Arvon runs an annual programme of creative writing courses and retreats for schools, groups and individuals. Our courses, tutored by leading authors, are held at three rural centres and include a powerful mix of workshops and individual tutorials, with time and space to write, free from distractions of everyday life. Arvon courses are in a range of genres and we have different styles of courses. Grants are available to help with course fees.
Jan 13-18
Totleigh Barton
Fiction
Re-ignite your writing
Jan 17-19
Lumb Bank
Other
Tutor Development Short Course
Jan 27-Feb 1
The Hurst
Non-Fiction
Uncovering your story, finding your voice
Feb 3-8
Lumb Bank
Poetry
Discovering the tools
Feb 17-22
Lumb Bank
Playwriting
,Other
Telling the stories that need to be heard
Feb 24-29
Lumb Bank
Non-Fiction
Creativity and craft in true stories
Mar 23-28
The Hurst
Playwriting
,Other
Staging stories of oppression
Mar 30-Apr 4
The Hurst
Poetry
Risks to transformations
Every time I’ve taught at Arvon - going back over fifteen years now - I’ve seen how much difference just a handful of days can make in the life of writers. There’s a perfect mix of tutorials, writing time, socializing, and discussion - all those elements come together to create an atmosphere in which writing projects move in that longed-for but often unattainable direction: forward.
— Kamila Shamsie
Exercises
Fiction
Whenever you write a scene it’s a good idea to rewrite it – perhaps in note form – using a different…
Tips
Poetry
Each line must carry at least one unit of sense either in the line itself or across several lines.
To make…
Tips
Non-Fiction & Life Writing
Objects have immense power to help us to tell stories.
I have found that an entire storyline can be found in…
Exercises
Film & TV
PART ONE: Documentary or Research Exercise for Screenwriters
Using a still camera and or a tape recorder (or video recorder), follow…
Tips
Writing for Children & YA
After the giddy rush of a first draft, how you edit and refine your work is of equal, if not more…
Exercises
All
,Writing for Children & YA
Start with a scenario – this might be a random picture, a very short scene from a novel, a few lines…
Tips
Fiction
Before you begin to write your story ask yourself what is it about, what do you want it to say, what…
Exercises
Fiction
Think about your favourite novel or short story, or if not your favourite, then the novel or short story you are…
04 Dec 2019 / The Stories We Tell
Ten Rounds: Boxing and Writing
Inspiration for new books can come from the strangest places. My second novel was…
08 Nov 2019 / The Stories We Tell
Take Me to Tesco’s
I like writing, but I love living more. I’ve said variations of this many times…
01 Nov 2019 / Uncategorized
This is a question that anyone reading this has surely asked themselves. For me some days I’m a writer, other days…
Read more18 Oct 2019 / The Stories We Tell
Beginning With A Line
The Northern Irish poet Michael Longley once said, ‘If I knew where poems came from,…
Do you believe that everyone should have the opportunity to unlock their creative potential?
We believe that everyone deserves the freedom to imagine, write and explore ideas regardless of their age or financial background.
We offer residential weeks for schools, young people and adult groups.
Our weeks for schools and groups follow the same pattern as our adult course programme – led by two professional writers, with tutorials, group workshops, and time and space to write.
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