COURSES & RETREATS

Online or in-person, from one hour to five weeks, you can find inspiration, support and transform your writing with Arvon. Discover our range of creative writing courses and events for writers of any genre and any level of experience.

WHAT IS AN ARVON COURSE?

In-person or online

Whatever the setting, online or at our historic writers’ houses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire, Arvon is home to your imagination.

Nurturing
and advice

Be supported by expert tutors to help you explore and develop your writing. Hone your craft with an inspirational mix workshops, tutorials, readings and Q&As.

Time and
space to write

Step away from your normal routine and immerse yourself in the creative process without distractions. The perfect way to let your writing off the leash.

Community
of writers

Encouragement, support and fellowship from a group of writers. You’ll make meaningful friendships and inspire one another, while learning from today’s leading authors.

DISCOVER OUR RANGE

ARVON AT HOME

Our online programme of activities will help you find inspiration and keep writing, no matter the setting.

We're pleased to share our Writing Weeks, Short Courses, Evening Courses, Masterclasses, How I Write and Arvon 1-1s, all accessible from the comfort of your sofa, delivered via Zoom.

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME

Live as a writer in one of our houses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire.

Residential Writing Weeks and Tutored Retreats give you time and space to write, nurtured by two expert tutors. Experience the transformative power of Arvon, surrounded by beautiful scenery and a supportive group of peers.

ARVON LIVE

City-based day-long events with leading authors to inspire your writing and spur on new work.

The day usually consists of Masterclasses, time to write, a reading and Q&A with a guest speaker.

CLOCKHOUSE RETREATS

Give your writing the time at space it deserves at The Clockhouse in Shropshire.

Your own private apartment at our dedicated Writers Retreat, with bedroom, study, en-suite bathroom, and all food provided, for six-day and four-day writing retreats.

FIND A COURSE BY TYPE

Residential Writing Week

Online Writing Week

Masterclass

How I Write

Online Five Week Course

Residential Tutored Retreat

Online Writing Day

Children and Young People's Events

Arvon Live

Residential Writing Week

Residential Writing Weeks take place at our houses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire for 5 days and span a range of genres. You'll work closely with two tutors, each week consisting of workshops, one-to-one tutorials and evening readings. You’ll have time and space to write, and plenty of support. Long after you leave, your creativity will grow.

Mar 25-29

IOU Hostel

Poetry

Residential Writing Week: Poetry

Honing your wildest creative self

Clare Shaw
Anthony (Vahni) Capildeo
Guest: Rachel Mann
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Last few places left

Mar 25-30

Totleigh Barton

Fiction, Short Story

Residential Writing Week: Short Story

Stories that reach beyond

Ruby Cowling
Yan Ge
Guest: Irenosen Okojie
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Last few places left

Mar 25-30

The Hurst

Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, Starting to Write, Screenwriting, Theatre, Children & YA, Short Story, Publishing, Other

Untutored Writers’ Retreat

Taking time for yourself

Apr 8-12

IOU Hostel

Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Fiction

Unearthing your story

Tom Benn
Laura Joyce
Guest: Naomi Booth
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Last few places left

Apr 15-20

Totleigh Barton

Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Fiction

Discovering the writer within

Michael Donkor
Kirsty Logan
Guest: Cecile Pin
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Add to waiting list

Apr 15-20

The Hurst

Screenwriting

Residential Writing Week: Screenwriting

Adapting from source to screen

David Eldridge
Julie Dixon
Guest: Sasha Hails

Apr 22-27

The Hurst

Non-Fiction, Other

Residential Writing Week: Life Writing with Coaching

Unlock the power of your personal story

Musa Okwonga
Bec Evans
Guest: Emma Gannon
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Last few places left

Apr 22-26

IOU Hostel

Theatre

Residential Writing Week: Playwriting

Writing for performance

Tim Crouch
Chris Thorpe
Guest: Rachel Mars
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Last few places left

