILDREN’S FICTION: WORK- Star. Her books include Name Upon Name, FICTION IN-PROGRESS Too Many Ponies and Grounded. 29 July–3 August 25–30 November Totleigh Barton, Devon The Hurst, Shropshire Anthony McGowan has written award- winning novels and non-fiction for adults, Tutors: Steve Voake & Tutors: William Sutcliffe teenagers and younger children. His most & Brian Conaghan Anna Wilson p.115 recent novel, Rook, was shortlisted for the p.118 Carnegie Medal.

Guest Yaba Badoe’s debut novel was True Murder. A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars is her debut YA novel, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Branford Boase Award. 3–8 June, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 29 July–3 August

CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG CHILDREN’S FICTION ADULTS’ FICTION: TUTORED Wonder in words RETREAT To write for young people is to enter a world of wonder Guidance and space to explore where anything is possible. There is no theme too wild or too wacky, no character too big or too small. We will your story build worlds your readers will want to go to and create characters your readers will want to spend time with – or This is a chance to get real hands-on help with your possibly even aspire to become. There will be tips and work-in-progress for children and young adults. Any advice on how to make your dialogue catchy and your piece of writing poses challenges, but the guidance plot into a page-turner. Exercises and prompts will help offered here will help you push on through to a successful you find your way as you enjoy the process of story- finished draft. We will steer you towards getting the making, from your first ideas to the final full stop. best out of your story during this thought-provoking, supportive, challenging and fun week. Participants are Steve Voake is the award-winning author of 114 invited to submit up to 2,000 words of a work-in-progress 115 more than 20 books for young people.He is in advance, to [email protected] by 3 May 2019. Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. Marcus Sedgwick’s prize-winning work has been translated into more than 30 Anna Wilson’s humorous books for children languages. Recent books include The have been described as ‘Miranda meets Ghosts of Heaven, She Is Not Invisible and Adrian Mole’. Her work has been chosen for Midwinterblood. World Book Day and the Summer Reading Challenge. Catherine Johnson has written prize- winning historical fiction for children and Guest Michael Morpurgo is the former young adults. Recent titles include Blade and Children’s Laureate and is a bestselling author Bone, The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo, of over 150 books, including War Horse. Sawbones and Brave New Girl.

Guest Lucy Strange’s first novel, The Secret of Nightingale Wood, was the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month in 2016. 26–31 August, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 14–19 October

YOUNG ADULT FICTION CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULTS’ Turning acorns into oaks FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT Supporting you to bring out your best work Write meaningful, unforgettable stories to inspire young people. Bring the seeds of a story and prepare to dig deeper into why you want to tell it and why the world A course for writers of children’s and YA fiction who have needs to read it. During the course you will get to grips a partially developed piece to work on. Whether you are with who your central characters are, what they have shaping a first draft, in the middle of development or to say, and why it matters. Develop the themes you are polishing up your work, our aim is to build confidence passionate about, learn craft techniques to create a and skills and to help you to write to the very best of your character-led page-turner and take your writing to the ability. During in-depth sessions we will provide honest next level. criticism, experienced advice and, above all, plenty of encouragement. Participants are invited to submit up to 2,000 words of a work-in-progress, to be sent to Chelsey (CJ) Flood is the author of Infinite [email protected] by 14 September 2019. Sky and Nightwanderers. She lectures in 116 Creative Writing at Bath Spa University 117 and edits manuscripts for The Literary Melvin Burgess’s seminal book Junk is Consultancy. regarded as a door-opener for YA fiction in the UK. His work has been widely adapted at Alex Wheatle’s Crongton Knights won the home and abroad and he continues to write Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. Straight inventive novels for young people. Outta Crongton, the third in the ‘Crongton Trilogy’, was published in 2017. Kerb Stain Emma Carroll’s recent novels Secrets of Boys was published in 2018. Home Girl will a Sun King and Letters from the Lighthouse be published in spring 2019. have been selected for the coveted Waterstones Book of the Month slot. Guest Laura Steven’s YA debut The Exact Opposite of Okay was published Guest Pete Kalu is author of nine novels, internationally. She won a Northern Writers’ including YA novels Silent Striker, Being Me Award in 2018. and Zombie XI. 25–30 November, The Hurst

YOUNG ADULT FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS Honing and re-writing your first draft PLAY-

Re-writing is an essential skill for every writer. This course, suitable for anyone who has made a start on WRITING/ a YA novel, will focus on how to improve a work-in- progress, including practical workshops on dialogue and how to make that all-important opening chapter grab the attention of agents and publishers. Participants T V/ F IL M / are invited to submit up to 2,000 words of a work- in-progress, to be sent to [email protected] by 25 October 2019. RADIO 118 William Sutcliffe’s novels include the 119 international bestseller Are You Experienced? and the Carnegie-shortlisted The Wall. He has written for adults, young adults and children, and has been translated into 26 languages.

Brian Conaghan has written When Mr Dog Bites, The Bombs That Brought Us Together, We Come Apart and The Weight of a Thousand Feathers.

Guest Lydia Ruffles is the author of The Taste of Blue Light and Colour Me In. She also writes and speaks on creativity and mental health. Lumb Bank, 29 April–4 May

SCREENWRITING WRITING FOR TV: 29 April–4 May COMEDY SCREENWRITING Lumb Bank, Yorkshire 16–21 September Tutors: Samm Haillay & Totleigh Barton, Devon Stand out from the crowd Sophie Mathisen p.121 Tutors: Sarah Morgan & John-Luke Roberts p.125 This course is designed to equip you with the writing PLAYWRITING skills, industry know-how and experience of collaborative 13–18 May PLAYWRITING working that the ever-changing industry demands. We Totleigh Barton, Devon 23–28 September aim to help you develop your projects so that they stand Tutors: Chris Thorpe & The Hurst, Shropshire out from the crowd and allow you to understand how Lu Kemp p.122 Tutors: Al Smith & Ella to function within a professional environment across Hickson p.126 different screen industries. We will include a pitching WRITING FOR workshop so you are able to verbalise your work in a PERFORMANCE WRITING FOR dynamic way. 20–25 May RADIO The Hurst, Shropshire 4–9 November Samm Haillay is lead producer at Third 120 Tutors: Tim Crouch & Totleigh Barton, Devon Films and has eight feature credits to his 121 Mandy Redvers-Rowe Tutors: Simon Armitage name. He is a member and sat on the p.123 & Susan Roberts p.127 Short Film Jury in Berlin 2010 to award the Golden Bear. PLAYWRITING: SCREENWRITING: TUTORED RETREAT TUTORED RETREAT Sophie Mathisen is the writer/director of 2–7 September 11–16 November British-Australian feature Drama, Executive Lumb Bank, Yorkshire The Hurst, Shropshire Director of For Film’s Sake, and a film Tutors: Ola Tutors: Colin McLaren & lecturer at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Animashawun & Jessica Samantha Horley p.128 Swale p.124 PLAYWRITING Guest Andrew McVicar is a writer/director/ 25–30 November producer with Third Films, currently co- Lumb Bank, Yorkshire writing a feature screenplay for the British Film Institute and a six-part TV series for Tutors: David Eldridge & Channel 4. Amy Rosenthal p.129 13–18 May, Totleigh Barton The Hurst, 20–25 May

PLAYWRITING WRITING FOR PERFORMANCE Finding a new language for your ideas Crafting text to support live performance

There isn’t a single language for theatre. Whether A week for writers who are interested in performing their a conventional play, a text for a dance piece, or a own work and also for those who want to explore their set of instructions for an audience experience with lived experience as an inspiration to write. We’ll think no performers present, each form offers a unique about how the language of performance works inside relationship between the text, the people present, and our heads as much as in our bodies. We’ll consider how the question at the heart of it. This course will focus on theatre is as much a conceptual form as a visual one – creating new material, but will also provide a chance to and how that thought invites the audience to participate look at your current work and ideas in a new light, and more fully in the creation of the work. perhaps find a language for it you hadn’t thought of using before. Tim Crouch is an Obie award-winning writer and theatre maker. Plays include An Chris Thorpe is a writer and performer, Oak Tree, The Author, Adler and Gibb and 122 recently for the Royal Court, the Royal Beginners. He was the 2017/18 Jerwood/ 123 Exchange and the Unicorn. He makes work Arvon playwriting mentor. with Third Angel, Rachel Chavkin, Hannah Walker and China Plate, among others. Mandy Redvers-Rowe is a blind writer and performer, member of No Excuses Lu Kemp is the Artistic Director of Perth Cabaret, and regular sketch writer for BBC’s Theatre, Scotland. She’s a director and Disability Programmes Unit. She is currently dramaturg working across theatre and commissioned for BBC Radio 4’s Afternoon dance, and is Associate Artist with Inspector Drama and developing a new stage play Sands. Measuring Up.

Guest Charlene James’s award-winning Guest Bridget Minamore is a British- play Cuttin’ It opened at the National Ghanaian writer and performer from south- Theatre, later transferring to the Royal Court east London. Titanic is her debut pamphlet Theatre and the Young Vic to considerable of poems on modern love and loss. critical acclaim. 2–7 September, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 16–21 September

PLAYWRITING: TUTORED WRITING FOR TV: COMEDY RETREAT Serious fun Actors and audience – writing for Where do jokes come from? How do you write a sketch? a live medium Are there rules to writing sitcom – and can you break them? On this course you’ll learn practical comedy- A unique opportunity to engage in robust and rigorous writing skills like finding your voice, working with discourse about a range of elements, in terms of creating producers and performers, pitching and networking, writing that is truly dramatic, theatrical, active and alive. creating memorable characters and dialogue, and how The aim of this course is to provide each participant with to come up with millions of brilliant, funny ideas from an the tools to test, interrogate and hone their craft. This empty page. We will provide insider advice and support will include scrutiny of dramatic action, the role of the over a (seriously) fun week. audience, point of entry, point of view, genre and style, the world on stage and the world of the play. Sarah Morgan’s credits include Not Going Out, Horrible Histories, Crackanory and The 124 Ola Animashawun is the Creative Director Now Show. She has created original sitcoms 125 of Euphoric Ink and has held senior positions for BBC, ITV, SKY and FX. She has written in theatres such as the National Theatre and for stand-up, radio, and teaches comedy Royal Court Theatre. He is the founder of the writing. Royal Court Young Writers Programme. John-Luke Roberts is a comedian and Jessica Swale is an Olivier Award-winning writer. He writes across a wide range of TV playwright, screenwriter and director. Her and radio comedies, including creating the plays include Nell Gwynn, Blue Stockings and BBC Radio sketch show Spats, and co- Thomas Tallis. Her films include Summerland creating the UK Gold sitcom Bull. and The Horrible Histories Movie. Guest Margaret Cabourn-Smith is Guest Polly Stenham is a playwright, a comedy writer and performer. Her screenwriter and director. Her plays include credits include Miranda, Motherland, John That Face, Tusk Tusk, No Quarter, Hotel Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme and The and Julie. Now Show. She is a captain on Sony-winning podcast Do The Right Thing. 23–28 September, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 4–9 November