Apr 29-May 4

The Hurst

Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Fiction

Hypnotising your readers

Jarred McGinnis
Monique Roffey
Guest: Evie Wyld

Apr 29-May 4

Totleigh Barton

Fiction, Poetry, Starting to Write

Residential Writing Week: Starting to Write

Begin the journey

Keith Jarrett
Carys Bray
Guest: Saba Sams

May 6-11

Totleigh Barton

Fiction, Non-Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Non-Fiction

Vital natures

Jay Griffiths
Tom Bullough
Guest: Sophia Pavelle

May 6-11

The Hurst

Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Starting To Write Fiction

A way into writing

Rachel Seiffert
Toby Litt
Guest: Lucy Jago

May 13-18

The Hurst

Theatre

Residential Writing Week: Playwriting

Moving from ideas into scripts

Evan Placey
Tessa Walker
Guest: Waleed Akhtar

May 20-25

The Hurst

Fiction, Non-Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Editing Fiction & Non-Fiction

Take a fresh look and dive deep into self-editing

Claire Fuller
Adam Weymouth
Guest: Ferdia Lennon
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Last few places left

May 20-25

Totleigh Barton

Poetry

Residential Writing Week: Poetry

Poetry can do everything!

Ella Frears
Martina Evans
Guest: Padraig Regan
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Last few places left

May 27-Jun 1

Totleigh Barton

Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Fiction

Find your unique voice

Stephen May
Lisa Harding
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Online Writing Week

Our acclaimed week-long writing courses are now available online. Capturing the transformative power of an Arvon week, you’ll experience a week of workshops, one-to-ones, social gatherings and readings delivered by two Arvon tutors via Zoom. You’ll connect with a small group of fellow writers and unleash your imagination, all from the comfort of your own home. 

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Masterclass

Join an Arvon tutor for a two-hour masterclass, delivered live via Zoom webinar. Similar to workshops on a traditional Arvon course, the tutor will share their invaluable writing advice and explore forms and techniques. You’ll also have time to write over the two hours, with helpful prompts set by the tutor.  

Mar 22

Online

Poetry

Masterclass: Poetry of Elegy

Songs of loss

Ruth Padel

Mar 26

Online

Fiction

Masterclass: Funny Fiction with Emma Jane Unsworth

Make 'em laugh

Emma Jane Unsworth

Apr 2

Online

Fiction

Masterclass: Historical Fiction

Inhabiting the past in your writing

Imogen Hermes Gowar

Apr 5

Online

Theatre, Other

Masterclass: How to Teach Creative Writing – Theatre

Raise the curtain on teaching creative playwriting

Ella Hickson

Apr 9

Online

Poetry

Masterclass: Poetry and Dictionaries

Chasing new meaning into the light

Kate Potts

Apr 19

Online

Screenwriting

Masterclass: Starting Your Screenwriting Journey

Bringing your ideas to life

Lily Loveless

Apr 23

Online

Fiction

Masterclass: The Poetry of Prose

Setting your prose alight

Andrew McMillan

May 3

Online

Non-Fiction

Masterclass: Nature Writing

Writing the wild

Miriam Darlington

May 7

Online

Poetry

Masterclass: Using Social Media to Make Your Poems Fly

How to get your unique voice heard

Nikita Gill

May 17

Online

Non-Fiction

Masterclass: Exploring Autofiction

Stealing content

Jarred McGinnis

May 21

Online

Fiction

Masterclass: Writing with Instinct

Following your gut

Sheena Patel

May 31

Online

Poetry

Masterclass: Poetic Metaphor

Nailing the mechanics of metaphor

Don Paterson

Jun 4

Online

Theatre

Masterclass: Playwriting

Five types of experience

Simon Stephens

Jun 14

Online

Fiction

Masterclass: Fictional Families

Understanding character and inspiring plot

Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

Jun 28

Online

Screenwriting

Masterclass: Screenwriting

Using your personal truth to create a compelling world

Neil Biswas

Jul 16

Online

Masterclass: How to apply for funding

Maximise your potential for successful funding applications

Jonathan Davidson
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How I Write

Now more than ever we need stories – to engage, to entertain, to nourish, and to help us make sense of what we’re living through. So join us from the comfort of your sofa and listen to writers share their work, the stories behind their work, and invaluable writing advice directly from their own desk (or maybe the kitchen table). And the best part? At the end you get to ask them questions about their words, pick their brains on craft, and learn more about the business of writing. Delivered live via Zoom webinar and recorded so you can watch back later. 