PLAYWRITING WRITING FOR RADIO The art and craft of page to stage Developing your lyrical voice and technical skills Come celebrate writing for the theatre. Building on the foundation of what makes characters compelling, we This course is for confident writers wanting to explore will explore what is narrative structure and how do you dramatic and poetic writing for audio media, focusing weave those characters into a story? And what makes on the creative, practical and technical elements of the telling that tale on a stage different to other forms of art. The week will consist of group workshops, exercises storytelling? By the end of the week we hope to leave and tutorials as well as the chance to produce a short you enthused, confident, and ready to work towards recorded piece with an experienced sound designer. a first draft. This week is suitable for people who are starting to write for theatre or for those who have written plays before and who are seeking some re-energising. Simon Armitage has published over a Please bring with you an idea you’d like to investigate, a dozen collections of poetry and written willingness to share and an open mind. extensively for broadcast media, particularly 126 radio. He is Professor of Poetry at the 127 University of Leeds and in 2015 was elected Al Smith’s recent plays include Diary of a Oxford Professor of Poetry. Madman and Harrogate. For Harrogate he was nominated for Most Promising Playwright Susan Roberts, Editor of BBC Drama at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. North, has produced over two hundred audio dramas and documentaries. She is Ella Hickson’s play The Writer was highly an award-winning director for radio, film acclaimed in 2018. Ella is writing for and theatre. Headlong Theatre, the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her Guest Eloise Whitmore has been working short film Hold On Me premiered at the BFI in radio for 20 years. She has worked with London Film Festival. filmmaker Peter Strickland, Björk, and Samson Young, among others, but is mainly Guest Patricia Cumper writes for stage to be found recording sounds and creating and radio, was Artistic Director and CEO radio drama. of Talawa Theatre Company and recently adapted Maya Angelou’s autobiographies for BBC Radio 4. 11–16 November, The Hurst Lumb Bank, 25–30 November

SCREENWRITING: PLAYWRITING TUTORED RETREAT Balancing inspiration, confidence How to strengthen, shape and and craft

sell your screenplay Fizzing with ideas but flummoxed by theatrical form? Six drafts down and you’ve lost the plot? Whether you’re We want your film to get made. We’ll strengthen your an absolute beginner or a seasoned scribe, stuck on project from inside and out, giving you a process to scene one, frozen at the final curtain, or seeking a dig deep into your story, raise the stakes and test your creative kick-start, all stages are welcome on this playful, characters to breaking point. At the same time we’ll arm practical exploration of the dramatist’s craft. Focusing on you for the real world: you will learn about the market, characterisation, dialogue and understanding dramatic audience and the importance of genre. We want you to action, this course will inspire you to build on work-in- give your audience what they want but in a way they’re progress and/or develop a new play from scratch. not expecting. Participants are invited to send a three- page (max.) outline and the first ten pages of the script David Eldridge is an award-winning 128 to the [email protected] by 10 October 2019. playwright and screenwriter. His play 129 Beginning premiered at the National Theatre Colin McLaren is a BAFTA-winning and transferred to the West End. Other plays screenwriter. He wrote the film Donkeys and screenplays include The Scandalous and The Legend Of Barney Thomson. He is Lady W, In Basildon, Festen, The Picture Man a lecturer and mentor on Screen Academy and Under The Blue Sky. Scotland’s masters course. Amy Rosenthal has written extensively for Samantha Horley has 20 years experience theatre and radio. Her plays include On in film sales, marketing, development and The Rocks, Sitting Pretty and Henna Night. production for PolyGram, Summit and as She has two musicals and two plays in Managing Director of The Salt Company. development. She works with BAFTA- and Oscar-winning producers as well as first-time writers and Guest Abbi Greenland is a theatre filmmakers. maker and performer and one-third of physical theatre company RashDash. Her Guest Uzma Hasan co-founded Little House work combines text, movement, song and Productions. Her credits include The Infidel live music. and Firstborn. CREATIVE WRITING HYBRID WRITING AND WELLBEING 7–12 October OTHER 13–18 May Lumb Bank, Yorkshire The Hurst, Shropshire Tutors: Tania Hershman Tutors: Elise Valmorbida & Maria Fusco p.136 & Vanessa King p.132 PREPARE FOR NATURE WRITING PUBLICATION 10–15 June 11–16 November The Hurst, Shropshire Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Jay Griffiths & Tutors: James Paul Kingsnorth p.133 Spackman & Max Porter p.137 PREPARE FOR PUBLICATION 130 5–10 August 131 Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: James Spackman & Jenny Parrott p.134

SONGWRITING 26–31 August Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutors: Kathryn Williams & David Ford p.135 13–18 May, The Hurst The Hurst, 10–15 June

CREATIVE WRITING AND NATURE WRITING WELLBEING Nature and human nature: to vivify Enhance your ability to flourish and vitalise

This is a week for writers and not-yet-writers looking for What is the role of the writer in an age of climate change inspiration, authenticity of voice, fresh new ways into and mass extinction? We will focus on the natural world creativity and enhanced wellbeing. We bring together and its vitality, the politics of nature in the broadest sense, the practice of creative writing with the applied science and the natural element of the human spirit. Our aim is of positive psychology. Together we’ll explore resilience, to encourage writing about nature that has a voice and a imagination, empathy, observation and focus. You might purpose and in which language is significant, subtle and create haiku or flash fiction, nature writing or life writing. alive. The week will include immersive time in the natural You might begin a memoir, or re-tell an old tale. You world and much teaching outdoors. Writers of both can have it both ways: apply the science of wellbeing to fiction and non-fiction are welcome, and participants at improve your creative writing, and/or let the practice of all levels of experience. creative writing enhance your wellbeing. 132 133 Jay Griffiths is an award-winning writer and Elise Valmorbida is author of four novels and author of Wild, A Sideways Look at Time, non-fiction, such as The Book of Happy Endings A Love Letter from a Stray Moon, Kith: The and The Madonna of the Mountains, and has Riddle of the Childscape and Tristimania: A taught creative writing for two decades. She Diary of Manic Depression. is also an award-winning independent film producer and script consultant. Paul Kingsnorth has eight publications to his name: three non-fiction books, two Vanessa King is a leading UK expert in the novels, a manifesto and two collections of psychology of happiness and resilience. poetry. His work includes the award-winning She has delivered TEDx talks, Guardian The Wake and most recently Confessions of a Masterclasses and workshops worldwide. Recovering Environmentalist. Her published works include 10 Keys to Happier Living, and (in development) a book Guest Richard Kerridge’s nature memoir on wellbeing and writing. Cold Blood was adapted for BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week. He reviews nature writing Guest Beth Kempton’s books Freedom for the Guardian. Seeker and Wabi Sabi have been translated into 16 languages. 5–10 August, Totleigh Barton Totleigh Barton, 26–31 August

PREPARE FOR PUBLICATION SONGWRITING Navigating your way from manuscript Seeing the wood for the trees to book deal Where and how do you begin to write a song? This week Is your fiction project ready to share with the world? We your tutors will help you identify useful ideas as the seeds will guide you through every stage of the publication from which to grow a song, and how to develop and process, from traditional publishing – how it works and focus these ideas into a finished piece of work. We will how you can work it – to the pros and cons of self- explore different genres and the roles songs play, the joy publishing and crowdfunding. How do you grab an and mystery of creating a song from seemingly nothing, agent’s attention? How do advances and royalties work? and find ways never to be scared of a blank page again. What does a PR campaign do for your book, and how should authors engage with social media? We’ll help Kathryn Williams is a Mercury Prize- you learn how to tackle your inner critic, edit your own nominated singer-songwriter. She has toured work effectively, and polish your pitch to perfection. extensively, written and arranged for many artists, collaborated with poets and novelists, 134 James Spackman trains publishers in 135 and released fourteen studio albums. In presentation and copywriting. He has worked 2019 a 20-CD boxed set retrospective of her in sales, marketing and management at work will be released. Bloomsbury and Hodder amongst others. He

is a publisher of cycling books with Profile and David Ford is the writer, producer and is co-founder of the new non-fiction agency bks. performer of five solo albums, an award- winning, multi-platinum-selling songwriter Jenny Parrott is an editor and writer and for international artists and the author of has worked at Bloomsbury, HarperCollins How to Nearly Make it in the Music Industry. and Little, Brown. She runs the Point Blank literary crime imprint at Oneworld. Under Guest Paul Smith is frontman and lyricist for pseudonyms she writes commercial novels alternative rock band Maximo Park. He has for Orion and HarperCollins imprint HQ. released three solo albums and is one of the current Penguin Podcast hosts. Guest Cathryn Summerhayes is a literary agent at Curtis Brown. Her clients include Naomi Wood, Dr Adam Kay, Mark Watson, Toby Litt and Kirsty Logan. 7–12 October, Lumb Bank Totleigh Barton, 11–16 November

HYBRID WRITING PREPARE FOR PUBLICATION Writing in uncharted waters Navigating your way from manuscript to book deal Dive across genre, break out of boxes, prise your writing open, let your words fall in whatever shape they will. It’s Is your fiction project ready to share with the world? We tough to avoid labels as a writer, those we put on our will guide you through every stage of the publication own work and those stuck on by editors and readers. process, from traditional publishing – how it works and Is what you’ve written fiction or non-fiction, poetry or how you can work it – to the pros and cons of self- prose, an essay or a short story, criticism, journalism, publishing and crowdfunding. How do you grab an creative writing? We will never fence you in. On this agent’s attention? How do advances and royalties work? course, we embrace the peeling off of labels, revel in What does a PR campaign do for your book, and how border-crossings, slip in slashes (poetry/essay or memoir/ should authors engage with social media? We’ll help you criticism, say), and slide across discipline. No experience learn how to tackle your inner critic, edit your own work necessary, come as you are. effectively, and polish your pitch to perfection. Competition is fierce – but there are ways to give your book the very 136 137 Tania Hershman is author of three story best chance of success, and we’ll help you find them. collections and two poetry books, and co-author of Writing Short Stories. She wrote James Spackman trains publishers in a particle physics-inspired hybrid prose/ presentation and copywriting. He has worked poetry/fiction/non-fiction book for her PhD. in sales, marketing and management at She is currently working on a fictional- Bloomsbury and Hodder amongst others. He memoir-in-collage. is a publisher of cycling books with Profile and is co-founder of the new non-fiction agency bks. Maria Fusco is the author of six books and has been commissioned by organisations Max Porter is Editorial Director of Granta including Artangel, BBC Radio 4, Film and Portobello Books, where his authors London and Whitechapel Gallery. She is include Han Kang, Eleanor Catton, Rebeca Professor of Interdisciplinary Writing at Solnit and Sarah Moss. He is the author of Northumbria University. Grief is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny.