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Online Five Week Course

Perfect if you want to commit time to your writing but can only manage a couple of hours a week. Our evening course unpacks our popular 5 day online writing week over 5 weeks of evening classes. You’ll have a weekly workshop, one-to-one tutorials, socials and How I Write sessions. You will develop a network of fellow writers and give your writing a transformational boost.

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Residential Tutored Retreat

Our residential tutored retreats are designed to allow you the time and space to focus on your writing from our houses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire. Tutored retreats allow you plenty of writing time in the mornings without workshops. You'll benefit from one-to-one tutorials with your tutors in the afternoons and a guest on Wednesday.

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Children and Young People's Events

Arvon at Home Workshops for Children and Young People offer online opportunities for creativity and self-expression, outside the curriculum, for young people aged 8 upwards, whether from their own home or in a school classroom, under the guidance of expert tutors in poetry and prose.

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FIND A COURSE BY GENRE

Fiction

Poetry

Non-Fiction

Starting to Write

Children & YA

Screenwriting

Theatre

Other

A closeup person writing in a notebook

Fiction

Our famous residential fiction writing courses, held in remote countryside locations. Tutored by leading authors including Mark Haddon, Sunjeev Sahota and Kamila Shamsie. Long after you leave, your creativity will grow.

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Old poetry book on a wooden table

Poetry

Our poetry courses begin with a warm welcome, give inspirational support, and end with transformation. Since 1968, our poetry courses have supported and inspired writers of all kinds.

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View of the valley from Lumb Bank, Arvon's writing centre

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction and lifewriting courses for writers of all levels.

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One-to-one tutorial at Lumb Bank, a writer and tutor discussing some work

Starting to Write

Build your writing confidence in a supportive environment, led by experts. We offer Starting to Write courses in specific genres and more general Starting to Write courses that include both fiction and poetry writing. Starting to Write courses include workshops and one-to-one tutorials.

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Children & YA

Our range of courses and retreats aimed at writing for younger audiences – from picture books and children’s fiction, to YA fiction – will leave you feeling inspired, having made progress on your writing.

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A notebook with writing

Screenwriting

Many writers who have been on Arvon’s TV and Film courses go on to have their work produced. There are in-depth workshops each morning, personal feedback on your script in one-to-one tutorials, chances to share your work and ask industry experts questions in the evening, lots of writing time and opportunities for creative inspiration.

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a person reading a script document on a table with mugs

Theatre

Our theatre and playwriting courses are the perfect environment to release imaginative potential. On these courses you will benefit from the support of accomplished playwrights, plenty of time to write, workshops and tutorials.

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Table with book during a Creative Writing Course at Arvon

Other

We like to keep things interesting at Arvon, and these courses don’t fit into a box. From writing for wellbeing and preparing for publication, to hybrid writing and nature writing, these courses are as unique as your imagination.

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GRANTS & CONCESSIONS

Grants are available for writers who are unable to afford our full course fees and would otherwise be unable to attend an Arvon week. We offer two grants: a low income grant and a teachers grant. We also offer concession pricing on Arvon courses and events, with a generous eligibility criteria.

"My week at Arvon was transformative. The advice, the ideas, the people and the experience have taken my writing to new levels, in ways that I couldn’t have anticipated before attending the week."

— Liz Sage

"An Arvon course is transformative and energising for tutor and student alike; it draws a temporary magic circle within which nobody has to duck their head and apologise for calling themselves a writer."

— Patrick Gale

"Two weeks ago I’d never have scribbled away on a train like this. I might daydream out of the window, passing the time, losing all those thoughts to the air. But now they’ve become a source of stories. Stories everywhere that only I can capture, only I can tell."

— Course participant

It was a week that changed my life. I was very nervous, wondering if I was kidding myself, but the tutors' exercises shook me up. They got me thinking about different ways to write. One of the big things for me was narrative voice, particularly exploring first person, and Kester's voice cam from that....I went on that course thinking I want to be a writer and I left feeling I am a writer"

— Piers Torday

"Utterly exhilarating - a supportive group and constant challenges galvanized my creativity. Performing and writing under pressure in this beautiful space has been fabulous."

— Course participant

"It might be a cliché (what a sin a writer!) but the Arvon course I went on really did change my life; it gave me the space to conceive a long poem I've never been able to match for scope or style since"

— Andrew McMillan

IN THE PRESS