Guest Kristen Kreider is Professor of Fine Guest Victoria Hobbs is a Director at AM Art and Director of the PhD Programme Heath. She represents fiction and non-fiction at Goldsmiths College. Her books include writers including Maggie O’Farrell, Conn Poetics and Place, Falling and Field Poetics. Iggulden and Kamila Shamsie. Lumb Bank, 13–18 May

RETREAT

RETREATS Imagine no distractions but the occasional owl and the crackle of the wood stove. Retreat to Lumb Bank, Ted Hughes’s former home, surrounded by steep woodland and rivers, packhorse trails and ruins of old mills, to find the motivation to get to grips with your work-in-progress or begin something new. With all day to yourself, supplies of tea and biscuits on hand, and the invitation to dine with your fellow writers in the evening, you can really give your writing the time and focus it needs.

138 139 RETREAT 13–18 May Lumb Bank, Yorkshire p.139

RETREAT 12–17 August The Hurst, Shropshire p.140

RETREAT WITH YOGA 19–24 August Totleigh Barton, Devon Tutor: Lucy Greeves p.141 12–17 August, The Hurst Totleigh Barton, 19–24 August

RETREAT RETREAT WITH YOGA Find your balance, on and off the page If you are looking for time, space and tranquillity to write, then this is the week for you. Set in 26 acres of Ever wondered what it would be like to write from a outstanding natural beauty, The Hurst is the perfect place calmer, more relaxed state? This retreat combines plenty to come and join a community of like-minded people for of thinking and writing time to make progress on your the week and to draw inspiration to fuel creativity. With project, combined with twice-daily optional yoga and your own room plus several other writing spaces, this meditation classes to help balance your mind and body. retreat offers you all you need to get away from the daily The sessions, designed especially for writers, include distractions of life so that you can move further along on yoga sequences to counteract long hours of deskwork; your writing journey. breathing and meditation techniques for focus and concentration; and guided relaxation to help you tap into your creative unconscious to advance your writing here at the retreat. Lucy’s gentle approach is suitable for all levels of experience and physical fitness, including 140 complete beginners. 141

Lucy Greeves is a writer and yoga teacher. Her approach is constantly evolving: the product of almost 20 years’ enquiry into the use of breathing, movement and relaxation techniques to soothe anxiety and unlock creativity. NEW: ARVON 1-1

18-25 We are excited to be launching Arvon 1-1 for our 2019 programme.

You’ve told us how much you value our one-to-one Half-price courses tutorials on Arvon courses. So we are now offering you the Free tips and exercises chance to get one-to-one feedback on your writing from Young writers’ opportunities an Arvon tutor via Skype, wherever you are in the world.

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 • One hour of one-to-one feedback about this writing via Skype 142 Join now • Plus a follow-up email outlining three 143 www.arvon.org/18-25 recommendations from the tutor on how to move forward

Arvon 1-1s are open to all writers. You do not need to have attended one of our residential courses. STAY IN TOUCH We are currently only offering Fiction 1-1s, but plan to offer Arvon 1-1s in more genres throughout the year.

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

www.arvon.org/ arvon__ mailing-list 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. You will have your own apartment, with a study, bedroom, bathroom and all food provided. Wi-Fi is available at The Clockhouse.

Six-day (Tuesday to Monday) and four-day Writers Retreats (Thursday to Monday) are available, and writers 144 can also book multiple retreats together for a longer stay “I came to the retreat from the United States – seeking a 145 or book as a group of up to four writers. distraction-free environment to move words out of my head and onto paper. I also wanted to take time to transition writing as a Cost: from £710 for 6-day retreats / from £470 for 4-day career rather than a hobby. During my time at The Clockhouse, retreats. I was included amongst accomplished writers in an environment where every single detail was handled with excellence.” We offer four comfortable self-contained apartments, —B Bertrand 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 acres of woodland, with a spring-fed lake and inspiring views of the Shropshire Hills. All food is provided – fresh local produce. ARVON’S WORK WITH SCHOOLS JERWOOD/ARVON MENTORING AND GROUPS PROGRAMME

We run over 40 residential and city courses a year with For nine years the Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Programme schools, young people and adult groups. Recent groups has offered Arvon course participants the opportunity include Virtual Schools, working with young people living to take their writing to the next level. Over the course of in care across several London boroughs, and the top 15 a year, nine unpublished writers in the fields of poetry, winners of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. playwriting and fiction receive one-to-one mentoring, attend two Arvon retreats, and produce a group We also offer courses for teachers and creative anthology. This programme is run biennially, with the next writing tutors, grants for teachers to attend our public iteration due to run in 2019-20. For information on future programme, and a mentoring programme for emerging opportunities from Arvon, see our website www.arvon.org writers. In some cases we can work with groups to find financial assistance for courses, thanks to the generosity of funding partners. 146 147 To find out more, visit www.arvon.org/learning or email [email protected]

“I was selected as a Jerwood/ Arvon Poetry Mentee and was mentored by Daljit Nagra. The ensuing mentorship changed my entire life and my relationship to poetry forever.”

—Richard Scott, Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Programme alumnus 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/supportus

Become an Arvon Friend from £4 a month. With your help we can: Donate to our #OPENTOALL Campaign to give • Inspire hundreds of young people a year to write by those on low incomes the opportunity to attend bringing schools and groups to Arvon Arvon’s courses.

• Keep our courses open to everyone by providing grants Give to Arvon’s Crenham Award to provide the for those on low incomes to attend opportunity for those on the margins of society to find their self-confidence and voice through attending an • Change lives for the better by working with vulnerable Arvon week. groups, such as young people in care and adults who 148 have experienced homelessness Remember Arvon in your will and help secure 149 our work for future generations. • Support teachers to develop how they teach creative writing in the classroom, making a difference to the To discuss supporting any area of Arvon’s work, confidence and ability of thousands of pupils annually please contact Dean Stigwood, Head of Development, 020 7324 8906, [email protected] THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT OUR WORK

Arvon relies on your generosity

In memory of David Attwooll Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) Capital Crime Writing Festival The John S Cohen Foundation Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland The Barbara and Philip Denny Charitable Trust The Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Programme 150 The Eranda Rothschild Foundation 151 The Francis W Reckitt Arts Trust is generously supported by The Garrick Charitable Trust Chris Gill Mark Haddon and Sos Eltis The McGrath Trust The Rayne Foundation Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust The Tedworth Charitable Trust The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation

Arvon Friends, Angels, Trustees, and other supporters, and those donors wishing to remain anonymous. PHOTO CREDITS CONTACTING ARVON

Arvon is very grateful to all the photographers who kindly gave us permission to reprint Arvon National Office: Totleigh Barton: their photographs. We aim to credit every 020 7324 2554 01409 231 338 photographer. Please let us know if we have [email protected] The Hurst: been unable to credit you. 01588 640 658 Free Word Lumb Bank:

Alexa Von Hirschberg by Alex Bonney KJ Orr by Lottie Davies 60 Farringdon Road 01422 843 714 Ali Land by Laura Lewis Photography Laura Barnett by Chris O’Donovan London EC1R 3GA Amanda Craig by Marzena Pogorzaly Libby Page by Natalie Dawkins Amanda Smyth by Marlon James Louise Doughty by Charlie Hopkinson Andrew McMillan by Urszula Soltys Lu Kemp by Tommy Ga-ken Wan Anna Wilson by Lou Abercrombie Lucinda Hawksley by John Quintero Photography Beth Miller by Katie Vandyck Luke Kennard by Billie Charity-Prescott Founders Board of Trustees Charlene James by Matt Writtle Luke Wright by Idil Sukan John Fairfax • Jeremy Treglown Chris Cleave by Paul Stuart Mark Haddon by Rory Carnegie Chris McCabe by Jack Goffe Martha Sprackland by Oliver Holms John Moat (Chair) Claire Fuller by Adrian Harvey Mary Jean Chan courtesy of The Forward Prizes • Dr Judith Abbott 152 153 Clare Fisher by Justine Stobbart Max Porter by Lucy Dickens Patrons • Lee Bilson Clare Shaw by Clare McNamee Mimi Khalvati by Caroline Forbes David Ford by Deborah Lopez Momtaza Mehri by Ndrika Anyika • Simon Armitage CBE • Neil Harris Elise Valmorbida by Geza Singer Morgan Parker by Eliza Griffiths • Lord (Melvyn) Bragg FRS, FRSL • Ashley Holloway Emma Carroll by Red Photographic Nikesh Shukla by Ailsa Fineron Fiona Sampson by Ekaterina Voskresenskaya Paul Smith by Ivan Jones • Alan Brownjohn FRSL • Nick Makoha Gillian Slovo by Charlie Hopkinson Pascale Petit by Kaido Vainomaa • Lady Chichester-Clark • Daljit Nagra Guy Gunaratne by Cade Moulla Patricia Cumper by Michael Wharley • Dr David Cohen CBE • Meriel Schindler Helen Jukes by Liz Hingley Pete Kalu by Fereshteh Mozzafarri Helen Pankhurst by Virginie Naudillon Polly Stenham by Laura Pannack • Dame Carol Ann Duffy DBE • Jon Teckman Jacob Polley by Leila Romaya Rory MacLean by Katrin MacLean • Jerry Hall • Kit de Waal James Scudamore by Claire McNamee Ross Sutherland by Hayley Madden James Spackman by Janie Brown Sasha Dugdale by Tatiana Zima • Carol Hughes • Andy Wimble Jane Commane by Paul Lapsley Photography Steve Voake by Tory Voake • Professor Sir Andrew Motion Jenn Ashworth by Martin Figura Tania Hershman by Naomi Woddis • Nigel Pantling Chief Executive and Jenny Parrott by Mark Rusher Tim Crouch by Amelia Dowd Jo Shapcott by Rachel Shapcott Tim Pears by Rory Carnegie • David Pease MBE Artistic Director John Grindrod by Richard de Pesando Tom Rachman by Rasmus Kramer Schou • Sir Salman Rushdie FRSL Ruth Borthwick John-Luke Roberts by Natasha Pszenicki Tony White by Chris Dorley Brown John-Paul Flintoff by Vera de Kok Vahni Capildeo by Hayley Madden • Wole Soyinka FRSL Kapka Kassabova by Tony Davidson Wendy Moore by Colin Crisford • Pete Townshend Katrina Naomi by Tim Ridley Zoe Gilbert by Lucy Johnston Kirsty Logan by Simone Falk President

Design by me&him Terry Hands CBE TERMS & CONDITIONS

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

Bookings Travel insurance All bookings must be accompanied by your deposit of £200 We cannot reimburse travel costs or other losses incurred (unless you are applying for a grant – please see our grant by you in the event of cancellation by us or you. You are guidelines on pages 26–27). You should not consider your strongly advised to take out travel insurance to cover booking as definite until we have confirmed it in writing potential loss arising from cancellation or other eventuality (usually by email). The balance of your fee is payable no affecting your booking, including course fees and travel or later than six weeks before the course or retreat starts. If other consequential costs. You should check that any policy we do not receive your balance when it’s due, we reserve you purchase meets your needs. the right to treat this as a cancellation by you and offer the 154 place to someone else. Cancellations 155 You may cancel your booking and have all fees paid Arvon staff: employee hours returned to you for the first 14 days after we have confirmed Arvon’s staff members are present at the writing centres your booking in writing (except where the course or retreat during their working hours. The times when employees are begins within this period, in which case we can only offer a on site vary according to the day of the week and the type complete refund of fees up until two days before the start of of course taking place. Staff typically arrive on site between the course or 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 no staff are present at the centre, you should call 999 for the emergency services. If you cancel your booking less than six weeks before the and the fee for the new booking is less than the fee for course or retreat begins (but before the first day of the the original booking, we will refund you the difference less course or retreat), the following cancellation conditions an administration charge of £50. We will normally accept apply: transfers up to six weeks before your course or retreat begins, and all of the fee paid will be allocated to the new • If you cancel less than six weeks but more than two weeks 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 that 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 that 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 156 on the course/retreat are ultimately sold (so that the course/ Changes to the programme 157 retreat is fully occupied), then after the course/retreat has Arvon reserves the right to make changes to the advertised taken place we will refund to you all fees paid less a £50 programme and tutors. As we plan the Arvon programme 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 standard terms still apply. We cannot reimburse travel of Arvon. or 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 difference in the fees due. Where we agree to the transfer Conduct and safety on site Smoking Arvon courses and retreats rely on a supportive environment Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside Arvon’s buildings, that depends on tolerance and understanding of all and only in designated smoking areas outside. participants and tutors and their creative work. We therefore ask that you are thoughtful and respectful of the other writers Guests and help foster an atmosphere conducive to creativity. Arvon A place on a course or retreat may be used only by the reserves the right to refuse a place and/or to exclude from participant named in the booking. It may not be transferred a course or retreat any writer who, in the judgement of the to another person without agreement in advance from Centre Director (or, in the absence of the Centre Director, Arvon. Please note that you are not permitted to have guests of 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 Arvon reserves the right to ask a writer to leave the course group 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 158 Centre Director, the responsible member of Arvon staff the privacy of writers at the other and do not enter those 159 on site) judges that it would not be in the interests of the buildings. Residents at the Writers Retreat may visit the office participant or others in the group, or that it would be in The Hurst. A Writers Retreat booking does not entitle you otherwise unsafe for that person to remain on site as a result to participate in our courses, to interact with the tutors or of their mental or physical health, behaviour or apparent participants, or to attend readings, meals, workshops or state of mind. Any refunds made in these circumstances will other activities taking place within The Hurst. Conversely, be at the sole discretion of Arvon. a course booking does not permit entry to The Clockhouse or its immediate grounds. However, the wider estate and Damage and cleaning grounds at The Hurst are shared among all the activities on Arvon’s buildings and grounds are your home during your site and you are welcome to walk and write throughout the stay; please treat them with care and respect. You agree gardens and woods. to reimburse us promptly on demand for all reasonable costs incurred by us as a result of any damage caused by Under-18s you to the centre or excessive cleaning required as a result Arvon’s public courses and retreats are only open to people of your stay. aged 18 and over. By booking on a course you confirm that the participant named in the booking is aged 18 or over. Pets Find out more about our work with under-18s at arvon.org/ Please note that with the exception of assistance dogs, pets schoolsandgroups or email [email protected] are not permitted anywhere at Arvon. Privacy and data domestic duties such as washing-up and cooking. Arvon By booking, you agree that we may collect and store staff will provide limited general support. We will always personal information about you and your interactions with aim to accommodate a personal care assistant provided Arvon. This includes: your personal contact details; gender; a suitable room remains available on the relevant course 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 cards 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 160 participants with any third party, either in aggregate or in may want to offer comments or make a complaint. At the 161 individual form. Our full privacy policy is available to read end of every Arvon stay we give you the opportunity to on our website. provide feedback through our evaluation form, but if you feel this is not sufficient, you may wish to make a formal Loss complaint. A copy of our complaints procedure can be Arvon cannot accept responsibility for any loss, damage or found on our website. Note that all complaints should be expense sustained by participants on courses and retreats made in writing, and we ask that you notify us within ten as a result of an event or circumstance whether arising working days of the end of your course or retreat. from natural cause, human agency, or beyond its control otherwise. 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 COURSE INDEX COURSE INDEX Date Course title Centre Page Date Course title Centre Page January 20–25 Writing for Performance TH 123 14–19 Starting to Write TB 32 27–1 Jun Editing Fiction TB 50 28–2 Feb Poetry TH 78 27–1 Jun Poetry TH 84 February 27–1 Jun Popular Non-Fiction LB 102 4–9 Fiction: Tutored Retreat LB 43 June 25–2 Mar Poetry TB 79 3–8 Poetry TB 85 March 3–8 Writing a Novel TH 51 11–16 Fiction TH 44 3–8 Children’s and Young Adults’ April Fiction: Tutored Retreat LB 114 162 8–13 Young Adult Fiction TH 113 10–15 Nature Writing TH 133 163 15–20 Fiction LB 45 17–22 Fiction: Work-in-Progress TB 52 22–27 Fiction TH 46 17–22 Memoir LB 103 22–27 Poetry LB 80 24–29 Fiction: Tutored Retreat TH 53 22–27 Narrative Non-Fiction TB 100 July 29–4 May Starting to Write Fiction TB 47 8–13 Starting to Write LB 34 29–4 May Poetry: Towards a Collection TH 81 8–13 Starting to Write Fiction TH 54 29–4 May Screenwriting LB 121 15–20 Poetry TB 86 May 29–3 Aug Fiction LB 55 6–9 SHORT COURSE: Short Story LB 49 29–3 Aug Poetry TH 87 6 –11 Fiction TH 48 29–3 Aug Children’s Fiction TB 115 6 –11 Poetry TB 82 August 10 –12 SHORT COURSE: Writing from Life LB 101 5–10 Writing a Novel: Tutored Retreat TH 56 13–18 Playwriting TB 122 5–10 Non-Fiction: Work-in-Progress LB 104 13–18 Creative Writing and Wellbeing TH 132 5–10 Prepare for Publication TB 134 13–18 Retreat LB 139 12–17 Folk Fiction TB 57 20–25 Starting to Write TB 33 12–17 Poetry LB 88 20–25 Poetry: Tutored Retreat LB 83 12–17 Retreat TH 140 COURSE INDEX COURSE INDEX

Date Course title Centre Page Date Course title Centre Page 19–24 Fiction: Tutored Retreat LB 58 18–20 SHORT COURSE: Fiction TH 66 19–24 Starting to Write TH 35 21–26 Starting to Write TH 37 19–24 Retreat with Yoga TB 141 28–31 SHORT COURSE: Spoken Word LB 93 26–31 Poetry TH 89 28–2 Nov Fiction TB 67 26–31 Young Adult Fiction LB 116 28–2 Nov Life Writing TH 107 26–31 Songwriting TB 135 November September 4–9 Editing Fiction TH 68 2–7 Fiction: Work-in-Progress TH 59 4–9 Poetry LB 94 2–7 Editing Poetry TB 90 4–9 Writing for Radio TB 127 164 2–7 Playwriting: Tutored Retreat LB 124 11–14 SHORT COURSE: Starting to 165 9–14 Starting to Write LB 36 Write Fiction LB 69 9–14 Crime Fiction TH 60 11–16 Screenwriting: Tutored Retreat TH 128 9–14 Editing Non-Fiction TB 105 11–16 Prepare for Publication TB 137 16–21 Fiction LB 61 18–23 Fiction: Work-in-Progress LB 70 16–21 Poetry TH 91 18–23 Poetry: Tutored Retreat TB 95 16–21 Writing for TV: Comedy TB 125 18–23 Tutored Retreat: Non-Fiction TH 108 23–28 Fiction: Work-in-Progress TB 62 25–30 Short Story TB 71 23–28 Narrative Non-Fiction LB 106 25–30 Young Adult Fiction: Work-in-Progress TH 118 23–28 Playwriting TH 126 25–30 Playwriting LB 129 October December 7–12 Short Story: Tutored Retreat TH 63 2–7 Writing a Novel TH 72 7–12 Starting to Write a Novel TB 64 2–7 Poetry LB 96 7–12 Hybrid Writing LB 136 2–7 Life Writing: Family History TB 109 14 –17 SHORT COURSE: Poetry TH 92 9–14 Editing Fiction LB 73 14–19 Fiction: Work-in-Progress LB 65 9–14 Fiction: Tutored Retreat TB 74 14–19 Children’s and Young Adults’ 9–14 Starting to Write Non-Fiction TH 110 Fiction: Tutored Retreat TB 117 KEEP WRITING ARVON FRIENDS WRITING ADVICE BECOME AN ARVON FRIEND Sometimes characters turn up like old friends and just start talking to you like you’ve known them all their lives. Other times they are elusive: fugitives you have to follow or track down with just a sparse set of clues. Some are destined to remain strangers, enigmas for a reader to decode. But if you You’ll receive fortnightly really need to know a character, the best way to find them out is to become them. writing tips and exercises by Arvon Tutors If you spend some time as your character then you might be plus access to the online able to channel something of what the Method school of acting calls the ‘art of experiencing’. We know of how actors have library of writing advice. done this, of Robert DeNiro spending weeks driving a New York cab in preparation for his role in Taxi Driver. As a writer you can be more measured in your approach, but it’s worth playing the role of your character just a little to test what their Take advantage of Friends’ motivations might be. So experiment in how they move, what 166 they eat, read and how they make their way through the world. Priority Booking on Arvon’s Go and see things through their eyes and collect what actors courses and retreats. call ‘sense memories’.

And the greatest research resource you have for your character is yourself. It is so often in the characters seemingly wildly different from us that we find aspects of ourselves. Remember what Flaubert said of his greatest creation: ‘Madame Bovary, And know that your support c’est moi.’ helps over 500 young people Jake Arnott is the author of seven novels, including and vulnerable adults attend The Long Firm, which was adapted as a BAFTA an Arvon course each year. award-winning TV series for BBC2. His latest book is The Fatal Tree.

JOIN TODAY from £4 a month Visit www.arvon.org/arvon-friends JOIN TODAY from £4 a month Visit www.arvon.org/arvon-friends or call 020 7324 2554 or call 020 7324 2554 HOME OF CREATIVE WRITING COURSES AND RETREATS 2019 RETREATS AND COURSES

2019

—Monica Ali —Monica to helpto with the course fee. or technique. The essential part is truly or technique. The

For me, Arvon isn’t just about teaching craft just about me, Arvon isn’t For

writing about. An Arvon week seems to cram writing about. An Escape a beautiful to place where you

a month into five days. The breakthroughs are a month into five what’s what they’re driving their writing, really connecting with the writers to help them unlock connecting with the rewarding – for the tutors as well as the writers. rewarding – for the time and space and write, to the support

courses span a wide range genres of and of your fellow writers. fellow your of Grants are available

off the leash. Our residential creative writing

are tutored acclaimedby haveauthors. You’ll can free imagination your and writing let your

9329 41. Its9329 registered 41. office address is FreeWord Centre, 60 Farringdon Road London 3GA.EC1R and Wales with company number 1086582, registered charity number 306694 and number VAT 287 The Arvon Foundation Limited is a charitable company limited byguarantee registered in England